Opinion

In sustainability policy today, “Be or Pretend to Be?” is the real question in my opinion. To distinguish companies and governments that are really doing something, to others might seem to be just camouflaging the good will. And packaging is a crucial part of it in consumer goods. It starts with the confusing symbols in all we buy, where there is mostly a sign for “recyclable”, meaning little more what you could ever do with it, and not where it comes from. The thing in the 21st century life is that it will have to be based on a fairer contract between civil society, governments, and business community. If we cannot achieve that, the world can really collapse, as many organizations and scientists have been pointing it out for quite a long time. Everyone will have to do their part, but the most difficult bit that I still see is the business side. For the moment, it seems to me to be 90% marketing and 10% real intention. A good indicator of that is the amount of ads presenting the great intentions of these companies. But the news shouldn’t be all bad.

The consumer generation can change a lot, especially the coming one. The influx in the market of more cause-oriented or conscious-consumption products represents also a new approach to what we buy. Being sustainable is far beyond being “eco”. It touches on social causes too, and there too we need a radical change in the world. The most important thing is that we are achieving it, even if with slow progress. Time will put more pressure on us sooner or later. The next and younger generation is the hope for the change. My son is eight now and if I do not put the trash in the right bin, he is going to tell me. But we can start changing now, and developed countries should be the ones pushing it all forward. They have the biggest industries producing chemicals, paper, and plastic. They could revolutionize the entire industry if they work seriously together, developing cutting-edge technology, and using and transferring it. It is all up to the three parts I mentioned before: governments, industries, and we all as individuals.