What Is an Ecological Footprint?

Take a moment to imagine all of the natural resources you use throughout your day. From the water you use while during your morning shower to the gasoline needed to fuel your daily commute, your everyday routine has an impact on the environment. This impact, also referred to as an ecological footprint, is the measure of the amount of natural resources it takes for a human to live. The United States has the largest ecological footprint in the entire world. Each year, it takes an estimated six months for the United States to consume more resources than it’s able to produce. This is referred to as exceeding its natural budget. As consumption continues to increase, the time it takes to exhaust the country’s natural budget continues to decrease. 

When living sustainably, the goal is to minimize your ecological footprint in an effort to conserve our planet’s natural resources and cut down on pollution. An ecological footprint is likely not something you think about every day, but every action we take either adds to or subtracts from our ecological footprint. 

Why You Should Care About Minimizing Your Impact on the Environment

There’s a limit to how many natural resources our planet can produce each year, referred to as the Earth’s natural biocapacity. When humans’ collective ecological footprint is larger than the Earth’s biocapacity, it can cause long-term damage to our environment. Currently, humans consume more natural resources and produce more carbon emissions than our planet can manage. This is leading to growing environmental problems like food scarcity, global warming, and fossil fuel depletion. 

Regardless of where you live, your livelihood is negatively affected by these problems. Minimizing your impact on the environment isn’t just about caring for the planet, it’s about survival. The more we neglect and overdraw from our natural resources, the harder it will be to live on our planet. 

The effects of our actions today will be felt far into the future. While we may not see all the impacts of these issues now, this is a threat for not only our generation, but generations to come. By taking steps to minimize your ecological footprint, you are creating a better environment for future generations. 

Three Easy Ways to Reduce Your Ecological Footprint

Luckily, reducing your ecological footprint is mostly a matter of awareness and attention to your decisions. The first step is understanding the impact of your lifestyle choices. Calculate your ecological footprint to see the full impact of your daily routine. 

Once you have a better understanding of how your actions affect the environment, it becomes much easier to find ways you can reduce your ecological footprint. Simple lifestyle changes like using less plastic, rethinking waste, and supporting sustainable initiatives are all ways you can care for the environment. 

Use Less Plastic

One easy way to reduce your impact on the environment is by limiting your use of plastic. Plastic contributes to your ecological footprint in more ways than one. First, plastic adds to the non-biodegradable pollution problem. Many people see plastic as an easily disposable material, but that’s far from the truth. It can take thousands of years for plastic to fully decompose, resulting in a mass accumulation of plastic waste in our landfills and oceans. Second, plastic requires fossil fuels to be made. These fuels are extremely slow to replenish naturally. Plastic production consumes these fossil fuels at a much higher rate than they can be replenished. 

Luckily, there are simple, sustainable swaps you can make that feature biodegradable and environmentally friendly materials. One of the simplest swaps is to opt for a is reusable water bottle made with durable materials like glass or metal instead of buying water in disposable plastic bottles. Another tip is to invest in reusable straws, chopsticks, and silverware. These can easily be thrown into a lunch bag to replace single-use plastic utensils and straws. Finally, opt for reusable bags for your next shopping trip in order to limit the use of plastic bags. 

Rethink Waste

Another way to lower your ecological footprint is to reconsider what you throw away. Much of what we throw away can be recycled, repurposed, or composted. These are three sustainable ways you can handle waste, other than sending it to the landfill. 

Recycle it.

You might be surprised at just how much of your “garbage” is recyclable. Get to know your local recycling programs and understand exactly what can and can’t be recycled. By recycling these items, you’re preventing them from ending up in landfills where they can cause long-term environmental damage. 

Repurpose it.

Many items can be repurposed or reused to be given new life! Food, clothing, and bedding can all be donated to local charities where it will be given to those in need. As your children grow up, pass down their toys and clothes to friends and family. You can also upcycle your old stuff into fun DIY crafts for your kids! 

Compost it. 

Before throwing away your food scraps, consider composting instead! When in landfills, food waste and other organic matter release carbon emissions as they decompose. By composting, you’re reducing your carbon footprint while creating nutrient-rich compost to be used in soil. 

Support Sustainable Initiatives

Sometimes lowering your ecological footprint is simply figuring out which companies and initiatives to support. Unfortunately, not every business is committed to helping the environment. It’s important to support sustainably minded businesses with not only our words, but with our wallets. 

The next time you’re shopping, search for businesses that commit to lowering their carbon emissions, repurposing recycled materials, or using sustainably sourced fabrics. Other businesses may take a stand financially, donating to sustainable initiatives and supporting eco-friendly initiatives. 

You can also use your vote to support policies that minimize human impact on the environment. Vote for politicians who support sustainable initiatives in both large corporate settings and in local communities. Thinking about whom you are supporting can help play a part in reducing our country’s ecological footprint. 

Reducing Your Ecological Footprint Is as Easy as 1-2-3

The concept of an ecological footprint can be hard to comprehend. In simple terms, it’s about balancing the natural production of resources with our consumption. Currently, the United States overconsumes its natural resources by 133%, resulting in long-term environmental damage. Reducing our eco-footprint is essential for multiple reasons, but most importantly, it’s key for our survival. 

The good news is that there are easy lifestyle choices you can make to reduce your ecological footprint. By taking sustainable actions like using less plastic, rethinking waste, and supporting sustainable companies, you can help minimize your impact on the environment.