Is it Leather? Writes on LinkedIn: We talk about sustainability like it’s a feature – an add-on, a checkbox, a corporate buzzword.

But the truth is: sustainability already exists. It’s called nature.

Nature wastes nothing. Everything serves a purpose, becomes something else, supports the cycle. The leaf falls, the soil feeds, the predator balances the prey. Nature as it was designed is elegant, efficient and sustainable by default.

Unsustainability? That’s a human invention.

Plastic that never biodegrades. Products that are designed to break. Trend cycles that move faster than the seasons. A culture where “new” matters more than “good.” A culture where we don’t think twice about producing something new – when what we need is already available.

And here is the hard truth. The culprit isn’t just big industry and shady supply chains with endless thirst for profits. The real culprit stares at you in the mirror.

Because sustainability begins – and ends – with us. With what we design. What we buy. What we normalize. Every $9.99 impulse buy and every “wear it once” moment is a vote for waste and for short-term thinking. Every time we do it we vote for overproduction that clogs the air, chokes the landfills and pollutes our oceans.

The system didn’t build itself – we fed it.

The good news? We can also starve it.

It starts by choosing quality over quantity. Choosing materials that last. Recognizing that craftsmanship matters.

It starts by pausing before we purchase and asking: “Do I really need this?” “Will I still want it in a year?” “Is this adding value—or just noise?”.

Fast fashion, fast tech, fast everything — it’s all a race to nowhere.

Instant gratification is the enemy of true sustainability. Real sustainability takes time. It takes intention.

It’s not trendy. It’s timeless.

The solution isn’t more green washing, but rather it depends on more conscious consumption.

Buy less. Buy better. Repair what’s broken. Value what lasts. Because the most sustainable choice isn’t always the newest thing – it’s often the one you already own.

Sustainability isn’t a product you buy, it’s a mindset you choose. And the future depends on that choice.