Maintaining a minimalist environment can help our environment to heal. But what is minimalism and how can we achieve it?
The modern world makes it hard to follow the principles of minimalism. New opportunities (products, services, events) are being created every day in order to keep us engaged and happy. Information technology also opened new ways and best practices for marketing, making it easy for companies to sell their goods to people.
In a world like that, overconsumption and impulsive shopping are very common. And these shopping trends cause waste and environmental pollution. Who is to blame? The people? The companies? Social media? It is a hard debate – let’s focus on what to do against pollution.
What is minimalism?
In the 20th century, the word ‘minimalism’ meant minimal art. It was a style for musicians, painters, sculptors, and architects, and the point was to create art using the least amount of materials (instruments, colours, decorations) in order to make the artwork.
The motivation of minimalism was not to stop polluting the environment, it was rather to follow the ‘less is more’ principle, creating simple, massive forms in architecture or clear and short phrases in literature.
Simplification has quickly become popular: overdecorated, baroque designs became obsolete.
Today, minimalism means more than just an artistic style or trend. It is a lifestyle that does not cooperate with consumerism. Minimalist people consume less and make more rational decisions than impulsive buyers or massive capitalists.
Establishing a minimalist environment
In our everyday life, a minimalist environment means that we have just as many objects, food, or services as we need. In addition, a minimalist person tries to purchase objects with the least effect on the environment. Second-hand shops, unpacked grocery stores and barter trading are good examples of living as a minimalist.
Minimalism means that we do not need to possess unnecessary items. As you can lend a bicycle, you can lend a book too for one-time reading. You can use car-sharing or bring your cup to a coffee shop.
ECO minimalism at the workplace
ECO minimalism is inevitable in the workplace. Firstly, the company will become much more cost-effective than before. Secondly, with the rise of environmental consciousness, businesses can contribute to reaching zero waste.
Asset retirement and item scrapping happen from time to time, and many of the retired laptops or smartphones can still function well. It is important to use these second-hand products after a company scrapped them. But the main effect of ECO minimalism at the workplace is not about reducing the number of purchases, but rather making processes, administration, research, and development more efficient.
When a company embraces minimalist thinking and implements it in the company culture, it will raise awareness among employees. They will be more thoughtful about their work tools, they will waste less time and material, and even try to slow down the amortization.
A minimalist company can attract the younger generation because gen Z is more eco-oriented than older generations. So, it is a good employer branding solution too.
Conclusion
- Minimalism is diverse and can be applied in many areas, including micro and macro levels.
- People can maintain an ECO-friendly, minimalist lifestyle.
- Companies need to focus on minimalism in order to cut costs and attract employees.