Throughout my second day in Amsterdam sustainability proved to be a recurring theme, both directly and inadvertently. Reflecting upon each individual part of my day, beginning with breakfast and concluding with a tram ride, it is clear to me that sustainability is not only a Dutch priority, but also largely a cultural expectation. 

Perhaps the anticipation of our scheduled lecture with Karel Bockstael, former VP of sustainability at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, prompted my observations, but I began noticing signs of environmentally-conscious choices straight away at breakfast. As I went to clear my plate it occurred to me that all the silverware and dishes had been reusable, as opposed to the disposable ones to which I have come accustomed in many U.S. hotel chains. Additionally, the trash cans were notably smaller and significantly less full. Although seemingly a minute detail, it caught my attention because overflowing trash cans are not uncommonly seen in American communal dining spaces such as hotel breakfast buffets or even the Pitt dining halls. As I made my way back to my room to finish getting ready for the day ahead, I took note of my roommates enjoying their coffee out of glass mugs. Having traveled often with my dad, an avid coffee drinker, and my mom, a tea drinker like me, we almost always return from breakfast with a paper cup in hand. How simple is it to return a coffee mug to the lobby you already plan to go back to anyway? Even still, this is not the norm, at least in my experience, in the U.S. food industry. 

Following our delicious breakfast and morning observations, I further solidified my understanding of the importance of sustainability through the lecture with Karel Bockstael. Karel shared with us his background and how he managed to introduce sustainability to the largest Netherlands-based airline. Given the knowledge of aircraft’s immense public demand and the significant amount of fuel needed to propel the industry, this was certainly not an easy feat. Admittedly, the industry still has advancements to make, but developments of hydrogen fuel cells and green energy batteries are promising. A point that particularly impacted me came from a question about KLM’s continuation of sustainability efforts since Karel’s departure from the company. He noted that it is still alive and well, but he hopes that it continues at such a trend and does not grow in size. I was confused at this comment initially, until Karel clarified. He stressed the importance of keeping the sustainability department small so that it does not become a separate entity, but rather a working part of each sector. 

After having reflected on it throughout the day, I brought up this theme of sustainability with our tour guide Dasha as she, some fellow students, and I sat around a wooden table at Winkel 43. We exchanged “roses and thorns”, or the highlights and low points of our individual days. In addition to the conversation, we shared several slices of apple pie, which of course came on ceramic plates. In the U.S., or at least in my family, each person would likely get their own slice, but having shared them, I still left feeling full and did not risk creating any food waste. No pie was left behind. Certainly this had something to do with the pie being so delicious, but undoubtedly it also had to do with our mindful ordering. 

I will conclude in the same way that Karel did, with a quote from Einstein which, despite its simplicity, struck me quite deeply. “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” My experiences today helped to expand my thinking in a way that will hopefully allow me to better solve problems as an future engineer.