Ecological Footprint: Personal Assessment Essay

Discussing one’s ecological footprint and how a person’s life can influence the environment has always been problematic. If one lives without following any personal guidelines on the use of natural resources or the way waste is produced, the results of any eco-footprint assessment can be quite discouraging. Thus, the findings of my ecological footprint analysis were shocking. In the assessment, I looked at the way I consume products and resources, how I usually get rid of waste, and what efforts of sustainability do I take into consideration. I have found that I rarely think about how my consumption can influence the environment; when buying vegetables wrapped in plastic packaging, I never consider that the plastic will be later discarded in a landfill. My waste disposal efforts are usually similar to many Americans’. I do not sort my waste properly; the only thing that I do on a daily basis is separating glass and metal from the rest of the waste. With regards to the efforts of sustainability, I try to use a reusable coffee cup to avoid buying drinks in plastic cups. The rationale for the majority of personal choices is convenience and cost-efficiency.