Sustainability: What is It?
There are a number of definitions of ‘sustainability’.
Collins Dictionary says that sustainability is ‘the ability to be maintained at a steady level without exhausting natural resources or causing severe ecological damage’. McGill University describes sustainability as 'meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’.
We think these are good definitions but we like to simplify it to: ‘doing our bit to keep the Earth alive’.
The planet has a limited amount of natural resources (e.g. water, coal, wood, minerals, oil), which people, plants, and animals need in order to survive on Earth. The idea behind sustainability is to not let these resources run out.
To live sustainably, we need to consider how our actions affect the environment. We need to make changes that will protect the Earth's resources. There are 3 ‘pillars’ of sustainability:
- Environmental protection
- Social development
- Economic development
The environmental protection pillar looks at how technology can be used to help us live more sustainably. It also looks at the practical things we (businesses and people) can do to protect air quality, eco systems, and more.
The social development pillar is about educating people on sustainability and the environment. It also looks at making sure the impact of pollution from businesses and organisations is considered. The social development pillar also includes making sure that people have access to basic resources.
The pillar of economic development is all about how sustainability affects businesses and jobs, and giving businesses and individuals incentives to be more sustainable in their everyday lives.
In 2015, the United Nations created the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. You can read all about the goals by clicking here, but some of them include:
- End poverty in all its forms everywhere
- Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
- Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
- Make sure everyone has access to water and sanitation
How can I be more sustainable?
There are many things that individuals and businesses can do to become more sustainable. Some simple things you can do to live a more sustainable life are:
- Eating less meat
- Recycling
- Saving water
- Saving energy
- Using reusable items
- Taking public transport/walking instead of driving
Read our blog posts The Easy Environmentally Friendly Swaps You Can Make in 2021, The New Year's Resolutions You Can Make to Help The Environment, What is Microfiber Plastic Pollution & How Can You Reduce It, and 6 Ways to Reduce Your Household Waste for some practical pointers on how you can live more sustainably at home.
We’re always looking for ways that we can be sustainable, both as a business and on an individual basis. We create high-quality bamboo fabric, a much more sustainable option than other mainstream fabrics. For example, bamboo fabric only needs rainwater in order to grow, but cotton needs 8100 litres of water to grow enough to make a single t-shirt.
To browse our range of bamboo fabric products, including our bamboo bedding, bamboo cushion covers, and bamboo eye masks, click here.
