4 Misconceptions About Sustainability

As sustainability becomes more and more important, it also becomes increasingly scrutinized. People might have the tendency to be skeptical of moving towards a more sustainable lifestyle for multiple reasons. We are going to be tackling 4 misconceptions about sustainability.

Clothes or shoes that are made from recycled materials are less sturdy.

False! Some people may have the notion that recycled materials are undesirable because they have already been used at least once for another purpose. The idea is common among misconceptions about sustainability but this does not mean that the materials cannot be fashioned into something new yet just as durable and functional. AVRE washes and chops down plastic bottles into flakes, melts the flakes into chips which are then melted and reformulated into yarn. This process creates a new sturdier version of the bottles that is durable and made to last. Click here to learn more about how AVRE reuses plastic water bottles in each pair of shoes! 

It’s expensive to lead a sustainable lifestyle! 

While this can sometimes be the case, it does not always have to be true! Of all the misconceptions about sustainability, this might be the easiest to confront. Purchasing better quality items that last longer is a great investment for both your own future, as well as the future of our environment as this reduces the amount of fast-fashion items you might have purchased instead. In choosing not to support the fast-fashion industry by having products that are built to last, the higher price tag you pay up front eliminates the number of smaller purchases you might have made going forward. Also, eliminating single-use plastics and other items as well as limiting electricity use can actually save you money! 

It’s hard to live sustainably.

This is one of the biggest misconceptions about sustainability. Understandably, people can be quick to dismiss big lifestyle changes due to the notion that it would be too difficult to alter their daily life. Starting small is an easy way to combat this! Identify areas of your life that could be easier to change. For example, if you love shopping, try purchasing a sustainable fashion piece instead of a fast fashion piece. Made from eight to ten plastic water bottles, the crowd-favorite AVRE Infinity Glide could be your perfect start! (P.S. They are re-washable too!)

• Making little lifestyle changes does not help anything.

• Untrue. Misconceptions about sustainability like this one can be very discouraging but actually, every bit helps! Using a reusable water bottle, turning off the lights when you leave a room, and going paperless with letters and notices are all small changes that add up. For example, “Cornell started to encourage students to reduce their light consumption after it calculated in 2010 that the university could save up to $60,000 per year by simply turning off lights that are not in use.” (https://sciencing.com/turning-off-lights-save-energy-2384.html) Eventually, as the small changes become second nature, you can work your way up to making bigger changes! If you can help your friends and family make small changes as well, the choices can compound to make a bigger impact in the end. 

Hopefully this blog post inspires you to give sustainability a try! Misconceptions about sustainability are easily spread, but together we can challenge them. What misconceptions about sustainability have you heard?