Sustainability Library #13

What have you been doing to action the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at work, at school, or at home? Please specify which SDGs these actions connect to? 

I am currently on parental leave from my People & Culture Coordinator role. I have made the decision to use reusable nappies for my 4-month old. Disposable nappies take approx 500 years to decompose. It takes over 1,500 litres of crude oil to produce enough nappies for one child (from birth to 2.5 years) and it takes 10 times more water to produce disposable nappies than the water used to wash reusables. Wood pulp is a main component of the disposable nappy, and the production of it is both highly water intensive and can be a source of deforestation and soil impoverishment. By swapping to reusables the carbon footprint of a nappy can be reduced by 40%, which is equivalent to 200kg of CO 2 equivalents over two and half years. To further reduce the environmental impact of using nappies I have made the decision to purchase good quality second hand reusable nappies. SDG 12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources SDG 13 Take urgent ZAaction to combat climate change and its impacts.

• SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production
• SDG 13: Climate Action

From R.S.