Hydrte Bottles

By now you’ve probably heard of the plastic problem. Companies and politicians are finally taking cues from environmental activists to reduce our plastic usage. But have you ever sat down to think about how much single-use plastic you really consume? Consider this: As a whole, humans have consumed 9.2 billion tons of plastic. But the thing is, there’s no infrastructure to deal with it – 6.3 billion of these tons will never meet a recycling bin, according to a study published by Science Advances. That’s equivalent to the weight of one  billion  elephants. Plastics are also making headlines for its devastating impact on our oceans and marine life. It constitutes around 90% of all trash floating on the ocean’s surface, according to Earth’s Oceans Foundation. Not only does that kill millions of endangered sea life every year, but also leads fish to ingest microplastics — teeny tiny bits of plastic broken down by ultraviolet light and waves.   That’s not only problem...

The 8th World Water Forum was held in Brazil a few days ago. What’s ironic is that the more than nine thousand of us attending this Forum were discussing water-related issues in a city of three million grappling with a severe water shortage. After checking in at my hotel, the first thing I found in my room was a notice from the Government informing guests of this crisis and recommending ways to reduce water use. We recently learned of the predicament in Cape Town, South Africa, which was on the verge of running out of this essential liquid—a plight facing many cities around the world. The way in which we have been managing this resource and its services is clearly not a long-term solution. Traditional investment planning, design, and operating models are linear in nature: water is extracted from the source, treated, and used, and the wastewater is then treated and discharged in a receiving water body. We need to transition from the linear model to a circular one focu...

It is very possible to get most of the plastic out of your life—especially the disposable plastic. (Though durable goods like computers and car parts will be the exception). Start with the low hanging fruit first, like buying your eggs in cardboard instead of polystyrene. Then consider taking on just one or two of the bigger changes a month. Here are some suggestions for reducing both your use of plastic and your exposure to its toxins: Since plastic is found widely in processed food packaging (this includes canned foods and beverages, which have a plastic lining), the most profound thing you can do to reduce plastic toxins in your life is to change your diet to include primarily fresh, whole,  unpackaged  foods from the farmer’s market or food co-op. Buying in bulk or joining a buying club can make this very affordable. Get your fresh eggs in cardboard cartons, not polystyrene. Get your fresh meat and cheese wrapped in waxed butcher paper, in...