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‘Save thy <keyword id="6356826" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="environment">environment</keyword>’ is a cause that is not new in any way. The battle started long ago with scientists, researchers and technology experts highlighting the varied <keyword id="74957" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="climatic-changes">climatic changes</keyword> and their ecological impacts occurring across the world, most often with disastrous results. There are several on-the-face environmental scenarios that also pinpoint how the imbalance created by rapid urbanisation is accelerating the depletion of <keyword id="6368742" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="natural-resources">natural resources</keyword>. But this <keyword id="2034087" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ecological-disparity">ecological disparity</keyword> is man-made and it is our responsibility to try and control it. And there can be no better way to act than starting it from your home. 
 
On the macro level, green buildings or eco-friendly homes as a concept are at a nascent stage in India. As of now, it constitutes a very small percentage of the booming Indian real-estate market. But there is optimism among developers, governments and experts indicating, as a tremendous opportunity exists for expanding energy-efficient construction in India. 
 Also, the ‘green construction technology’ is a wide category, covering everything from energy-efficient appliances to <keyword id="1226286" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="geothermal-heating">geothermal heating</keyword> to <keyword id="70990" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Solar-power">solar power</keyword> to bio-degradable paints and many more. Given the breadth of this category, this article will narrow down the theme to three key product categories – <keyword id="2034096" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Water-closets">water closets</keyword>, <keyword id="1609750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Faucets">faucets</keyword> and tiles, elements that a home cannot do without. As every act counts, every micro step is a step towards a macro initiative and ultimately, the objective is to build a greener environment in and out of home. 
 Clean and <keyword id="95422" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Green-Technology">green technology</keyword> is more advanced than ever before, and can be as beneficial for your wallet as it is for the Earth. What’s more, adopting or rather installing those products is not at all cumbersome. Plus, they are well-designed to match your taste. A variety of products are already there in the market and that will make designing your <keyword id="2034084" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Green-home">green home</keyword> even easier. Here are some simple choices to look at when you build your home or renovate it. 
 
Water closets: Bathrooms happen to be the primary source of water and its usage. So the products used here are designed around eco-friendly technologies. The modern-day water closet is an intelligent toilet. The 3/6 litres per flush has become the norm and products like NANO, which uses 1.5 litre per flush, waterless urinals and star-rated, WEP-certified closets usher in a contemporary outlook to the concept of water-saving. 
 In India, we have already switched to energy-efficient appliances, ranging across various products, even the light bulbs. But when it comes to a stamp of approval for water-saving products, both awareness and a trusted certification seem to be missing. But things are now getting better, with the <keyword id="2034080" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="International-Association-of-Plumbing">International Association of Plumbing</keyword> and Mechanical Officials (<keyword id="2034102" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="IAPMO">IAPMO</keyword>) issuing its <keyword id="524544" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="WEP">WEP</keyword> certification. A safe and sustainable environment is everyone’s responsibility and IAPMO has taken the initiative to blend experienced leadership and broad resources, necessary to ensure a focused code development and produce model codes to help the industry and the consumer go green. 
 And the result? The WEP – 1 star-rated certification designed to provide information through labelling at the point of sale to consumers buying products that use water. A natural choice for authentication across the world with its 80 years of experience, IAPMO is equipped with the tools to build a better, more sustainable co-existence with the planet. So, if you have set your mind on being a wholehearted person looking to save our precious natural resources, choose from India’s first <keyword id="2034103" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Water-star-rated-product">water star-rated product</keyword> and you can save over 50,000 litres of water per year. Over 10 models of <keyword id="2034105" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Star-rated-water-closets">star-rated water closets</keyword> are available under the Hindware Italian Collection, all in different shapes and designs. The choice lies with you. 
 
Faucets: After water closets, faucets are probably the most used in a house! Be it your washroom or kitchen, faucets are in use every two minutes or so as you wash your hands or clean vegetables or rinse your crockery. So is it possible to do without water and a faucet? The answer is – no. 
 However, what you surely can do is to choose the right faucet to lessen <keyword id="66392" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="water-wastage">water wastage</keyword>. Several ranges are available in the market, which are technologically smart, in tune with consumers’ diverse styles and requirements, of superior quality and offer best value for money. The single-lever faucet mixes hot and cold water smoothly, made possible by the new cartridge technology incorporated in the faucets. Then there is the quarter-turn faucet, a traditional two-handle faucet with the ability to turn from full turn to half turn to quarter turn, as per usage. Not only does it make the entire experience better, but it also helps reduce water consumption without compromising on the water pressure. 
 Modern faucets use a technology called the <keyword id="2034111" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Faucet-aerator">faucet aerator</keyword>. It adds air to the stream of water coming out of the faucet by breaking the water into fine droplets. Finally, there are the sensor-operated, <keyword id="2034113" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pressmatic-faucets">pressmatic faucets</keyword>. They have a standard, <keyword id="2034114" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Predetermined-water-flow">predetermined water flow</keyword> timer, which controls <keyword id="2034112" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Water-flow">water flow</keyword> for every usage. 
 
