5 Things You Have to Know When Talking About Sustainability
You have probably already heard of sustainable wear, sustainable eating habits, sustainable agriculture, and more. But did you ever ask yourself what the real meaning of sustainability is? This short article will help you to answer this question and will make you familiar with some important terms that are often used in connection to sustainability.
- Sustainability
Sustainability is the process of living within the limits of available physical, natural and social resources in ways that allow the living systems in which humans are embedded to thrive in perpetuity.
In my opinion, this quote by The University of Alberta explains the term very appropriately. To give you a more visual idea, I will explain to you an example that was used in the Seaspiracy documentary on Netflix by the Commissioner of Fisheries and Environment.
He explains sustainability by using money. Imagine you put 100€ on your bank account and you will get interest on that capital over time. If you need money you will just take what you got on top through the interest and you will never touch the initial capital. This is what you call acting sustainably.
This example can equally be applied to all the resources we use. If a tree is cut, new ones have to be planted to keep the amount of the trees consistent.
2. Carbon footprint
A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact your activities have on the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced through the burning of fossil fuels and is expressed as a weight of CO2 emissions produced in tonnes.
This is the official definition by the WHO. It basically means that anything you do such as driving a car, using electicity or buying groceries will add up to your carbon footprint. You can measure your footprint by using special calculators like Carbon Footprint. There are also options to compensate your carbon footprint e.g. by funding projects who help to save emissions in other parts of the world. However, this is not a solution to stop climate change.
3. Transparency
The quality of being done in an open way without secrets.
The Cambridge Dictionary explains what transparency means but how is that connected to sustainability?
Transparency is important when talking about businesses. Whether if it is a food company, a clothing company or any other company, transparency about what impact their products have on the planet is crucial. Only if the carbon footprint of a product is openly shared, we as consumers can make an informed buying decision. Transparency is additionally essential to make a brand trustworthy and build a relationship with the customer.
4. Biodegradability
Biodegradability refers to the ability of a material to decompose after interactions with biological elements.
As we probably all know, plastic has a huge impact on our environment. The problem here is that plastics are stable and thus decompose very slowly which means that they are enduring on our planet for a long time. Biodegradable materials are for example food waste, natural products such as wood and biodegradable plastics. So when going to the grocery store always try to avoid plastic packaging and rather go for paper. When buying clothes, look for plant-based fabrics such as hemp or cotton.
5. Sustainable Wear
More sustainable fashion can be defined as clothing, shoes and accessories that are manufactured, marketed and used in the most sustainable manner possible, taking into account both environmental and socio-economic aspects.
Clothing waste is globally estimated to account for 92 million tonnes of waste each year. But as the awareness for our environment is rising, so does the demand for more sustainable fashion.
Clothing can be produced more sustainably by using e.g. locally sourced products, natural dye and biodegradable fabrics. The “Slow Movement” is supporting the aim for sustainability by changing the consumption behaviour towards less mass conumption and more thoughtful purchases. More information about sustainable wear will follow in my next blogposts.
Final Tip:
You can already start applying the knowledge you gained in your daily life. You can check the country of origin of the strawberries you are buying and take your favourite blazer to see what material it is made of and where it is produced.
Additionally, make sure to follow this blog to not miss out any future posts and get your friends and family involved into the topic as well!
