Sustainability

Treading lightly

Can we choose to tread more lightly on the earth in the way we craft objects?

Adam Tinworth

Adam Tinworth

— 1 min read
A wooden sign in a tree reading “Acorn Alley"

I’m just back from a week camping in the Sussex countryside. The campsite we were on is a family favourite - this is the fifth time we’ve visited it. One of the things I, personally, love about it, is how much of the campsite infrastructure is wooden.

Take this sign, for example:

Hand-painted wooden sign on a blue wall with flowers, reading: “Important: Only use toilet paper in our toilets. No wet wipes, baby wipes or face wipes. Put general rubbish in the bin provided.
Yes, it’s a sign in the toilet.

It's just a slice of wood, varnished and painted.

One day, that sign will have no more use. The campsite will be closed, the toilet block gone. And that sign, its purpose served, can rot away back into nature.

I find that beautiful. The idea that something can be crafted with love and skill, serve its purpose, and then return to nature is something we should embrace more.

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