Flooring: The main purpose of floor tiles is protection. But technological advancements such as digital-printed, <keyword id="1064949" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="glazed-vitrified-tiles">glazed vitrified tiles</keyword> and stain-free, multi-charged vitrified tiles offer plenty of designs and surface finish options like marble, wood, stone, rustic, metallic, satin and matt. High-definition, <keyword id="2034118" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Multi-colour-digital-printing">multi-colour digital printing</keyword> technology offers the perfect replacement of natural marble and wooden flooring. These are technically superior and reduce the consumption of precious natural resources. GRIHA-certified tiles are easily available in the market today, and the product range reaffirms the commitment towards our environment. Once you install them, you become a part of the go-green community as well. 
 In short, the best way to design a green home is to make the most of the space and elements around you. This includes using <keyword id="790505" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="natural-light">natural light</keyword> and environment-friendly materials &amp; products. Your home can run on the beauty and wonders of nature, with a <keyword id="2034127" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Minimal-carbon-footprint">minimal carbon footprint</keyword>. 
 
About the author: Sandip Somany is the JMD of HSIL Ltd. 
 
Image: Wikipedia

Eco-friendly Home Technology: Now Design Your
Green Home

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Right after I graduated from college, I went straight into grad school.</li><li>I wish I had waited to go to grad school and instead followed my other interests.</li></ul>The final exams for my <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-job-without-college-degree-student-debt-bachelors-2024-1">bachelor's degree</a> took place in March 2005, and by June, I was enrolled in my master's program.The two-month break didn't feel like one, as it was a whirlwind of applications and entrance exams. I would have loved to travel, write, and contemplate my future <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennial-earned-more-money-new-career-going-back-to-college-2024-7">career path</a>, but instead, I plunged straight into further studies. After pursuing a bachelor's in business administration with a major in marketing, I felt compelled to continue studying marketing, resisting exploring other options.I should have known an MBA was not the right choice. Reflecting on my childhood and teenage years, I realized that my academic pursuits overshadowed my growing interest in nature and the outdoors. I was passionate about environmental systems, tree-planting drives, camping, and painting nature scenes. This inclination starkly contrasted with the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/3-things-office-jobs-better-than-non-corporate-jobs-2024-5">desk job</a> awaiting me in the corporate world.Had I taken some time off after college — a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sabbatical-adult-gap-year-happy-and-broke-2024-5">gap year</a> perhaps — I would have prioritized travel, indulged in creative writing, and done an internship. Those experiences would have better prepared me for life beyond the university bubble. My MBA years were rigorous, with long hours and intense study schedules, but the safety net of family support still cushioned them. I craved experiences that would challenge me and open my eyes to the world in ways that textbooks never could.<h2 id="6cf96ec8-ff6d-461f-906e-793f374785f4">I realized I probably didn't need an MBA in the first place</h2>In the second year of my <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rare-disease-ventilator-college-masters-degree-2024-7">master's degree</a> at 21, I worked at a top-rated advertising firm for a three-month internship. I realized many of my colleagues had joined straight out of undergrad and continued for a decade.A master's degree wasn't a prerequisite for a good job; my work during the internship earned me a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/laid-off-6-times-cant-find-job-50s-retirement-worry-2024-7">job offer</a>. Realizing that the degree I was working so hard for was not the golden ticket I had thought it to be was eye-opening. It was my skills, my creativity, and my dedication that mattered.I wish I had sought to get a job straight <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vanlife-dropped-out-college-live-out-of-my-car-2023-5">out of college</a>. I could have accepted a job offer from a classmate's father, who ran a company manufacturing biodegradable bags. This opportunity would have aligned with my interest in environmental sustainability.I wish I had followed that passion and engaged with it deeply instead of pursuing a master's that had no guarantee of getting me anywhere and that I had little interest in.In hindsight, I realize the ideal time for an MBA is after gaining six to eight years of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nyu-student-travels-nyc-florida-weekend-internship-2024-2">work experience</a>. This approach would have provided a more valuable perspective and practical knowledge.<h2 id="31d0cc56-3b29-4014-9338-3b7b1dac65de">If you plan on going to graduate school, heed this advice</h2>I'm nearly 40, and the lessons from my past remain relevant: Take time to explore your interests, gain <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/recent-college-grad-career-built-childhood-bed-wfh-freelance-2024-4">real-world experience</a>, and pursue higher education when you're truly ready.Today, after 17 years of corporate work experience, I am a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/overemployed-remote-worker-jobs-tech-layoffs-savings-credit-card-debt-2024-2">full-time</a> writer — something I should have done a long time ago and did not really need my master's degree for.For <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/recent-college-grad-job-struggles-finances-2024-5">college graduates</a>, I wish they would allow themselves the time to let ideas and dreams marinate, weigh the pros and cons, and make a well-thought-out decision — instead of jumping into grad school.I also recommend getting a job or work experience whenever possible; it will teach you things that school won't. Finally, if you find yourself gravitating toward a particular passion, immerse yourself in it to see if it's for you. Take those risks, seize those opportunities, and remember there's no rush to pursue a master's degree.

