There are many definitions of sustainability, but they all more or less say that we have to consume in a way that doesn’t use up all the resources so that future generations can also survive. It does not only involve humans, but supports ecological, human, and economic health and vitality. In order for this balance to be maintained, we have to understand and implement the fact that environmental health, social equity and economic vitality are all interconnected. Sustainability does not only cover food and energy, but many more if not all sectors. Think of sustainable tourism, architecture, packaging, finance, technology, etc. The type of resources these sectors use might differ, e.g. in the raw materials, the way the product/service is discarded at the end of its life, the energy demands, but all resources are finite in their own way.

Sustainability covers a lot of aspects in your life. It’s about consuming less and consuming better. This involves not just what you buy in the supermarket, but also the clothes you buy, the home you live in, the places you travel, and so forth. Steps to become more sustainable can be small – such as switching from plastic products to those make of materials that can be regenerated, recycled and/or biodegraded – or big – such as switching to plant-based lifestyle or choosing to have a smaller family.

Consuming less will help the planet keep up with the massive overconsumption of this highly populated planet. If there is less demand for products, less resources are required to make them. Consuming better is a bit more complicated – what is the ‘better’ product? There is no clear answer to this, but what we do know for sure is the way products are made, used, and discarded is not sustainable and we are depleting the planet’s resources if we keep going this way. Ways to be better are for example:

1. Switching to raw materials that can be regenerated fast and easily. Examples of this are bamboo or hemp alternatives rather than plastic products (in your bathroom, kitchen, etc.). Bamboo and hemp are both plants that grow very fast and require little water, no pesticides and minimal maintenance.

2. Switching to renewable energy sources. Fossil fuels, like oil, are limited and cannot be regenerated at the way we consume them. Energy powered by wind, sun or water is a lot more difficult to deplete and therefore offers a more sustainable way to power our lives.

3. Not all products you buy need to be new – consider second-hand items which will also help you save some pennies.

Most importantly, educating yourself and understanding the impact of each decision you make will a world of difference. In our Brand Catalog, we try to make it easier to compare sustainable alternatives to the mainstream variants of products to help you decide how to make your lifestyle more sustainable.

With the increasing awareness that we cannot consume at the rate we are currently doing, a lot of sustainable businesses and products are arising. But how do they actually differ in the mainstream alternative? Obviously, this will depend on the type of product you are looking at. But what unites them is that such a product or company doesn’t deplete resources while protecting the environment and the people. An important element here is that there should be a way to measure how much more efficient and less harmful the company/product is, for example through a lifecycle assessment to measure the impact. Ideally this information is also available to (potential) consumers. The products should be more durable, more energy- and resource efficient, built to be repairable, recyclable and/or made from recycled materials. These will all minimise the amount of (raw) resources that are needed for the product. To achieve this, companies will have to find ways to design the products in a different way and to implement business models that are more sustainable.

These three terms are often used to describe a product, but is there a difference between them and if so, what?

“Eco-friendly” means that the product should not harm the environment. This refers to every step of the way: the raw materials are obtained should not harm the environment, including the animals and plants living in it, and the packaging materials should not include any harmful inks or dyes, for example. Before a product can be labelled eco-friendly, it needs to justify why it is environmentally responsible. Typical not-eco-friendly products and/or materials are those made of single-use plastic (straws, cups, plates, bags) as they will often end up in our oceans or other water ways and harm the animals and other life.

A “green” product or process often refers to the fact that there is environmental consciousness, The practises have less impact on the environment and human health. The product is created with a conscious mind with the goal of the greater good.

By definition, “sustainability” includes that the product is “eco-friendly” and “green”, but the difference is that it focuses on all activities and issues that should not impact future generations. Not every product that is green is sustainable. Moreover, you might have noticed that the term “green” is more vague because being conscious about something does not provide evidence that it is actually better. To be sustainable requires evidence of the improvements of the business. “Eco-friendly” lies somewhere in between, but does not necessarily reduce the impact on future generations.

The Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations (UN) call for urgent action by all countries in a global partnership. This has led to the adoption of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The first plan of action was established in 1992, and every since, the countries have been working on plans of action to protect and improve human lives and the environment, as well as reporting the progress. The goals range from resolving poverty to protecting life on land and below water. Each goal has its own targets, events and actions. You can find more details on each of the goals on the website.

Earth Overshoot Day is the date when humanity has used all the biological resources that Earth regenerates during the whole year. It typically lays around the end of July, depending on the year and country. The need to be more sustainable is high, because the way we are currently living we are depleting Earth’s resources in a way that we cannot use them anymore in the future, which will have drastic impacts on lives in every corner of the planet.