August 14, 2020
Hi friends, today I wanted to share some thoughts on the big topic of sustainability. With huge forward movements in environmental consciousness that happened at the end of last year, what does this big word mean to us moving forward? Although the global community is dealing with more than climate change right now, protection of the earth and the environment is forever an important conversation.
Recently, sustainability has made its way into the consumer world as a popular marketing word. By selling things in green packaging and calling it “sustainable,” products are able to be marketed towards a larger audience and they can easily bump up the price of the product and have it be justified. But in the world of convenient disposable products and packaging, what can we call sustainable? Most of the products we see in stores are mass produced by large corporate companies that make most of their money off of the exploitation of not only human labour but natural resources as well. So whether or not these products have green packages or say they are made with 10% less water, how can we call these practices sustainable?
Looking at the broader definition of the word, sustainability comes from the word sustain: to allow something to continue for a period of time/to keep alive. At the root of the word, sustainability is about creating a lifestyle and society that is able to sustain life into the future generations. It is about thinking about long term gain instead of short term losses. It is a way of living that makes sure our future generations have the means to survive and live well, instead of just worrying about our own personal gratification. It is also about looking at the larger life of the planet and ensuring life can be sustained beyond human life for generations to come. So thinking about it like this, it is a complete shift in perspective at how we must see the world, a point of view that can’t even exist in a consumerist society that is built on efficiency.
What our society values right now is constant economic and societal growth. How can sustainability exist in a place of indefinite growth? It can’t. Constant growth means sucking up as many resources as we can get our hands on, and this means taking resources from the generations to come. Constant growth means taking more than we need, which creates gaps, not only for the lower classes of our generation, but for entire future generations.
What sustainability means is looking at what we have and what we use and knowing when to say enough is enough. This doesn’t mean that every person needs to live a minimalist lifestyle, but more so that we need to know the limit of when we are buying out of necessity versus buying from market pressure. When everything around us is tailored to making us spend more money, how do we know when to stop? It’s about bringing this to light so that you can stop yourself when you find that craving to purchase without need.
So something to think about throughout your day, do you need or want it? By taking only what we need, we are voting for quality over quantity and making sure there is enough to go around. Spending your money thoughtfully also helps you support brands that share your values. With every purchase, you are voting for the type of future you wish to support, through the brands and products you buy. Start by being thankful for where you are, what you have and how far you’ve come. Wake up every morning knowing you have what you need right there and say thank you.
Take care till next time,
Hanna