Dear Readers,

I’ll never forget one friend who told me she was practicing sustainability by not driving to the store. “I’m Swiggy-ing instead,” she proudly informed me. “The Swiggy chap is driving there you know,” I gently reminded her.

Standing in front of all the arguments posed for all such guilty conveniences is a bit like looking back at a game many of my generation used to play as children called ROCK PAPER SCISSORS. It’s a bit of a gamble and a bit of mind reading. We stuck out our hand in rapid gestures when we did this. And today, I believe we would punch out an icon to get the same smug satisfaction.

Over time, we have lost our analog lives in a digital sea, forgetting many of the simple ways in which we celebrated existence. Especially in India, sustainable practices were part of what we did everyday. In the South, we ate off banana leaves, which were then thrown in a pile for cows to munch on without any worry of plastic entering their stomachs. In the North, many varieties of sweet and savory were served in lotus leaf containers, which were organic to the core. From this beautifully interconnected way of life, which considers every part of the food chain, we have become the largest producer of polymers generating 26,000 tonnes of plastic waste everyday.

For years, the Lopez Forum has brought together interesting speakers from varied backgrounds to share diverse views. This June 1st at our studio, we are hosting several prominent speakers to share their views about sustainability at our 33rd Forum. 

This issue STOP LOOK GO is a reminder to pay attention and find better ways to get to the other side. Our lead article Navigating Sustainability: A Strategic Imperative for the 21st Century Brand is about how sustainable practice by brands is now being driven by consumer demand. Anthony Lopez’s In a 100 Words ‘I’ve Got A Blank Sheet, Baby!' talks about the way paper lets us think differently, and his quote is a call to action for the same.

Let’s find little ways to make big steps, each day.

Warmest regards,

Sujatha Shankar Kumar
Editor, LOPEZ Newsletter