I won’t pretend to be a tree-hugger or a complete believer of climate change. The past few years, I have started caring more about the environment; recycling, repurposing, conserving. I’m writing this article mostly to ask that more individuals consider that whether or not climate changeis true, we should think about the world as a whole, how much it has offered us, and how we can keep it running smoothly by conserving our resources.
Every time I go shopping I think about whether the product was made by repurposing already made materials or whether the product was made by using newly harvested, raw materials. In regards to the latter, that means more materials and resources are placed in the manufacturer-supplier-consumer cycle; thus, an increase in waste.
I’m currently taking an Environmental Ethics class at the University of Washington with a strong undertone in Philosophy. Although it’s an elective, it also satisfies an important component of my marketing degree because I’m focusing on Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability.
The difficult thing is most companies have been focusing on profits and revenues for so long that they have forgotten about the origin of our resources, since they were so plentiful in the past decades. Today, the materials that are used to produce staple items we use day-to-day are being significantly depleted, and overall, we barely give it any thought. I’m not trying to single anyone out. I’m being all-inclusive because this article is not about pointing fingers, it’s about coming together for the greater good. I hope all of you can appreciate that.
I lived in Japan for four years while in the military. There, I quickly learned that if they failed to recycle properly, they received a hefty fine. Once I got back to the states, I realized how much we overlook becoming more environmentally friendly simply because it would cut into our profits and revenues. However, Japanese companies are highly successful while maintaining a respectable amount of sustainability as well.
Last quarter, in an upper level management class, we had some discussions concerning nationwide companies that have been attracting a lot of positive attention. For example, carpeting companies have been accepting pieces of old, worn carpet, and have been repurposing those materials to make plastic products. They have also been exporting carpeting materials to auto detailing shops. These steps have significantly reduced the amount of waste piling up in landfills across the country; saving both the customer and company money.
One large category of materials that I’d like to do some further research on in regards to making it more ecofriendly or cease use of it once and for all is plastic. Lots of it does get recycled yet a large portion still ends up in landfills and open waters, hurting and killing marine life and other animals.
Let’s work together towards the perpetuity of a new environmental paradigm. Perhaps we can start off by being incentivized to recycle and compost more—it slowly turning into a regular part of our dailylife instead of just another chore to cross off the list.
