Sustainability has become somewhat of a buzzword. The emphasis on buying and making sustainable products has grown so much in recent years, but the word itself is used carelessly. Generally, sustainability is used to refer merely to “better” practices, with nothing actionable attached to the word.
This ambiguity around sustainability is only getting worse thanks to the boom of companies trying to hop on the eco-friendly bandwagon. Environmental disinformation has gotten so bad that many sustainable labels are, in actuality, dishonest. In the end, it can be extremely hard to discern what is truly sustainable thanks to marketing tricks and greenwashing.
Sustainability can therefore be confusing and hard to even define. Nonetheless, more and more people are understanding the value of our environment which makes nailing down what it means to actually be sustainable even more critical. So let’s define sustainability to avoid corporate manipulation and learn how to make actionable positive change.
Let's talk textbook definition of sustainability.
The essence of the term sustainable is “that which can be maintained over time”. So, for something to be considered sustainable, it must be something that can be continued indefinitely.
We must be able to produce and/or consume in a way that doesn’t result in harm or degradation. For that to happen, resources must be consumed at a rate below natural reproduction. In other words, resources must be able to replenish themselves at the rate they do so in nature, or at a rate below the development of substitute resources.
To add to that, to be sustainable, you must act in a way that does not degrade ecosystem services. Meaning, to be considered truly sustainable, resources used should not cause things like emissions that accumulate in the environment.
By implication, any unsustainable society cannot be maintained for long and will stop functioning at some point. So, if a product or activity requires nonrenewable resources, damages the environment, or results in harm to individuals or society it shouldn’t be considered sustainable.
This is all good information but we should dig a little deeper. It’s hard to know where to begin if you’re interested in becoming more environmentally conscious, so let’s talk through this more.
Why is ambiguous terminology even a problem?
People value authenticity and transparency, and transparency happens to be a defining characteristic of genuine sustainability! With how creative corporations have become it can be confusing to even pin down what it is we’re talking about. You can find almost everything under the sun has a “sustainable” alternative. But is it marketing and branding or does sustainability mean more than that in a consumerist space? Well, it depends. That’s why it’s critical to define and understand sustainability.
Speaking about something with ambiguous verbiage is not productive, it keeps people guessing and maintains the status quo through consequential inaction. Climate issues can hardly be addressed when dealing with vagueness and issues of greenwashing. Just like if you’re trying to work towards a goal, you first need to define that goal to determine the proper steps you’d need to take to achieve it. So, making applicable goals for positive change needs a tangible definition or standard for everyone to look to in order to lead to actionable changes.
If there is a claim to being sustainable then there should be complete transparency about sustainability efforts and agendas. If a brand is sustainable, for example, it’s likely willing to communicate its philosophy and processes openly. The bottom line is ambiguous language and indirectness undermines climate action.
Checking nuances.
Now that we’re on the same page regarding the downsides to ambiguity, there are some things we must be aware of now that we’re trying to tackle this problem. We must understand the inevitable gray areas. Educating yourself also means understanding the nuances of trying to live as sustainably as possible.
No product can be truly sustainable, but shifting your mindset towards more sustainable living comes down to doing things where and when you can. This includes doing the work to identify and buy sustainable products or deciding to abstain from consuming more where you don’t need it.
It comes down to us as consumers to examine a product or company’s overall impact and find ways to mitigate it until better laws and practices are put in place. We must be curious, do our homework, and be smart about weighing the pros and cons.
What makes something sustainable?
When discussing sustainability, the relationship between humanity and nature is typically the center of the conversation. It’s important to manage human use of our environment so that present generations’ needs are met without compromising the potential to meet the needs and aspirations of future generations.
To define true sustainability, we must, therefore, include intergenerational equity. But it’s important to ask not only what degree of well-being we should give to future generations but also ask more profound questions relating to the long-term survival of our species as well as our responsibilities towards other species. So, to define sustainability we must think about the overarching effect of our resource use and how our actions influence the ecosystem.
There are three crucial aspects to sustainability:
- Environmental
- Social
- Economic
We must be able to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In tandem with that, we must be aware of Earth’s capacity to produce renewable resources and maintain them while also striving to restore and improve other resources. Sustainability also requires that substances introduced into the environment from human activities are minimized and harmless.
We also must address how unsustainable the use of nonrenewable resources is. No continuous use of any nonrenewable resource is sustainable. After all, using critical resources unsustainably will ensure a society’s collapse unless replacement resources are found. Realistically though, in a finite world, the number of possible replacement resources is also finite.
Many people fail to realize that innovation and industry can only get us so far. True sustainability, therefore, requires more than slick advertising and surface-level appeals. Sustainability efforts must be credible and drive measurable results.
Something is sustainable if it:
- Doesn’t deplete natural, nonrenewable resources
- Doesn’t directly harm the environment (including production, distribution, and consumption!)
- Wasn’t made in a socially irresponsible way
How I define sustainability:
So, now that we’ve talked at length about what sustainability entails what can the takeaway be for the average person? I still view the term as something pivotal to being environmentally conscious. The concept is indispensable and should be the cornerstone for all long-range planning.
We, as inhabitants of this planet, must reframe the conversation to focus on social and economic well-being and environmental sustainability. We must critically assess the impacts of our choices and policies to determine the best choices we can make to ensure intergenerational equity. We must think about the overarching effects we may have on the world around us. We must be informed consumers!
Our consumption habits must be evaluated when building a more sustainable and conscious lifestyle. Take the guesswork out of the equation and commit to learning more. We should be aware of product lifecycles! So, get curious about where things come from, how materials are sourced, how long they last, and whether they’re reusable or recyclable.
When shopping, always make sure to check the label. Often labels will convey how a product is made and what its environmental impact may be, you may also see marks of approval from organizations like the Leaping Bunny or the World Fair Trade Organization which are important indicators of the standards these products are being held to. Furthermore, we must act in a meaningful manner according to the research we do and the information we find.
To be truly sustainable, a product needs:
- Responsible resource use
- Ethical manufacturing and supply
- Efficiency throughout the entire life cycle
- Reusability and/or minimal impact upon disposal (upcycling, recycling, or composting)
The most important piece of advice I could give you regarding consuming sustainably is to get acquainted with saying no. In our time of hyper-consumerism, it can be hard to not fall into the trap of the trend cycles or the never-ending cycle of kitschy gadgets. So, it’s extremely beneficial to first refuse things. Get comfortable with saying no to harmful products or trends!
Learn how to say no to things you don’t need. Ultimately, the point of determining if something is sustainable is balance. A balance between the requirements of stewardship and the desire for a better life must be sought. Sustainability embodies integration and understanding of the complexities between the environment, economy, and society. Let’s commit to learning more and doing better.