I am walking out of customs. There were many questions, and the examiner was demanding, but I finally made it. Five stamps against the pages of the passport. “Aníbal Cousiño, Business and Economics student at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 23 years old, exchange student at the University of Bath.” From the examiner’s lips came a quiet “approved.”
The first stamp was not easy to earn. Every morning I leave my residence exactly 35 minutes before class, walking along the Kennet and Avon Canal and climbing up through Bathwick Fields. The route is beautiful, but in the morning cold, those 32 minutes of ascent are a challenge. Even so, every step is a small vote for SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). Citymapper (https://www.citymapper.com) was always in my pocket, whispering the greenest way home. That “Stamp 1: Zero Emissions Commute” fills me with pride.
I turn the page, and “Stamp 2: Locally Grown” takes me back to the supermarket shelves, choosing ingredients for my daily bolognese. The answer was always clear: grown by local farmers. Every product without excessive packaging was a small act of resistance against SDG 12’s biggest enemy: mindless consumption. The Sustainable Food Trust (www.sustainablefoodtrust.org), based right here in Bath, reminded me that the most sustainable ingredient is the one that did not travel far.
But sustainable shopping took a toll on my wallet. That is when I remembered my saviour: Too Good To Go (https://www.toogoodtogo.com). Collecting those bundles of soon-to-expire food for just a few pounds kept me alive while making sure those vegetables never saw a bin, a small act aligned with SDG 12’s call to halve global food waste. I can still smell my salmon salads as my fingers run across the third page, marked by the huge “Waste not, want not” stamp.
I peek at the fourth page: “Stamp 4: Second Hand, First Choice” I arrived in the middle of winter. My mother warned me about the English weather, but I left my coat behind to avoid baggage fees. The moment I landed, I knew she was right. The Charity Retail Association (www.charityretail.org.uk) pointed me to the nearest charity shop, where I bought a second-hand coat and scarf. It saved my life and the planet’s too. The fashion industry accounts for around 10% of global carbon emissions, so every second-hand purchase is a direct vote for SDG 13 (Climate Action).
I sigh in relief. The examiner was right to be demanding. A sustainable passport is not stamped overnight. Mine started long before Bath, with a flight I could not avoid, but chose to offset through Atmosfair (www.atmosfair.de). Now I know better. I will choose better, one stamp at a time.
