SDG 15: Protect ecosystems, forests and biodiversity loss

All organic kitchen scraps are going in the compost bin! With the increased cooking done at home, I noticed that there has been more and more food scraps going into the rubbish bin rather than to be composted to be used for our garden. I hope to promote the benefits of composting for growing your own delicious veggies and fruits in your backyard and supporting our local ecosystem!

Menstruation is a normal aspect of most women's monthly routine. However most women buy sanitary pads or tampons constantly as it is the norm in western societies is to use single use items. This creates a huge amount of waste, roughly 200 000 tonnes each year as well as putting strain on women who are homeless or in poverty who cannot afford these items every month. I have recently discovered businesses that offer more sustainable options such as reusable sanitary pads and menstruation cups that can last for years as well as being biodegradable. I have taken the step to invest in some of these products in order to reduce the amount of waste that I produce as a result of my bodily functions.

Every semester (even terms) we consume a lot papers to support our study's needs. These paper can be in the shape of block notes, notebooks, post-its, stick notes, paperwork used in the tutorials and lectures and even readings printing. After each semester, year or after the graduation we just through it at the bin, hopping that the government can recycle for us. However, we can just guarantee the end of all these papers if we know the destiny we are giving to them. That's why I am keen to start to delivery my papers to recycle companies by myself. Also, I am keen to create a campaign ( If Monash does so) that incentives all the students and staffs to delivery their paper stuffs in collection spots through the campuses and Monash could transfer them to a recycling partner. If we wanna change the world, we must start in our yard!. However if this initiative be successful, Monash Uni can even to expand it to schools, encouraging secondary students to do the same. I am totally keen to take this idea 'out the paper'!

The paddock to plate journey of food has dramatically changed in the last 100 years. In many ways food production has become more efficient but at what environmental cost? Overfishing, soil degradation due to land overuse and dramatically increased food miles has created a huge ecological food footprint. This has impacted consumption patterns with food being available year round leading to less conscious consumption in addition to increased food wastage. This food wastage was estimated at 4 billion dollars in Victoria this last year alone and with 20% of this going into landfill. Our recycling plants don't have the capacity to deal with the waste we are producing and many of the recyclable outputs don't have a market to be sold to. My one step is to rewrite the food story by advocating for change and changing my behaviour at each step of the process from production to consumption to disposal. I am going to make more conscious food choices to eat from sustainable sources of fish and meat, and seasonal Australian produce so that my food doesn't have to travel a thousand kilometres to get to my plate! I am also going to buy unpackaged foods from local sources and plan my meals better in order to reduce my food waste. I have also just moved house to where there is a fortnightly collection of organics, so I am going to put my food waste into this to ensure that it is diverted from landfill and recycled into compost which can be reused.

Water is life for people and creatures all over the world. We need it to drink, to create food, clothes, and energy. However, water shortages, pollution and wastage are leading to less of it being available for those who need it to survive. 1 million people per year die from water, sanitation and hygiene related diseases that could be reduced by access to clean water. I pledge to start saving water at home and treat it as the precious resource it is. This includes limiting my showers to two minutes, only putting a dish washer on when it's full of dishes, checking and fixing household tap leaks, checking for toilet leaks once a year and monitoring my water bill.

I have started collecting coffee cups off the street and that my family uses so that they can be recycled through the Simply Cups initiative at 7/11 stores. I have also started consuming all my take-away coffees in a Keep Cup.

I have started collected all soft-plastic packaging my family uses and have been taking them to Coles REDcycle recycling bins to recycle them. To reduce my overall plastic consumption, I have also started to wrap my foods in Beeswax wraps.

The world today involves excess consumption of almost everything except that which is good for us. In this day and age when you want something you get it within a short period of time and you end up wanting more. We can no longer live like this. The populations are growing and manufacturing is expanding to match the increased demand. An increase in consumption and manufacturing has reflected in the increase of Green House Emissions and the rapid advance of Global Warming. My pledge is to reduce the amount of meats I consume, especially red meats, and also packaged food which contribute to the waste in our ecosystems. The food industry is responsible for a quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions and of these, red meats produce the most such as beef, lamb and mutton and pork.

There is no doubt that recycling is a critical step to achieve a sustainable circular economy. However, we tend to focus only on this practice, ignoring the importance of reducing our consumption levels. It is for this reason that I commit myself to reduce the number of unsustainable products I use on a regular basis by replacing them with non-disposable items. This includes stopping using disposable cutlery, plastic bottles, plastic bags, plastic containers, etc.

Hello, as an International Business student I have learned the influence consumer dollars have on corporations and their decision-making. With this in mind my one step is to make the transition to sustainably sourced goods rather than those not. Hopefully with enough people buying sustainably sourced goods over alternatives, this can make the demand for ethical sourcing more prominent to key business leaders.