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Zero waste lifestyle: 10 practical tips to get started

<ul><li>The e-commerce player said that by August 2019, it has achieved a 25% reduction in single-use plastic. </li><li>The company plans to move to 100% recycled plastic consumption in its own supply chain by March 2021.</li><li>Today, <keyword id="2573" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-India">Air India</keyword> too had banned single-use plastic </li></ul>As India moves to reduce its dependence on plastics, public and private corporations alike are joining in. Retail giant <keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword> said that it reduced single use plastics by 25% until August 2019, with multiple initiatives across its packaging value chain. State-owned Air India too announced that it will ban plastic products on its flights from October 2. This will include plastic bags, cups, plates, straws and more. They will be replaced by paper products. Creating alternatives for single-use plastic packaging: Flipkart Flipkart has a long term plan to use 100% recycled plastics in its own supply chain by March 2021. It’s planning to also use recycled paper bags for packaging. “Creating alternatives for single-use plastic packaging is one of the significant steps we have taken towards fulfilling our commitment to create a sustainable ecosystem. Our long-term vision is to eliminate the use of plastic and maximise the use of recycled and renewable materials,” said Kalyan Krishnamurthy, Group CEO, Flipkart. Indian companies have been cognizant of Indian government’s move to reduce plastic consumption and achieve recycling. States like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana have banned single-use plastics. Uttar Pradesh and Kanataka too banned products which quality as single-use plastics without using the term. Plastic bottles will be banished: Anand Mahindra Anand Mahindra too promised that ‘plastic bottles will be banished’ from his company. The chairman of the automobile giant which also makes electric cars, spoke at the World Economic Forum about the need of business leaders coming together for the cause. “The business community too recognises that this is not a problem they are solving alone or something you check on your CSR (corporate social responsibility) box. This is the biggest business opportunity for the next few decades,” Mahindra said. Meanwhile, another IT giant Wipro and its founder Azim Premji too stressed on the importance of recycling. “This year, we have significantly scaled up the use of renewable energy for our operations, which now contributes 40% of our total consumption. Recycled water now contributes to 42% of our total water usage” Premji said at his annual general meeting.

Flipkart and Air India become the first in their sectors to begin the fight against plastic