I went to graduate school right after college, and I regret it. I wish I had waited and joined the workforce first.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Biotech company Neoplants just released the first houseplant grown to reduce indoor air pollution.</li><li>This plant, called Neo Px, gets its pollution-eating superpower from genetically engineered bacteria.</li></ul>Looking at Neo Px, you'd never know that it was anything but a typical houseplant. But on a microscopic level, this plant is supercharged with billions of pollution-eating bacteria.This week, the France-based biotech company Neoplants released the first houseplant bioengineered to remove harmful chemicals from indoor air. It targets <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/silicone-hair-products-may-release-harmful-emissions-new-study-2023-12">volatile organic compounds (VOCs)</a>, which are emitted by the everyday stuff in our homes: gas stoves, paints, even furniture.<div type="image" title="A marbled pothos house plant potted in a special pot designed by Neoplants sits on a small table with more plants against a window in the background." height="4000" width="6000" msid="109738533" hostid="261"></div>Indoor air can be two to five times (and in extreme cases, up to 100 times) more polluted than outdoor air, according to the American Lung Association. This is, in part, driven by higher levels of VOCs indoors. Long-term exposure to these compounds can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches and dizziness, even liver damage and cancer.The best ways to remove VOCs from your home are opening the windows and getting rid of their sources, Glenn Morrison, a University of North Carolina environmental science and engineering professor who studies indoor air pollution, told BI. Some types of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/home/best-air-purifier">mechanical air purifiers</a> can remove them too, but many of them can produce other harmful chemicals like carbon monoxide, ozone, and formaldehyde.But Neoplants co-founders Patrick Torbey and Lionel Mora weren't satisfied with these options. They argue that opening windows only temporarily reduces indoor pollution to outside levels, and not everyone can easily get rid of VOC sources in their homes. What's more, they believe existing VOC-removing technologies aren't worth their drawbacks.So, they turned to biology to invent their own solution. The result, Neo Px, is 30 times more effective at removing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/home/how-to-improve-indoor-air-quality">indoor air pollution</a> than the average houseplant, Torbey and Mora told Business Insider."What we care about is putting nature at the center of innovation again," Torbey said.<h2>Harnessing the power of bacteria</h2><div type="image" title="A petri dish that's half purple and uncolonized on the left side, and pink and colonized by rows of small spots of bacteria on the right side, against a black background." height="5768" width="8652" msid="109738536" hostid="261"></div>Non-engineered houseplants are equipped with some <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/these-houseplants-are-completely-idiot-proof-and-can-live-for-weeks-without-water-2017-10">natural air-purifying power</a>, and some types are more effective than others. But research has shown that it would take hundreds of regular houseplants to purify the air inside a 1,500 square-foot home.Torbey and Mora wanted to achieve air purification with a single houseplant. To do that, they hacked into the plant's microbiome.They targeted a strain of bacteria called Pseudomonas putida, which have a particular appetite for three common VOCs: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cancer-risk-benzene-pollution-houston-channelview-jacintoport-2023-12">benzene</a>, toluene, and xylene. There are tens of thousands of types of VOCs that can be present in homes, Morrison points out. But Neoplants chose to target these three because they are especially harmful and prevalent in indoor spaces, Mora said.This species of bacteria can live off VOCs as their sole carbon source, metabolizing them into harmless sugars and amino acids, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0760/8752/5696/files/NEOPX-WHITEPAPER.pdf?v=1711714362">Neoplants white paper</a>.What's more, these bacteria naturally occur in the soil around plant roots and form a mutually beneficial relationship with their host plants. If Torbey and Mora could figure out how to supercharge these VOC-eating bacteria, they'd create a natural air-purifying system.Through <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-carbon-bacteria-evolution-chemistry-2016-12">directed evolution</a> — the process of reproducing organisms in a lab to enhance a selected trait over time — they created a new version of Pseudomonas putida that is extremely effective at metabolizing VOCs."These are like tiny, tiny air purifying machines that build more air purifying machines the more pollution there is," Torbey said.But keeping these bacteria abundant presented a challenge. Plant microbiomes are difficult to maintain, and their viability declines as soon as you ship that plant to someone, Jennifer Brophy, assistant professor of Bioengineering at Stanford University, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/04/26/1071407/plants-air-cleaning-neoplants-genetically-modified-air-quality">told MIT Tech Review</a>.To solve that problem, Neo Px comes with "power drops," a solution of their engineered bacteria that can be used to replenish the plant's microbiome once a month and ensure that it's working at its maximum air-purifying capacity, similar to regularly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/home/honewell-hpa3300bv1-powerplus-true-hepa-air-purifier-reveiw">replacing an air purifier's filter</a>.<h2>Limitations</h2>UNC's Morrison thinks that there are other limitations to consider before purchasing Neo Px. "It doesn't really matter how much they modify the plant or modify the bacteria in the soil if they can't get the air into and through it," he said.Neo Px is potted in a biodegradable shell that's designed with vents to maximize airflow between the soil and the room, but Morrison argues that the airflow would still be too minimal to make a significant difference in air quality for the average home. "It might actually remove some VOCs, it just doesn't remove very much," he said.But Torbey and Mora are confident in their product. "We know that phytoremediation (plants-based solution) is not an approach that most in the indoor air quality community believe in," Torbey told BI in a later email in response to Morrison's skepticism. He and his colleagues have built two VOC measurement rooms at their headquarters in Paris, which they will use to study the phytoremediation potential of their system."We will be publishing this data as soon as possible to help the world better understand the power of phytoremediation," he added.<h2>Unpacking the Neo Px system</h2><div type="image" title="A potted plant sits next to one large box, one smaller box, a small packet, and a beaker with a pipette against a white background." height="3692" width="4271" msid="109738539" hostid="261"></div>The Neo Px air purifying system comes with a marble queen pothos plant, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/poisonous-houseplants-noah-whiteman-most-delicious-poison-book-2023-12">popular species of houseplant </a>which serves as the perfect host for their VOC-eating bacteria, Mora said.Eventually, Mora and Torbey hope to expand Neoplants to include different types of plants, but for now, pothos is the only species available for purchase.The Neo Px package includes the biodegradable, vented shell, which also has a built-in self-watering system. "Even <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/houseplant-industry-americans-billions-die-2022-3">people who don't have a green thumb at all</a> can very easily take care of this plant," Mora said.This $119 package comes with a six-month supply of power drops. When they run out, customers can sign up to auto-replenish them for $39 every three months.<h2>Striving for sustainability</h2><div type="image" title="NeoP1 photographed from below, showing the vents in the shell with pothos leaves peaking out of the top." height="3339" width="4037" msid="109738542" hostid="261"></div>For Mora and Torbey, the most exciting aspect of this new product is that it's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mexico-manufacturing-jobs-trade-china-biden-immigration-labor-america-businesses-2024-1">made entirely in the US</a>. Even the recycled plastic and agricultural waste used to make their self-watering shell comes from the US.Achieving this proved challenging, Mora said, but he and Torbey wanted to manufacture their product as close to their main customer base as possible. To them, it didn't make sense to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/y-combinator-backed-startup-seabound-carbon-capture-wave-shipping-2023-8">ship a product</a> designed to clean the air across the world. And manufacturing Neo Px in the US helped ensure their product was made responsibly."What we tried to do is build a product that is as sustainable as possible. So, you don't need to use any electricity, you don't need to replace filters that have a lot of pollution in them and throw them away," Mora said.This sustainable model is part of Neoplants overarching goal: to drive progress towards solutions to even bigger environmental issues."If we project ourselves in five years from now, not only will we have this product family for indoor spaces that people can put in their homes, but we'll also start hitting some of the first fundamental technical milestones for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/afp-resurrection-plants-offer-hope-as-climate-turns-hostile-2015-11">climate change applications</a>," Mora said.

