Nobody gives a flying fuck about sustainability in construction.

 

When I moved back to India, I was excited about getting into Agri-tech, to serve the planet and it’s people. But life had other plans and I had to take over my family business.

 

In the last two years, I have seen first-hand how developers, designers, architects, and vendors use and abuse the term ‘sustainability’ to leverage it for PR purposes. Nobody gives a flying fuck.

 

Being conscious of the planet is not only expensive, but also painfully challenging. And who wants to go through that for a lower bottomline? No one.

 

It deeply sickens me to see informed leaders consciously misuse the term. I genuinely look up to those who are openly unsustainable vs. those that love the pretence. At least the former own up to their way of life.

 

On the bright side, I look up to the few that are genuinely investing their time, effort and money to make a difference. From sustainable water urinals, tiles vs. natural marbles, eco-friendly materials to substitute cement, to water management systems that also bring in accountability, I think a lot is changing and will change in the coming years.

 

At Milagro Universe, we have taken a negligible step in this direction by reducing our in-store consumption of plastic and pushing for tiling products, but it is a drop in the ocean, and I hope we continue to push faster and harder for change. Especially, with the mindless consumption of some of the large showers we sell. Criminal wastage of our depleting water resources.

 

Time is running out, and the planet doesn’t care what we talk about at conferences. Action matters.

 

Milagro Universe Patik Thakkar