New Delhi, Dec 8 () Amid a growing debate over impact of single use plastics on environment, paper offers a sustainable option and can capture a fourth of the Rs 80,000 crore single use plastics market by 2025, if its use is totally banned by the government, a new study said.
India generated 26,000 tonnes per day of plastic waste in 2017-18, of that only 60 per cent was recycled and the rest ended up as litter on roads, in landfills or streams. Single use plastic industry is close to Rs 80,000 crore right now and growing. Packaging accounts for a third of India's plastic consumption, and 70 per cent of plastic packaging is turned into waste in a short span.
While uncollected plastic waste poses a huge threat to species on land and in water, single-use plastic bags and styrofoam containers can take up to 1,000 years to decompose, said the study released at the world's largest paper fair, PAPEREX organized by Hyve India, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Hyve Group Plc, London, last week.
Paper, on the other hand, is eco-friendly green product and bio-degradable, it said, adding it was a myth that the paper industries cut trees for production, and consumption of water and energy is high. Paper industry plants more trees than harvested and primary raw material are 100 per cent renewable like wood and agro-residues.
The study said about a third of new paper comes from recycled paper and an equivalent amount from waste such as sawdust and scrap from lumber mills.
"In India, companies use 46 per cent raw material from recovered paper, 29 per cent from agro residue like bagasse, straw etc and 29 per cent from plantation wood," it said, adding paper promotes literacy, hygiene and reduce pollution by using bagasse.
For production of one tonne paper, 2.1 tonne of wood is required but "no forest wood is being utilised for paper manufacturing," it said. "All (paper) mills are fulfilling their requirement through social forestry plantation on its own or through farmers."
More importantly, average cost of recycling of paper is Rs 32 per kg -- Rs 20 for cost of collecting paper trash and Rs 12 conversion cost. In comparison, the cost to collection of plastic waste is Rs 30 to 36 per kg and recycling is Rs 22 to Rs 35 per kg, it said, adding transporting one tonne of paper costs Rs 4.5 per kilometer as compared to Rs 6.2 in case of plastic.
Energy consumption for paper production is 0.59 to 1.19 tonne of oil equivalent per tonne as opposed to 1.48 to 2.58 a tonne in plastic, the study said, adding 55-60 per cent energy can be saved if paper is used in place of plastic.
According to Sanjeev Batra, Director, Hyve India, due to the fundamental and technological revolution, 100 per cent paper produced is recyclable and biodegradable.
"Paperex 2019 impressed upon the common man to save the environment and how this essential commodity use in our everyday life can reduce pollution and promote recycling," he said.
"Paper industry is going through the transformation phase and now the paper industry uses less power and water due to technological changes. Cost of production of recycled paper is at least 30 to 40 per cent cheaper depending upon the location than the recycled plastic," J P Narain, VP, Indian Paper &amp; Manufacturers Association and CEO of Century Paper said.
The requirement of better quality packaging products and the demand for other products, such as tissue paper, filter paper, tea bags and cardboard are expected to drive the paper and paper products market in India in the coming years, he said.
"There is a big opportunity for paper industry as single-use plastic market in India is close to Rs 80,000 crore. Paper industry is ready to take 25 per cent market share of single-use plastic by 2025 if totally banned by the government," he said.
Of the 9.1 billion tonnes of plastic that the world has produced since 1950, 6.9 billion tons has become waste, and only 9 per cent of that has been recycled, the rest ends up in landfills and in the world's oceans, the study said.
India's plastic consumption at 11 kg per capita is less than half of global average of 28 per kg. The US has per capita consumption of 109 kg, while it is 65 kg in Europe and 38 kg in China.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants India to eliminate single-use plastics by 2022, following on the footsteps of major nations around the world that are waging a war on them.
The study said chips and confectionery packets account for the largest share of plastic waste in India - 12 per cent of total plastic waste is bottle caps and lids, 19 per cent are chips and confectionery packets, 10 per cent are pet bottles, 8 per cent garbage bags and 8 per cent is packaging. ANZ DP
BAL

Paper industry to capture 25 pc market share of Rs 80,000 cr single use plastics by 2025

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><ul><li>A pilot whale died in Thailand after swallowing 80 plastic bags weighing nearly 18 lbs (8 kg).</li><li>The vet who carried out the autopsy said it was one of the worst cases she'd ever seen, with plastic bags coming from several countries.&#xa0;</li><li>Nearly&#xa0;300 marine animals including pilot whales, sea turtles and dolphins, are killed each year in Thailand from accidental plastic consumption.</li></ul> A pilot whale died off the coast of Thailand after swallowing 80 plastic bags weighing nearly 18 lbs (8 kg).Thailand's Department of Marine and Coastal Resources posted on its <a href="http://www.dmcr.go.th/detailAll/23503/nws/11">website</a> on Saturday that the whale was discovered in a canal in the southern Songkhla Province last week and was taken in for veterinary treatment.As the team attempted to treat the injured whale over several days, it&#xa0;vomited up several plastic bags before eventually dying. An autopsy revealed it had 80 plastic bags clogging up its stomach, which prevented it from .&#xa0;The department said the total weight of all the plastics found in the animal was 18 lbs (8 kg). Photos posted by the group reveal tens of plastic bags that remained undigested throughout the whale's body.(Warning: Some&#xa0;may&#xa0;find the images&#xa0;below&#xa0;disturbing)Watchara Sakornwimon, the vet who carried out the autopsy, told <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/worst-case-ive-seen-vet-on-whale-that-died-after-eating-80-plastic-bags-11393507">Sky News</a>&#xa0;that the case was one of the worst she'd seen.&#xa0;She added that the bags found inside the whales stomach were from several countries.Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine biologist and lecturer at Kasetsart University, also told AFP that Thailand is one of the largest users of plastic bags in the world. Nearly&#xa0;300 marine animals including pilot whales, sea turtles and dolphins, are killed each year in Thailand from plastic consumption, he said.&#xa0;"It's a huge problem," he said. "If you have 80 plastic bags in your stomach, you die."&#xa0;Nearly 9 million tons of plastic leak into oceans each year, according to the United Nations Environment Program.<div></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-survive-snake-bite-venomous-venom-attack-2018-5">How to survive a snake bite</a></h3> <div> </div> </div></hr>