This $119 houseplant is bioengineered to remove harmful air pollution in your home.

Whether it's Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, or Harry Styles, music fans are showing their appreciation for artists — and the environment — through their fashion.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/one-planet"></a><div type="image" title="One Planet Banner Test" height="138" width="1100" msid="102752440" hostid="261"></div>When Taylor Swift announced her massive Eras Tour last fall, thousands of devoted fans anxiously began working on travel plans and ticket-buying strategies.But Rosy Vega, a 23-year-old Swiftie from Biloxi, Mississippi, was thinking something else: "What am I going to wear?"A self-described "girly-pop type" of music fan, Vega is no stranger to mammoth stadium tours like Swift's, where fans bring fashion, fandom, and music together on a massive scale."I was lucky enough to go to three of Harry Styles' Love On Tour shows," Vega told Insider. "People were always complimenting each other's outfits, and it was amazing. But too many times, I'd hear people say, 'Oh, I got it from Shein,' or other places like that, and I would secretly kind of cringe."So the moment Vega secured Eras Tour tickets, the Swiftie shifted her focus to planning an outfit worthy of both a large-scale cultural event and the environment.And when she did, she joined countless other music fans who are determined to stop live shows from becoming fast-fashion nightmares — even if they have to do so one outfit at a time.<div type="image" title="Taylor Swift fans trade friendship bracelets at the Eras Tour on August 3, 2023." height="1333" width="2000" msid="102752443" hostid="261"></div><h2>When did concert outfits become so extra?</h2>The <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/summer-outfits-spend-billions-fast-fashion-barnardos-charity-shop-a8998846.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">London-based research company Censuswide</a> found in a 2019 study that British concertgoers <a href="https://www.thefashionlaw.com/single-use-outfits-outfits-account-for-hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars-in-revenue-each-year/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wore about 7.5 million outfits only once</a> for music events, and they spent roughly $307 million on those garments. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-fashion-christmas-shopping-clothes-returns-shein-zara-waste-mountain-2022-12">Insider reported in 2022</a> that more than 100 billion apparel items are created each year, while about <a href="https://earth.org/statistics-about-fast-fashion-waste/#:~:text=Of%20the%20100%20billion%20garments,on%20landfill%20sites%20every%20second." target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">101 million tons</a> of clothing <a href="https://www.africanews.com/2022/10/23/kenya-struggles-to-recycle-growing-volumes-of-textile-waste//" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">are sent to landfills</a> in a year.So how did this happen? Before there was the Eras Tour or Beyoncé's Renaissance run, there was Coachella and Burning Man.Experts told Insider that the eye-catching outfits at those desert festivals quickly and massively influenced concert culture — especially in the past decade."It became the idea that you wear an amazing outfit every single day of Coachella," Erin Wallace, the VP of marketing at the secondhand fashion retailer ThredUp, told Insider. "And now you also tag the brand on social media."<div type="image" title="vanessa hudgens coachella" height="1392" width="1853" msid="102752445" hostid="261"></div>And as festival fashion rose in popularity, influencers, celebrities, and fast-fashion brands took note, Wallace said.Vanessa Hudgens went from being a Disney Channel star to <a href="https://www.instyle.com/celebrity/vanessa-hudgens/vanessa-hudgens-coachella-outfits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the unofficial queen of Coachella fashion</a>. And beauty influencers like James Charles have gotten in on the spotlight, taking short breaks from creating makeup-focused content to attend the event <a href="https://www.seventeen.com/fashion/g27180242/james-charles-coachella-outfits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and wear daring outfits</a>.Then there are the fashion brands.The clothing retailer Revolve has become known for hosting influential stars at <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/revolve-festival-coachella-jenner-bieber-c6161997" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an invite-only party each year at Coachella</a>, and Shein recently partnered with Stagecoach on a curated section of its website advertising inexpensive clothes that attendees could wear.Brands like Cider, on the other hand, have tagged different clothing items with the names of celebrities like Swift so that shoppers can easily find concert outfits and pieces designed to look like something the musician herself has worn.<div type="image" title="The Cider website advertising Taylor Swift-inspired clothes." height="1638" width="2880" msid="102752446" hostid="261"></div>It was the merger of that kind of marketing and the changing economics of fashion that took the trend mainstream, said Elizabeth L. Cline, a researcher, educator, and writer who focuses on sustainable and ethical fashion."Fast fashion went from cheap to dirt-cheap, and it became very frictionless," she told Insider. "So I think it's really a combination of extremely low prices, the convenience and anonymity of buying things online, and the pressure — but also community — on social media, because now it's kind of expected that you're going to participate in that."For many music fans, Harry Styles' Love On Tour was the first traveling show to give them that opportunity after the pandemic, some concertgoers told Insider. And then, of course, came the Eras Tour and Renaissance World Tour."These concert tours are just so massive that they have the weight and impact of an entire festival," Wallace said. "Whether it's Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, or whoever, there's this magnetic pull getting everybody out of their homes. They want to experience it together, and part of that experience is dressing the part."