Sustainability: Beyond the Buzzword
/The 2019 buzzword that seems to take part in every business conversation is sustainability. But what does this word truly mean? The definition of sustainability contains 3 principles including environmental, social, and economic factors. A sustainable business incorporates all three factors, but most companies only integrate the environmental portion, which is a good place to start.
“Sustainability is fundamental for a successful business”
Sustainable businesses have become more prevalent and urgent to society due to the increased expectations on corporate responsibility and the realization that good intentions are no longer enough. More than 90% of CEO’s say that sustainability is fundamental for a successful business. Some companies have practices such as publishing sustainability reports for the public’s knowledge, developing sustainable strategies and products, and creating a company sustainability position. But again, there are many more ways to transform the current standards of sustainable shopping.
Environmental Sustainability
Aatmiya Women is a sustainable brand that focuses on all 3 factors: environmental, social and economic. We focus on environmental sustainability in our products through the use of Oeko Tex certified Swiss dyes that are 100% free from harmful chemicals. We also started a new line of vegan products made from natural hemp and jute. The benefits of these materials include durability, biodegradability, reusability and breathability. All these benefits of jute and hemp should make you wonder why you don’t have one of our products now!
Social Sustainability
Aatmiya’s adult literacy classes for our knitters
Social sustainability is normally the hardest of the three to understand because it is a very generalized term. The Business Dictionary defines “social sustainability as a community that develops processes and structures to meet the needs of the current people and the ability to support future generations”. We practice social sustainability through the yoga and educational classes we offer for the women workers at Aatmiya Women. The yoga classes not only function as a workout but also as a reminder, that we emphasize the importance of wellness and self-care at work. Our educational classes help support future generations of Aatmiya Women because we focus on teaching technical skills such as knitting/crocheting but we also provide english literacy classes, which is a highly valuable skill in Nepal. We prioritize a comfortable and safe workplace for all workers and the classes provided foster an encouraging community.
Economic Sustainability
Economic sustainability is the part of the trio that companies have the greatest familiarity. Economic sustainability can be explained as practices that support long-term economic growth without negatively impacting social, environmental and cultural aspects of the community. We practice economic sustainability through partnering with local shops within the Patan area in Nepal. We buy locally sourced materials in order to manufacture our products and we buy our brand label tags from the local shops that we hand-stitch to our products.
With the increase usage of the term sustainable business, it is important to know what that actually means. Aatmiya Women is progressing every day by trying to become more sustainable in all 3 factors: environmental, social, and economic. Make your voice be heard by supporting and shopping at sustainable businesses!
