SDG 3: Good health and wellbeing

My step towards living sustainably is to save energy while performing all my day to day activities. By doing small steps like putting on a sweater and turning the thermostat down on a cold evening, turning off appliances like bulbs and computers off when they are not in use. Small steps starting at home can help make an impact around oneself. I pledge to take small steps to save energy around me and make other people around me practice the same.

As someone who has grown up in a family that eats meat every day, the thought of going vegetarian has never seemed realistic. Food, and consequently meat consumption, is ingrained in both my parents’ culture and upbringing. My goal is to cook vegetarian for three nights a week for my family. While I won’t be committing to a completely vegetarian diet, I hope that by cooking for my family I can reduce our collective household meat consumption permanently through some small, first steps. It will not only result in more healthier eating, but also reduce our impact on the environment through a commitment that is achievable by all of us. Rather than focusing on changing solely my individual eating habit, I believe it would be more impactful to create collective change to a wider group (my family) beyond just myself. By introducing three meat-free days a week, I hope that the transition will seem less confronting and a lot more achievable for my family, so they are more likely to jump on board.

I vow to eat seasonal produce that is locally sourced. Through this step, I hope to consume food the way nature intended but to also support local farmers and food industries where possible. I will be sourcing all of my fresh produce from local farmer's markets for the next year.

For the longest time I have been researching and learning about the impact of agriculture towards global emissions and poverty. I am going to not have meat for this week and will see how long I can sustain it.

From the rich to the humble blue-collar workers, food-waste is never really acknowledged as a legitimate concern. The energy used to produce the food is also consequently wasted and is not efficient for a planet with limited resources. From Monash council's recommended compost bins, to being more responsible and considerate about wasting food; food waste in households can be restricted to a bare minimum. It must be acknowledged, however, that, like many other environmental concerns, it is the businesses that are mostly culpable. For example, supermarkets and fast-food chains over-buy food for most of it to only be thrown in the bin. My personal goal is to completely diminish my food waste. I will collect and weigh my waste to find whether a person in my circumstances is capable of zero food waste. The most difficult part would be remembering and utilising the goods in the pantry which I tend to forget until they expire.

1.3 billion tons of food rots at home or on store shelves worldwide every year. 30-50% of food stocked in supermarkets is later thrown out by consumers. 21% of global landfill consists of wasted food products. Now is the time to start addressing food wastage at local levels so that we can maximize our edible products, prevent overconsumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions released from landfill burning. We can achieve this by thinking outside the box and becoming more educated about our food products. For example, we can shop more productively by only buying what we need on a daily basis. Additionally, composting turns our food scraps into energy for plants, and freezing preserves leftover meals for longer periods of time. However, one of the most underrated solutions is getting more creative in the kitchen. We can preserve and ferment vegetables, use stems, stalks and carcasses for sauces and stocks, plus utilize ginger and cucumber peelings to perk up water. We can even transform our leftovers into new meals and use every aspect of our vegetables. For example, keeping the skin on pumpkin and utilizing the seeds not only adds nutrients and flavor but also reduces waste. Coffee grounds also act as a great fertilizer for plants and a natural mosquito repellent. By 2050, it is expected that we would need 3 planet earths to sustain current lifestyles for the projected population of 9.6 billion. Therefore, by maximizing our food products we can help reduce overconsumption. Purchasing less food reduces demand and places less pressure on the agricultural and food production industry. Therefore, the food otherwise wasted can be used to improve food distribution to rural low-income communities who suffer from hunger, poverty and poor access to food. Ultimately, by thinking smart with food we can limit food waste, greaten consumption efficiency and address social and health inequalities in low-income countries.

According to the Swinburne University's survey, 1 in 2 Australians report feeling more lonely since COVID-19. I was one of those who spent time with loneliness. During the lockdown, I gave back to the community and got to know my neighbors by donating household items and food to "The little free pantry", a donation box at a nearby church. I wanted to help those in need, and it was a great experience for me to see someone take home something I had donated. This kind of donation to the community not only reduces waste and improves public safety, but also has a great power to heal people's hearts. I think the reason for this is the warmth of the human connection between the donors and the recipients. It's a small step, but it was a big learning experience for me.

Five

To explore the broader effects of taking care of one's health, both physical and mental. I intend to convert to a vegetarian diet so as to help curb the carbon emissions from the meat industry. This will also give me a chance to experience any health benefits a vegetarian diet might bring. Additionally, I will be taking walks on a regular basis with friends. These walks will be a way to maintain physical wellbeing while checking in with a friend. It is important to check in on people you haven't seen in a long time, especially after the last few months of lockdown. Lastly, a friend and I have created an Instagram page to shed some light on the mental health struggles of people of colour. The Instagram page also serves as a platform to provide build a community and empower people of colour.

In this year, I started using Thinx period underwear which are washable, reusable underwear designed to replace pads and tampons. Basically, they look and feel just like otr regular undies — but with strong absorb technology. This product is not only good for environment, better wellbeing for women too. Also, I can be a part of donator for their programs which support for better access to puberty education, amplifying grassroots activism. I strongly echo with their mission, and use my consumption for as a vote.