<h2>The impact of those feather boas, sparkly outfits, and cowboy hats</h2>The garments most popular at concerts today aren't exactly everyday wardrobe staples."We're seeing sequins, feather boas made from synthetic materials, and really cheap, plastic clothing of all kinds," Cline said. "When you think about synthetic materials, in particular, people are buying things that are disposable and not biodegradable. These clothes might not go away for a very long time. You can assume they weren't made with a great deal of care for the environment."Wallace, on the other hand, said the number of people going to concerts and buying single-use outfits is equally alarming, especially when considering what happens to the garments afterward.As of early August, searching <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/discover/eras-tour-outfits-shein" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"Eras Tour outfits Shein"</a> on TikTok surfaced dozens of videos with more than 1.8 billion views collectively. Meanwhile, videos tagged <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/discover/eras-tour-outfits-amazon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"Eras Tour outfits Amazon"</a> had more than 2 billion total views."Is there a correlating need to give these items a second life or a third life?" Wallace said. "If we've just had such a huge uptick in the purchase of these items, but then there's a huge donation of these items, what's the next massive audience that's looking for them?"<div type="image" title="Fans of Harry Styles wear colorful outfits at the New York City stop of Love On Tour 2022." height="1333" width="1777" msid="102752449" hostid="261"></div>But that's not the fault of the consumer, she said."I think it really just speaks to the overproduction of super trend-driven items," Wallace said. "They certainly already exist in the world."Cline also noted that concerts aren't the only time people buy single-use outfits. Halloween, weddings, and other notable events have spawned single-use outfits for decades. "Concert fashion is part of the problem, but it's such a big systemic issue," she said. "Part of me wants to say people need to go and enjoy themselves, and we really need to be figuring this out on a higher level."<h2>Music fans are taking sustainability into their own hands</h2>Many fans seem to have figured out how to look trendy — and stay sustainable — while attending a major cultural event.Brooke Taylor, a 22-year-old concertgoer from San Francisco, wanted to be conscious of her wallet and the environment when choosing her Eras Tour outfit, so she turned to a local thrift store, small businesses on Etsy, and her own closet."I have white cowboy boots, and I bought a pink, sparkly dress on Poshmark for $13, which was amazing," she said. "I also have a jean jacket that I painted myself and hand-glued all the jewels on, glasses I made, and accessories that I sourced from Etsy."Christina Blake, a 22-year-old from Fairfax, Virginia, did something similar.A longtime competitive dancer, Blake knew she had a stockpile of leotards on her hands — so she turned to them before considering buying a new outfit. "I've always been super into arts and crafts, and I'm really passionate about sustainable fashion," she told Insider. "So when pictures of Taylor's tour outfits started coming out, I absolutely fell in love with the blue, beaded-fringe bodysuit that she wears during the 'Midnights' portion of the concert."So Blake worked on recreating it. "For about two weeks, I spent pretty much all my spare time set up in my little arts-and-crafts area, putting down glue and rhinestones," she said.And then there's Vega, another Swiftie who was eager to DIY one of Swift's iconic looks. But unlike Blake and Taylor, she didn't know where to start."I knew that, like me, there were probably a lot of Swifties who also live in small towns, don't know where to shop, or had no clue what to wear, so I decided to make a Facebook group to help," she said. "I knew the Swifties would unite."And that's exactly what they did. So far, more than 43,000 people have joined Vega's "Eras Tour Outfits" group.There, they've been sharing outfit ideas, reselling their concert clothing, and inspiring other Swifties to think about sustainability when preparing their concert outfits.At the end of the day, Vega knows that all fashion choices have a lasting impact and that Facebook groups like hers might not be the ultimate solution to single-use outfits.But what's most important to her, she said, is that she and so many other fans are trying."It's so easy to buy an outfit and forget about it, but with 60,000-plus fans in each stadium across 146 announced shows so far, I knew that a difference had to be made somewhere," Vega said. "And what an opportunity to share outfits you've only worn once to make someone else as happy as you were in it."This article is part of "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/the-great-transition" rel="">The Great Transition</a>," a series covering the big changes across industries that are leading to a more sustainable future. For more climate-action news, visit Insider's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/one-planet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One Planet</a> hub.