A whale died after swallowing 80 plastic bags in Thailand

<ul><li>The government of India may ban six single-use plastic items on October 2. </li><li>Several state governments including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh already banned plastic products, with fines.</li></ul><ul><li>Here's the list of all the items that you won't be able to use after India bans single-use plastic. </li></ul>The Indian government is likely to put a <a href="https://in.reuters.com/article/us-india-pollution-plastic-exclusive/exclusive-india-set-to-outlaw-six-single-use-plastic-products-on-october-2-sources-idINKCN1VI19F">blanket ban of six single-use plastic items</a> in a bid to reduce annual plastic consumption by 5-10%. The government will reportedly provide six months time for people to adapt to alternatives, before imposing a fine. Earlier, the P M Narendra Modi pledged to omit the use of <keyword id="6570438" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="single-use-plastic">single use plastic</keyword> by 2022 and urged e-commerce giants and big businesses to curb their use. What is Single-use plastic and why the government is banning it? Any plastic items which we will throw away or recycle after using it once comes under the single-use plastics. They include popular items like carrying bags, bottle caps, sachets, wrappers, food packets etc. What is the punishment for breaching the law? Several state governments including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh already banned plastic products, with fines. Maharashtra government levied a fine of ₹5,00 for first-time offenders, ₹10,000 for the second offense and a penalty of ₹25,000 with three-month jail for the third. States like Punjab imposed punishments that include five-year term prison with ₹1 lakh fine or both, for breaching the law. Here's a list of items that you won't be able to use if the government bans single-use plastic Plastic carry bags 
 
 
 <div type="image" title="man-3244702__340" msid="71375803" hostid="261"></div>







 Plastic cups 
 
 
 <div type="image" title="photo-1521913728990-c534455c5454" msid="71375854" hostid="261"></div>







 Plastic plates 
 
 
 <div type="image" title="food-14624__340" msid="71375938" hostid="261"></div>







 Small bottles 
 
 
 <div type="image" title="plastic-waste-3962409__340" msid="71375939" hostid="261"></div>







 Straws 
 
 
 <div type="image" title="photo-1489532060612-9910b757430f" msid="71375941" hostid="261"></div>







 Plastic sachets 
 <div type="image" title="7efda9d783461eed09d97c077d63a815" msid="71376144" hostid="261"></div>

Here are all the things you won't be able to use after India bans single-use plastics

<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insider Picks</a> writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Baggu InstagramThese Baggu reusable bags ($10 - $12) are made to look like classic takeout bags.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>While a lot of plastic can be recycled, most of it never makes its way to the recycling bin - instead it ends up in landfills that pollute our waterways. The levels of plastic pollution in our oceans are so high, it's been predicted that by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plastic-in-ocean-outweighs-fish-evidence-report-2017-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2050 plastic will outweigh fish</a> in the ocean.</li><li>New York is the latest entity to impose a single-use plastic bag ban. Whether you live in the state or not, this effort sheds light on the fact that we could all reduce our consumption of single-use plastics.</li><li>If you're looking for plastic bag alternatives, check out our list of seven great options below. They're just as convenient and affordable, and they all look much cooler than plastic bags. </li></ul>In terms of materials, plastic is about as ubiquitous as they come. It's everywhere - one of the main ingredients in the majority of items we encounter every day. We get our groceries packed in plastic bags. We squeeze shampoo, conditioners, and lotion out of plastic bottles. Our takeout bags are filled with plastic containers and plastic utensils. A lot of plastic products can be recycled, but the majority of them just end up in landfills and go on to pollute our oceans. A report from the <a href="https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/news/New-Plastics-Economy_Background-to-Key-Statistics_19022016v2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ellen MacArthur Foundation</a> predicts that by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plastic-in-ocean-outweighs-fish-evidence-report-2017-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2050, plastic in the oceans will outweigh fish</a>. If we keep disposing of plastic at the rate we're going, in 31 years there will be about 850-950 million tons of plastic in the ocean, and only 812-899 million tons of fish. Looking at those harrowing numbers can be overwhelming - as an individual, it's hard to imagine that our small actions could move the needle at all. But we have to start somewhere. Reducing your own single-use plastic bag consumption is an environmentally, not to mention fiscally, responsible move. And, these days it couldn't be easier to ditch single-use plastic - there are so many brands offering reusable alternatives that are more affordable and much better looking than plastic bags anyway. <h3>If you're looking to find some great reusable plastic bag alternatives, keep reading for 7 cool, convenient, and affordable options:</h3><figure id="img-175108" contenteditable="false" data-type="img" data-e2e-name="image-figure-image" data-media-container="image"><a href="https://amzn.to/2mIpwf2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a></figure><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.

