Towards a more sustainable 2021
Sustainability is something I truly care about. We’re temporary guests here on planet earth, and we as humans have to bear the responsibility of sustaining it for future generations as well as all the other living beings. While I’m no Greta Thunberg, I thoroughly believe the importance of cultivating environmental awareness; we can all make little changes in our lives for the greater good of our planet.
My interest in sustainability has led me to intern at a wind energy company as well as volunteer on an organic farm. More recently, I’ve also decided to be more intentional with making purchases. I cancelled my Amazon Prime membership in 2019, and while I’ve still had to ask friends to ship me something using their Prime on occasion, not having the instant gratification of the service has helped me be more discerning about items that I need vs. want.
As designers, we must keep in mind the entire customer journey of the products we make – from its period of use and beyond. If possible, I think it’d be wise to always pursue sustainable designs.
This year, I am hoping to:
- make fewer non-essential purchases
- buy secondhand whenever possible
- buy more local produce
- start bringing my own containers to bakeries (which I frequent)
- eat a more plant-based diet
- declutter and sell more of my belongings that I don’t really need/use
and continue to educate on how I can lead a more low-impact lifestyle.
