Action 4: See Yourself as a Citizen, Not as a Consumer

“If we can learn to recognize what is enough, we might also move beyond the mindset of consumption and ownership, consciously avoiding the forces that feed that mindset.”

- Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac
  1. Partner with campus vendors to develop a plan to assess the feasibility of reducing and working toward elimination of single-use plastic and privilege recyclable or biodegradable items, with an emphasis on plates, glassware, silverware, napkins, etc.
  2. Hire a consultant to undertake a comprehensive study of waste management at Fordham, including but not limited to water, food, material goods, etc., and make a set of recommendations for revision. Undertake revision measures.
  3. Undertake an audit of items purchased by strategic sourcing, especially those with the largest carbon footprint such as clothing and other materials/textiles; explore and commit to alternatives. Limit spending on swag and eliminate spending on unnecessary items.
  4. Offer an annual town hall meeting for the campus community to offer guidelines and enter into discussions around sourcing and purchasing goods and services including but not limited to office supplies, swag, work travel, etc. Run a friendly competition and award a prize to the most sustainable department.
  5. Create and promote campuswide accelerator events, such as no-spend days, clothing donation drives, recycling drives, and commitments to limit purchases of new goods.
  6. Institutionalize sustainable purchasing in collaboration with the Catholic Ethical Purchasing Alliance and Ignatian Solidarity Network’s partnership with Fordham Global Outreach and the Industrial Commons in Morganton, North Carolina.