7 alternatives to plastic bags - from reusable produce bags to clever totes that fold up to fit in your pocket

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">AP/Rogelio V. SolisKroger is ditching plastic bags.</div></div></div><ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/kroger">Kroger</a> is ditching plastic bags. It announced on Thursday that it plans to phase out single-use plastic bags at all locations by 2025. </li><li>The change applies to all of Kroger's grocery brands, including Ralphs, Harris Teeter, and QFC, which will be the first chain to stop using single-use plastic bags. </li><li>Kroger's plans to transition away from plastic bags comes at a time when retailers' use of single-use plastic is under scrutiny. </li></ul> <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/kr-stock">Kroger</a> is ditching plastic bags at check-out. On Thursday, the grocery chain announced plans to phase out single-use plastic bags by 2025.The change applies to all grocers under the Kroger umbrella, including Ralphs, Harris Teeter, and Dillons. QFC, a Kroger-owned chain based in the Pacific Northwest, will be the first brand to eliminate plastic bags, with the company saying that the transition will be completed at the chain in 2019. "We listen very closely to our customers and our communities, and we agree with their growing concerns," Mike Donnelly, Kroger's executive vice president and COO, said in a statement about the move. "That's why, starting today at QFC, we will begin the transition to more sustainable options." Kroger plans to transition away from plastic bags and towards reusable bags as part of a larger plan to reduce waste at the company. According to a press release from the grocer, roughly 100 billion single-use plastic bags are thrown away in the United States every year, with less than 5% of the bags being recycled. The announcement comes at a time when retailers are under pressure to move away from using plastic whenever possible. In July, Starbucks announced plans to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-replaces-straws-with-sippy-cup-lid-2018-7">eliminate single-use plastic straws by 2020,</a> following a number of cities who are banning the use of plastic straws. "In 2015, plastic consumption worldwide totaled 300 million metric tonnes," Business Insider's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plastic-straw-ban-why-are-there-so-many-2018-7">Hilary Brueck</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plastic-straw-ban-why-are-there-so-many-2018-7"> reported in July.</a> "That essentially means that for each one of the world's 7.6 billion humans, we're making 88 pounds of plastic a year. The packaging industry is still growing, according to Euromonitor, with flexible plastics leading the pack." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/panera-double-bread-bowl-trying-2018-8">Panera decided to double its famous bread bowls - here's our verdict</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Kroger is making an unprecedented move to kill plastic bags

