Sustainability: Choice or Necessity?
The terms sustainability and environmentalism are often used interchangeably, but there is actually a subtle difference between them. In recent decades the societal understanding of sustainability has grown and evolved to become a whole lifestyle, as well as a hot topic with many people questioning its definitive purpose. The most basic definition to sustain means to continue or be prolonged for an extended period without interruption. Although the subject of sustainability is now a major at most colleges and universities in America, some people act like the rush to save and lengthen our planet’s resources is a new fad. As a member of Gen Z I believe our biggest challenge thus far is climate change, and the drastic damage we as a human population have ruined the earth. From the polar caps melting in the arctic, to the deforestation of earth’s most diverse ecosystem in the Amazon, the race to turn back time on the environment is becoming more and more urgent. But how can sustainability be the solution?
Basically, sustainability is a shift in mindset. For example, fast fashion is one of earth’s largest pollutants and waste of materials, labor and resources. In our society trends change daily, and huge retailers like Forever 21, H&M, Shein, etc. make their clothes as cheap as they can, both in quality and cost wise, in order for the consumer to wear-it-out quickly and therefore need to purchase more. These brands are pioneers in the idea of disposable fashion, and the necessity of constantly buying new instead of mending, repairing, and god-forbid “outfit repeating.” In the age of online shopping, and one-day delivery it seems so difficult to change the world’s perspective on shopping. The key split is quality over quantity. Someone with the mind for sustainability would buy a few high-quality and neutral clothing items that could last them practically a lifetime, only getting rid of clothes when they are past the point of mending, and can no longer be fixed. The ideal “sustainable” person would also be unfazed and unconcerned with following trends, as their clothes serve more a functional purpose rather than a materialistic one. Whereas someone focussed on fast fashion would buy many, many new “out-there” or trend-following clothes, and get rid of them right after the style dies out. Although this is not an all or nothing concept, it can often be polarizing to people who see it too black or white.
The whole point of sustainability is to do what you can for the planet, to help prolong our natural resources by using things until they are somewhat “destroyed.” Only at this point, of no longer functionality, is it worth purchasing something new. With every product we buy, whether it be clothes like in my example, or technology, or kitchen products, anything, there is a whole supply chain which impacts the earth and leaves a huge carbon footprint. Everyone should be using their belongings to their fullest potential, from buying second hand, or borrowing things from a friend, each product not bought new lowers the demand therefore lowering the impact on the world and its resources.
Although I am a huge admirer of the sustainability movement, I am definitely not the greatest example. My laptop is brand new from the apple store, and I just bought a new dress for graduation, but the whole point is to do what you can. Personally, I love to thrift and find old clothes still in great condition to buy and bring new life to. I like to reuse take out containers instead of throwing them out after one use. I have a reusable water bottle that I fill up and bring wherever I go, instead of using single-use plastic. Each individual bottle, plastic fork, or take out container you save from the landfill, or use multiple times is making your life more sustainable.
This is how sustainability and environmentalism have started to be understood to mean the same thing. Although it is often hard to separate the two the difference is the why: Are you mending old clothes to prolong its life of use, or to save it from the landfill? Although my explanation above weaved them together, not all sustainable people do it to save the environment (but in 2021 that is the basic understanding of the movement).
Sustainability is a mindset, and often a very freeing one. This is where sustainability often meshes with minimalism, although the why in these two movements also differ, the result often looks like less belongings, and ones that serve more of a purpose instead of just fluff. Again, as our environment grows further and further to the point of no return it is important that all people realize this does not need to be an all or nothing mentality. Do what you can with where you are, and what you have.
As a high school student, I do not do my family’s grocery shopping therefore I cannot control how many plastic containers, and bags enter my house but I can control how many go directly into the trash. It is all about reusing! Sustainability is basically prolonging the lifetime, of the planet, of our clothes, and of our belongings. Openness to this mindset can free people from clutter, and the weight that unnecessary items can often weigh on people. Whether your reasoning is for the planet, or for yourself and your piece of mind, sustainability is not just a fad, but a lifestyle that more and more people are turning to as a solution to many pressures and worries the youngest generations are currently grappling with, and will continue to grapple with in the future.
