Last week we talked
broadly about this collaborative blog series, including the aims, approach and
our aspirations. This week we’re going to delve more into that ‘S’ word –
sustainability - and start to explore what it means in the context of our
weaving and fibre worlds.
While some of
you will be well along your sustainability journey already (kudos!), others may
be just beginning, so we're going to start with the basics today! This post reflects our experiences, thoughts and approach
– naturally, there are many other ways to consider and
build sustainability into your practices, and the important thing is
to try what resonates with you. By sharing this post we aim to
offer some food for thought, encourage you to share your own approaches,
and hopefully even kick-start some new journeys on the road to
sustainability!
So, a
super-quick overview on sustainability theory to set the scene!
You’ve
probably noticed that the term sustainability is bandied about to support
everything from environmental programs to nuclear power generation - so what
does it really mean?
To ‘sustain’
means for something to continue indefinitely. In Australia, the Government’s
definition of sustainability is very practical – it focuses on meeting people’s
needs today while not compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their needs – that is, making sure we don’t mess things up for our children,
our children’s children, and so on!
In a broad sense, sustainability requires us to be
mindful, to use resources within their natural limits, to preferentially use
renewable resources, and to ensure that our lifestyles do not negatively affect
the lives of others. As LandLearn NSW explains, “it’s really about thinking about where your
food, clothes, energy and other products come from and deciding whether you
should buy and consume these things”.
If you think
about it, our society is really not functioning in a way that can continue
indefinitely! We’re pressured to buy bigger cars, to amass copious amounts of
clothing and other material possessions, to consider our possessions to be
disposable, and to define people by what they own rather than what they stand
for. And there are countless examples of our environmental and social systems
in decline or not functioning effectively as a result. In order
for our society to become sustainable, current ways of thinking, valuing and
behaving require change. We, as individuals, need to think carefully about what
matters to us, to consider our values and behaviours, and to live in a
manner that is consistent with those values.
Fortunately
there are many examples of positive actions and change being undertaken
by individuals, communities, organisations, and government agencies.
Importantly, as individuals (and fibre enthusiasts!) we can choose
to be sustainable consumers; that is, carefully considering what we buy
and consume, and being mindful of purchasing items that do not harm the natural
environment and other living beings. As the United Nations states, “local consumer action can have a global, social, economic, and environmental impact, both today and tomorrow”. Let's make our impact as positive as we can!
Photo by Holly Marlin
Getting yo’ sustainability on!
So how do we
become sustainable in our weaving and fibre practices? If we consider some of
the sustainability issues associated with fibre production, it can be quite
confronting to discover that every stage of production can potentially affect
the environment and the people producing the materials. What the fibre is made
from, how it is produced, the kinds of chemicals used for processing and
dyeing, and the transport and packaging of the materials can all cause
pollution. Where the material is produced, and by whom, can be a key factor in
social equity issues.
Whoa! It’s
easy to see how you can become overwhelmed with information and put the whole
sustainability thang in the too-hard basket, isn't it?! With the example above,
it's important to note that while fibre production can be quite damaging to the
environment and communities, it doesn't have to be! By purchasing fibres from
fair trade producers, we can help disadvantaged communities to retain their
traditional crafts and improve their living conditions. And using natural
fibres, like wool, from sustainable producers, is a much more sustainable
option than choosing synthetic fibres.
When first
starting to consider sustainability in your weaving or other fibre-based art, we
think a great first step is to figure out what issues are most important to you
- because everything is easier after that! What’s important to you defines your
values. Once we know what our values are, we can determine our priorities (what
things are more important to us than others), and then figure out how to make
our creative practices more consistent with those.
One important
thing to remember is that it might not always be possible to meet all of
your values, particularly when you’re first starting out. Information can be difficult
to come by, and change is often a process – it’s ok to tackle one thing at a
time rather than trying to do it all at once. If you have a clear idea of
what's important to you and have worked out your priorities, you can more
easily identify where you might start, and in what areas you might be willing
to compromise.
For example,
if you’re really passionate about social equity, you could start looking for
fair trade materials to use in your work, to ensure that the workers are
properly paid and have decent working conditions. If you care most about
reducing pollution, you might want to source organic or naturally-dyed
materials. Many of the issues overlap, so you can often kill two birds with one
stone (in an idiomatic sense, naturally!).
It’s really
important to remember that values and priorities are personal. Things that are
a high priority for some people might not even make your list – and that’s
fine! It can be helpful to find someone you admire and use their values as a
starting point, but developing your own values is ideally the end goal (and if you're looking for ideas on developing and applying your value system we think this blog post by Katie Roberts of Sustainability In Style is highly worth checking out!).
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| Photo by Rebecca Hall |
Practical ways to incorporate sustainability into fibre-based practices
So once you’ve
figured out your values, what then? Basically, if you care about
sustainability, you need to do some research! You need to find out how
different fibres are produced to see what meets your values. Being informed is
the best way to make better choices!
In future
posts we will share some of the fibre-based businesses we've found that we
believe reflect our sustainability values, and we'd also love to hear from you
on where and how you make your own informed purchases. In the meantime,
here are some really easy ways to start and travel along your sustainability
journey...
- Use what you have – many of us have substantial yarn stashes, so shop your stash before you shop elsewhere! Using what you have is not only good for the environment (by avoiding wastage and further consumption), it's also good for your bank balance.
- Use recycled/reclaimed/vintage materials, yarns and fibres – vintage things are all the rage, and they’re environmentally friendly as well, mainly because you're reusing or recycling existing products and not creating demand for new materials to be produced. You can find recycled / reclaimed / vintage yarns and fibres* already made, reclaim your own yarns from old clothing, or even turn fabric into yarn.
- Buy local – if you are fortunate enough to live near fibre producers, you’re doubly lucky – not only can you reduce pollution associated with transport, but you can often talk to the producers about their production methods and see if their values align with yours. Buying local from producers also supports the livelihoods of small producers and makers, and can contribute towards social and economic sustainability in your local area.
- Informed purchasing - if you need to purchase new materials, make an informed choice based on your needs and your values!
We'd
love your feedback on sustainability in our weaving and fibre worlds - do the
approaches outlined above resonate with you, or do you have any advice or
questions you would like to contribute to the conversation?
Well that's it from us for week two! Thank you for being a part of a Thoughtful Thread. Make sure to
stay tuned for next Monday when we will be introducing the first of our special
guests; someone we believe encapsulates sustainable practices in their art and
lifestyle!
Take care
until then,
Holly and
Claire
* Just note that vintage wools
and silks can sometimes have some nasty little visitors with them! To be safe,
@possumly suggests you pop your vintage fibres into the freezer for a
couple of weeks, and then transfer them to a black bag in the boot of your car
for a few days (preferably in warmer weather - it probably won't work as
effectively in sub-zero temperatures!) to kill off any unwanted visitors before
introducing them into the rest of your stash. Thanks @possumly for the great
tips!
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