ecological footprint
nounUK /ˌiːkəˈlɒdʒɪkəl ˈfʊtprɪnt/
US /ˌiːkəˈlɑːdʒɪkəl ˈfʊtprɪnt/
The amount of nature it takes to support the way you live.
Riding a bike instead of taking a car helps shrink your ecological footprint.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A measure of how much land and water a person or group needs to produce what they use and absorb their waste.
Scientists compared the ecological footprint of city dwellers with that of people in rural areas.
3. The total environmental effect of a product, activity, or organization across its whole life cycle.
The company reduced the ecological footprint of its packaging by using recycled paper.
4. A way to describe the pressure human activity puts on the planet's natural systems.
Cutting food waste is one of the easiest ways to lower our ecological footprint.