Stephan Cross

Access to affordable, nutritious food is a food justice issue. I will advocate for local and/or organic food options at work, on campus and/or in the spaces I frequent.

I will collect all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 3.4lbs (1.5kg) a month or 41lbs (18.6kg) a year by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

I will save up to .21 lbs (.09 kg) of paper each day by switching from one-sided printing to two-sided.

I will keep disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

I will spend at least minutes finding out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in my curbside bin.

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

I will replace my lawn with a drought-tolerant landscape and save the water, money, and time I used to spend cutting the grass.

Historically, marginalized and low-income communities live closer to landfills, contributing to a multitude of health problems. I will find out how I can limit single-use items and do my best to limit the waste I generate.

I will make an appointment for my annual physical.

Both systemic and personal sustainability are important! I will develop a plan with my medical professionals to achieve my best health and live my life to the fullest.

I will organize one of Ecochallenge.org's discussion courses on food sustainability - 'Menu for the Future' or 'Hungry for Change', with my family, friends, coworkers, or classmates.

I will spend at least minutes learning about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting human and environmental health, and how I can help.

I will advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, at work, or on campus.