During 2020 (aka the “Year of the Reckoning” that some have affectionately called it), how we can use our collective power to build an “inclusive” future/workplace/literally everything has been the subject of many thought pieces. However to build an equitable and inclusive path forward, we must center sustainability in that discussion as well.
‘Inclusive’ and ‘Sustainable’ are both Big Words, that while not ambiguous in meaning, seem to have become catch all words for companies signaling to people that they want to do whatever it is they do, better.
However these terms at times find themselves at odds with each other as sustainably designed goods are currently by design not very inclusive, pricing out the average consumer and often only accessible by those with the highest amounts of disposable income.
If you perform a quick Google Search, you will find many articles listing the reasons why this is so (namely fare wages and supply and demand) and almost acceptance as the fact that anything better for you, the environment or the person who made it just HAS to cost more.
Seastainable, a blog for a self-proclaimed social business, after running through this list writes “even if that’s the case, we should be okay with it, because this is the true price of consuming our products – a price that captures environmental externalities that we’ve chosen to ignore in the first place.”
But should that be the case? The premiumization of sustainable goods can sometimes simply be a fun case of virtue signaling, which can be noted as the performative act of an individual equal to the green-washing or woke washing that most major corporations are often accused of.
An often cited statistic is “of those inclined to purchase environmentally friendly products, 3 in 5 (61%) would only buy green items if they cost the same or less than non-eco-friendly products.”
So how do we really make sustainability inclusive and bring more people to the party?
Shifting Consumer Demand Toward Reusables. It is a tale as old as time, our forefathers recycled and repaired because in the end that was not only the more cost effective choice but sometimes was the only choice.
Increasing Consumer Demand for Sustainable Products. If you build it, they will come. But you can’t build a lot of it unless a lot of people come. Behavioral research also shows time and time again, that when consumers see their neighbors or peer groups implementing a green behavior, they are more likely to do so as well.
Laws, Straight Up. As individuals we can do a lot to harness or collective power and Work on the System vs. Within it, and one such way is by showing up in our communities and engaging with our politicians for them to do more. Canada declared that it will BAN (that doesn’t happen by accident) single-use plastic items by the end of next year.
If you are currently investigating how to make sustainability more inclusive in your community, drop me a line!