Music fans are turning to Amazon, Shein, and other fast-fashion brands to look their best at big stadium tours, but tons of those clothes end up in the landfill. Some concert-goers have a better idea.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Small studies have found microplastics in the human gut and bloodstream.</li><li>These tiny plastic pieces come from old tires, disposable bags, water bottles, clothing, and more.</li></ul>Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that pollute the air, the oceans, and the food we eat. Scientists have discovered that we carry microplastics in our bloodstream, but it's not yet clear how dangerous this is for human health.Here's what you need to know about how microplastics get into your blood, what this means for your health, and how to avoid them.<h2>What are microplastics? </h2>"Microplastics are small pieces of plastic — typically less than 5 millimeters in length — that are formed when plastic products break down in the environment," says <a href="https://www.medstarhealth.org/doctors/kelly-krisna-johnson-arbor-md" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor</a>, a board-certified medical toxicology physician, and Co-Medical Director at <a href="https://www.poison.org/kelly-johnson-arbor-bio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Capital Poison Center</a>.They typically come from the plastic products we throw away that end up scattered on the land and oceans, where they're exposed to water currents, wind, and sunlight.Since plastic doesn't easily biodegrade, these environmental effects just break it down into much smaller pieces, Johnson-Arbor says.According to <a href="https://research.vu.nl/en/persons/ad-vethaak" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dick Vethaak</a>, a professor of environment and health at VU University Amsterdam in the Netherlands, some of the main sources of microplastics include:<ul><li>Disposable packaging materials like plastic bags and containers</li><li>Synthetic clothing fibers</li><li>Tires</li><li>Paints and coatings</li><li>Emissions from factories and plants</li></ul>Microplastics are also purposefully added to <a href="https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-laws-regulations/microbead-free-waters-act-faqs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some skincare products</a> to help exfoliate your skin.<h2>Are there microplastics in human blood?</h2>Since microplastics are so tiny, we consume them without knowing— "there are increasing reports of microplastic contamination in our drinking water, milk, food, and air," says Vethaak.In fact, one <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.0c07384" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 study</a> estimated that children ingest more than 500 microplastic specks per day, while adults take in nearly 900. And the scientists note that this is an early estimate and the actual numbers may be much higher.And while most of the microplastics we consume travel through our digestive tract and end up in our <a href="https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/abs/10.7326/M19-0618" target="_blank" rel="noopener">feces</a>, a small fraction of tiny microplastics, called nanoplastics, may be able to cross the barriers of your lungs and intestines and enter your bloodstream, Vethaak says.A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022001258" target="_blank" rel="noopener">very small 2022 study</a> backed this up, finding evidence of microplastics in human blood. The researchers acknowledged that this may be a risk to public health. <h2>Is it dangerous to consume microplastics? </h2>Experts still don't know exactly how dangerous microplastics are to your health. To understand this, "we <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abe5041" target="_blank" rel="noopener">need more studies</a> on how the human body processes and gets rid of microplastics," Johnson-Arbor says.<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2021.724989/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Animal studies and studies done on human cells</a> have shown that exposure to microplastics can cause inflammation, hormone disruption, and other negative health effects. "However, these findings are challenging to translate to humans and real-world exposures," Vethaak says.Experts warn that there are a few main health concerns that could be linked to microplastics, including:<ul><li>Toxic substances: Microplastics can <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42452-019-1352-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">absorb toxic materials</a> like pesticides, heavy metals, and cancer-causing chemicals. They can then transport these toxic materials into your body and cause health issues, Johnson-Arbor says.</li><li>Digestive issues: Some research suggests that people with <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/do-i-have-ibd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inflammatory bowel disease</a> consume more microplastics than others. The microplastics may contribute to <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2021/december/people-with-ibd-have-more-microplastics-in-their-feces-study-says.html#:~:text=People%20with%20more%20severe%20IBD,more%20microplastics%20in%20their%20feces." target="_blank" rel="noopener">inflammation in the digestive tract</a>. </li><li>Infections: Harmful microbes like bacteria can <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2021.675803/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grow on microplastics,</a> so when we breathe in or ingest the specks, they can carry disease directly into our bodies, Vethaak says.</li><li>Build-up in your body: Over long-term exposure, it's possible that microplastics could <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abe5041" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accumulate in your tissues and organs</a>, causing damage, Vethaak says.</li></ul><h2>How to avoid microplastics</h2>"Microplastics are ubiquitous in our environment, and it's pretty much impossible for an individual person to avoid them entirely," Johnson-Arbor says.However, there are some methods you can use to cut down your exposure to microplastics. Vethaak offers these recommendations:1. Avoid using skincare products that contain micro or nanoplastic beads. The Plastic Soup Foundation in the Netherlands has an <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/beat-the-microbead/id573546717" target="_blank" rel="noopener">app</a> where you can screen your products to see if they contain microplastics.2. Ventilate your house or office by regularly running the <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/home/best-air-conditioner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AC</a> or opening your windows, as plastic particles tend to accumulate heavily in indoor house dust.3. Buy clothes made of natural fibers like cotton or linen. Synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon can release microplastics when you wear or wash them.4. Don't heat food or drinks in plastic containers — opt for tempered glass or metal instead.5. Avoid eating canned food — the inside of cans contains a layer of plastic that may release hazardous chemicals and plastic particles.You can also try to limit the amount of microplastics that you release into the overall environment. Johnson-Arbor offers these tips:1. Ask for no disposable utensils when getting takeout meals, and use your own utensils instead.2. Avoid drinking water from plastic bottles — a <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fchem.2018.00407/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2018 study</a> found that bottled water contains about twice as many microplastics as tap water.3. Choose paper plates instead of plastic dishware if you have an event like a barbecue. You can also try bamboo utensils instead of plastic.4. Bring your own <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/kitchen/best-food-storage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">takeout containers</a> to restaurants to avoid being offered single-use plastic containers for your leftovers.<h2>Insider's takeaway</h2>Microplastics have been found in human blood, but we still don't fully understand the effect they have on our health.But there is some reason for concern — "while microplastics may not affect our health right now, they will likely cause health risks to the environment, animals, and humans in the coming decades," Vethaak says.If you have questions about toxicity from plastic products, Johnson-Arbor recommends contacting poison control for expert advice. You can find them online at <a href="http://www.poison.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.poison.org</a> or by phone at 1-800-222-1222.

