Being environmentally aware is something I have always been really bad at; I have never really thought about the items I buy or use. Not only is being environmentally aware a personal problems, but also a societal one. After our reading about poverty and how it correlates to sustainability, I realized as Americans we are not as environmentally aware as other countries because we are not a poverty stricken country. Underdeveloped countries don’t really have the chance to live sustainable lives because developed countries use them as a dumping ground. The land in underdeveloped countries are filled with our waste, especially tech waste, and they are not able to grow crops or nutrients; this really affects the air in those countries too because oxygen is not placed back into the air. Developing countries to need to be more mindful about their waste because we are not only affecting our sustainability but others too. I also have become more environmentally aware through the research of my investigative report. My report is over harmful dyes and chemicals, and I have just found a lot of evidence that shows we could be more sustainable by using natural dyes from flowers or berries, but because it is less convenient we do not. I think this mindset of just taking the easy way out has been a crippling one to our generation and we need to form a new mindset. In a speech by Leyla she talks about how the generation before has hindered sustainability and in order to save our planet we need to create a new plan and take risks. I fully enjoyed her talk because she voiced some ideas that were very blunt but needed to be said. I think one way we could create sustainable change in the next generation is through merchandising. This change could happen many different ways; one example is a as a buyer for a brand you could buy only from companies that use sustainable processes and use recycled materials. We could also create more sustainable visual merchandising by reusing products for window displays and incorporating nature into those displays.
On Thursday when we attended the recycling facilities I fully enjoyed it and learned a lot. I never thought about all the products on campus and how they were made; also I never thought about where all our waste ended up, I really enjoyed this tour because it opened my eyes and has made me more aware of my actions.