The term “sustainable” is often confusing, with different definitions. Most agree that it means using resources at a rate that won’t harm the environment for future generations. Fossil fuels are unsustainable, while renewable materials like corn can be sustainable if grown and harvested responsibly. Recyclable materials must also be biodegradable to be sustainable. Perfectly sustainable materials are rare, but environmentally responsible choices can still make a difference.
In the whole concept of ecology, few terms cause more confusion than the description of objects, resources or practices as “sustainable”. For some, sustainable materials are renewable ones; for example, crops that can be harvested but continually replanted and regrown. Others consider sustainable materials those that can be repeatedly reused through recycling. While there is no universally agreed definition for sustainability, most definitions include the concept that the material can be used at a rate that will allow future generations to access the same abundance of resources without causing ecological harm.
Fossil fuels are a clear example of a wholly unsustainable resource. Although the Earth naturally produces fossil fuels as part of decomposing organic material, the rate at which humans consume the fuel means that the amount is continuously decreasing. Furthermore, since the combustion of fossil fuels adds polluting elements to the air, land and sea, the use of this set of unsustainable materials cannot be considered as having an impact on the environment.
Renewable materials can be, but not always, sustainable materials. When corn is grown, it can be harvested and replanted using some of the harvested seeds. In theory, this cycle can go on indefinitely, particularly if green practices are employed to offset damage to the local ecosystem. If corn is refined into ethanol, the resulting product may be renewable, but it is not sustainable, due to the environmental pollution caused by the refining process.
Some people consider recyclable materials to be sustainable materials, but with the caveat that the material must also be biodegradable. Cotton cloth, for example, can be used repeatedly until biodegradation takes place and the materials rot back into organic compounds, leaving no measurable negative impact on the Earth. Plastic, however, may be recyclable, but it’s usually not considered sustainable, because it could take hundreds or thousands of years to degrade. Also, depending on the chemical composition of the plastic, the environment can be harmed as harmful chemicals leach into the Earth from the material.
Perfectly sustainable materials are very hard to find; it is rare that the growth, refinement, life cycle and decomposition of any material can occur without any impact on the Earth. Much of what determines sustainability is due to the rate of consumption; wild berries might be considered sustainable in a healthy, unvisited forest, but if a thousand people picked them, the previously sustainable harvest would quickly be wiped out.
For those who wish to live an environmentally responsible existence, it is important to carefully review all sustainability claims. In many cases, materials deemed sustainable are actually renewable or recyclable, but not sustainable. However, materials that do not fully correspond to the concept of perfect sustainability can still be considerably less harmful to the environment than non-renewable or recyclable sources. Wood from continuously replanted and maintained forests, recycled denim insulation and food from organic sources that are concerned with ensuring safe Earth turnover, and tactics that offset any ecological damage may not be perfectly sustainable materials, but they can still do a lot of good.
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