You eat over 900 tiny pieces of plastic a day and researchers don't fully know what it's doing to your health yet

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Method's factory is the first green factory of its kind with its LEED Platinum certification. The company manufactures biodegradable natural cleaning supplies outside of Chicago. </li><li>The factory, known as Soapbox, leads the pact by creating less waste and using less energy. Soapbox features plentiful natural lighting access for its workers, in addition to a 75,000-square-foot greenhouse. </li><li>"Green" office buildings in the US are at an all-time high. Chicago is the country's greenest city for the second year in a row. Nearly 70% of Chicago is green certified, and 100% of the city's public buildings are powered by renewable energy.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.</a></li></ul>Following is a transcript of the video. Narrator: Method's Soapbox is the first LEED Platinum certified factory in the industry.Okay, great, but what does that even mean?Short answer, the factory is green. Long answer, the factory creates less waste, uses less energy, and provides better working conditions for its employees than other factories. And when you're bottling 250,000 units of soap every day, these things matter to the planet and the bottom line. Aria Bendex: So LEED is basically the most popular green building certification in the world. It was developed in 1993 by the US Green Building Council and it's since become an international standard for green building construction.Narrator: Getting LEED certified is good for environment and good for business. So we're here at Method's Soapbox factory to see what it takes to go platinum."Green" office buildings in the US are at an all-time high. And Chicago is the country's greenest city for the second year in a row. Buildings are considered officially green certified if they have an Energy Star label, LEED certification, or both. Nearly 70% of Chicago is green certified. Drew Fraser, CEO Method Products: We were inspired by others in the community that had brought a wind turbine on site, and we went through the process of procuring one and building it up to produce as much energy as possible here in the "Windy City."The US Green Building Council awards certification at four levels based on a point system. But the Soapboxplatinum distinction is gold medal of certifications. Method's 85 points come from five things: location, materials, renewable energy, indoor environmental quality, and innovation. The turbine provides half the factory's annual electric energy, while a set of solar trees and renewable energy from the grid provide the rest.Drew Fraser: "[The turbine] was an investment, but as that investment pays off over time it will be the most efficient and freest energy available."Narrator: So that takes care of renewable energy, but what about the other four certification points?Drew Fraser: It was a toxic site that we kind of renewed and regenerated.Narrator: The majority of the land the factory is built on has been restored to native prairie land that is open to the community. And the environment inside the factory is intentionally designed to keep employees happy and healthy. Skylights and large windows give workers more access to natural light, while also lowering the building's baseline energy use. And the paints, flooring, and adhesives are all made to keep air quality high.Drew Fraser: Probably the biggest impact for indoor quality of air and lighting for our team is actually the products that they make.Narrator: Method uses naturally derived, nontoxic ingredients in its products, a choice that impacts factory workers as well as the consumer. As for innovation, Method partnered with Gotham Greens to build a 75,000-square-foot greenhouse on top of the factory.The greenhouse produces 1 million pounds of food a year that goes to stores and restaurants in the area.Method's other factory in Belgium is not LEED certified, but they say it's in the works. While all of these things are good for the environment and community, they're ultimately part of a bigger business strategy.The Soapbox houses manufacturing, bottling, and distribution all under one roof, which cuts down on its carbon footprint and costs.Drew Fraser: So it really kind of hits a trifecta for us, which is creating great product that's good for people and for planet, but also really helps our business both top and bottom line.

Method Soap's factory runs entirely on renewable energy and produces 1 million pounds of food a year from its rooftop greenhouse

The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insider Picks</a> team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.<a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1319806&amp;u=1088116&amp;m=86257&amp;urllink=fohm%2Eco%2F&amp;afftrack=biipf%5F022219%5Ffohm%2Ddispenser" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Fohm Co</div></div></div></a><ul class="summary-list"><li>Even so-called flushable wipes cause plumbing problems, backing up sewer lines and causing floods and pipe damage.</li><li>Most wipes are not biodegradable, so even if they do flush without issue, they will linger in landfills or, worse yet, the ocean.</li><li><a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1319806&amp;u=1088116&amp;m=86257&amp;urllink=fohm%2Eco%2F&amp;afftrack=biipf%5F022219%5Ffohm%2Ddispenser" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fohm</a> dispenses a gentle, pH balanced cleanser onto your toilet paper, effectively transforming it into a wet wipe.</li></ul>I won't go into much detail here, but you can probably paint the picture in your mind: on a cold, rainy February evening back in 2017, my father-in-law and I were frantically taking turns manning a pair of wet/dry vacuums as we fought to keep a flood contained to a basement room since known as the "sewer closet."We won the battle and kept the carpet of the adjoining playroom clean and dry, but I lost the larger war, having to call in professional plumbers to clear out our sewer line the next day. The culprit of the backup? Baby wipes. And only a few wipes, mind you - usually, this is a household quite mindful of the advice not to flush wipes, but I had slacked a time or two, and those few fateful flushes were all it took.Also without going into detail, any parent who has grown used to having baby wipes spread strategically about the house will have learned that there is no law stipulating wipes can only be used for babies. In fact, you rather get used to having them on hand. But regardless of who used them, tossing used wipes into a trashcan where they will linger for days is less than ideal; flushing them and risking a costly (and ghastly) plumbing catastrophe is far worse, not to mention the ethical issue of potentially depositing wipes out into the ocean.If you love keeping clean with a good moist wipe but don't relish the issues that come with wet wipes, instead convert your toilet paper into a wet wipe using <a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1319806&amp;u=1088116&amp;m=86257&amp;urllink=fohm%2Eco%2F&amp;afftrack=biipf%5F022219%5Ffohm%2Ddispenser" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fohm</a>. No, not foam, Fohm. But in fact Fohm does use foam. Let's go about this more directly before we get confused, because, really, this is an elegantly simple product.Once loaded with its gentle, fragrance-free and pH-balanced cleanser, a <a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1319806&amp;u=1088116&amp;m=86257&amp;urllink=fohm%2Eco%2F&amp;afftrack=biipf%5F022219%5Ffohm%2Ddispenser" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fohm</a> dispenser will deposit a dollop of said cleanser onto your toilet paper when you hold the paper underneath the unit's nozzle. A built-in sensor allows for touch-free dispensing, so the Fohm system remains sanitary day after day, use after use, and even when shared by multiple people. The <a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1319806&amp;u=1088116&amp;m=86257&amp;urllink=fohm%2Eco%2F&amp;afftrack=biipf%5F022219%5Ffohm%2Ddispenser" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fohm</a> cleanser formula is proprietary, but the brand refers to it as a "version of what you find in a baby wipe from a national brand (insert your favorite one here)." So while actually designed primarily for adult users, you can use a Fohm to clean a child, too. And once each pleasantly wet wipe is completed, you can toss that toilet paper into the toilet and flush away, knowing the paper will break down as it should, not clogging pipes and not posing a risk to aquatic life farther down the line.One more thing to note: as fancy as this system might seem, it's actually going to save you money in the long run. The starter pack costs $49, and a after that, monthly refills cost $7. You could spend almost seven bucks on a single pack of baby wipes, or you could spend it on a month's worth of moistened, eco-friendly, plumbing-safe <a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1319806&amp;u=1088116&amp;m=86257&amp;urllink=fohm%2Eco%2F&amp;afftrack=biipf%5F022219%5Ffohm%2Ddispenser" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fohm</a> foam.<h3><a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1319806&amp;u=1088116&amp;m=86257&amp;urllink=fohm%2Eco%2F&amp;afftrack=biipf%5F022219%5Ffohm%2Ddispenser" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get your Fohm Home Starter Pack (no subscription) from Fohm.co for $49</a></h3><h3><a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1319806&amp;u=1088116&amp;m=86257&amp;urllink=fohm%2Eco%2F&amp;afftrack=biipf%5F022219%5Ffohm%2Ddispenser" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get refills every three months with your Fohm Home Starter Pack from Fohm.co for $21</a></h3><a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/insider-picks">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a> Find all the best offers at our <a href="https://coupons.businessinsider.com/">Coupons page</a>. Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks">Insider Picks</a> team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.

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