<ul><li>E-commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart and BigBasket are racing to eliminate single use plastic from their packaging.</li><li>BigBasket is ahead of the curve as it replaced plastic packaging with paper bags completely three years ago. </li><li>Amazon India plans eliminate single use plastic by June 2020 and Flipkart is aiming for March 2021.</li></ul>Global e-commerce giants, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=amazon+india&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Amazon</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=flipkart&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Flipkart</a>, aim to phase out single-use plastics from their packaging over the next two years. But, homegrown online grocery delivery platform BigBasket has been frugal in its use of plastic since its launched in 2011. "To a large extent we have reduced plastic to a large extent right from before. It’s not recent," Pooja Ravishankar, head of category marketing at BigBasket told Business Insider. For the past three to four years, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=bigbasket&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">BigBasket</a> has stopped using plastic entirely to deliver fruits and vegetables to its customers. "All our fruits and vegetables come in a paper bag," said Ravishankar. Amazon India, on the other hand, plans to eliminate all plastic packaging and replace it with paper cushions by June 2020. Walmart-owned <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/flipkart-and-air-india-become-the-first-in-their-sectors-to-begin-the-fight-against-plastic/articleshow/70894061.cms">Flipkart</a>’s plan is to use 100% recycled plastic in their supply chain by March 2021. The company claims that it has been able to reduce its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=single+use+plastic&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">single use plastic</a> consumption by 25% as on 1 August, 2019. Flipkart stated that it plans to replace poly pouches with recycled paper bags and bubble wrap with carton waste shredded material. Challenges of making the transition from plastic to paper When BigBasket made the switch from plastic bags to paper bags for their fruits and vegetables, their primary concern was that they might lose customers as a result. "We were very worried because plastic gives you that transparency and vegetables look a lot nicer in plastic. Paper is opaque, and customers can’t see them. It’s a very touch-and-feel category," said Ravishankar. Despite the apprehension, BigBasket did not lose customers. They went ahead and switched other grocery categories to paper packaging as well and their bills are printed on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=recycled+paper&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">recycled paper</a>. "We want to reduce the packaging on fruits and vegetables as well. At the end of the day, paper packaging means trees are being cut down. Eventually we would want to move onto the thela (cloth bag) system," explained Ravishankar. Eliminating packaging altogether But, there’s still one challenge that remains — staples. Due to their weight and quantities, BigBasket still has to use plastic to deliver things like atta (flour) and dal (pulses). The company is mulling over shifting to recycle plastic to solve the conundrum "One of the dreams that we have is that we want to get rid of packaging completely. It’s a vision for us," stated Ravishankar. India has plans to implement a country-wide ban on single use plastic on with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to announce new guidelines today, 2 October 2019. During India’s 73rd <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/topic/Independence-day">Independence Day</a>, Modi emphasised immediate measures that could put in place to eradicate non-recyclable plastic. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/flipkart-and-air-india-become-the-first-in-their-sectors-to-begin-the-fight-against-plastic/articleshow/70894061.cms">Flipkart and Air India become the first in their sectors to begin the fight against plastic</a>

Big Basket ahead of e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart in eliminating single use plastics

As an expert on microplastics, here's what I do to keep my family safe.This is an as-told-to-essay based on a conversation with Laura Hardman, 33, the mother of a 5-month-old and the director of the Ocean Wise Plastic Initiative at the Ocean Wise Plastic Lab in Vancouver, Canada. Hardman does research on microplastics — tiny pieces of plastic debris that are broken down from larger plastic items. Microplastics are often too small to pick up or even notice, but they are everywhere: in the air, dust, and <a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/plastic-rain-is-a-now-a-thing-and-weve-underestimated-just-how-heavy-it-is" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rain</a>. While most microplastic research focuses on <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/631/1/012006/pdf#:~:text=Marine%20microplastics%20will%20affect%20many,oxidative%20damage%20and%20abnormal%20behavior." target="_blank" rel="noopener">marine ecosystems</a> — where plastics are known to harm growth and reproductive health in creatures including fish, shellfish, and plankton — these tiny plastic particles are also ingested by humans and have recently been found in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/24/microplastics-found-in-human-blood-for-first-time" target="_blank" rel="noopener">human blood</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/17/microplastic-particles-discovered-in-human-organs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">major organs</a>. In new mothers, microplastics have been found in placentas and breast milk, and they appear especially abundant in <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/study-shows-infant-poop-is-riddled-with-microplastics-180978770/#:~:text=Microplastics%2C%20or%20tiny%20particles%20of,smallest%20nooks%20out%20in%20nature." target="_blank" rel="noopener">baby poop</a> — 10 times more than in adult feces. The effects of microplastics on human health are not yet fully known, but emerging research has linked polyethylene, the most commonly used plastic, to <a href="https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230117/Study-Exposure-to-high-doses-of-micro-sized-polyethylene-has-adverse-effects-on-cells.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cell</a> damage, and environmental microplastics are known to attract and carry <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6132564/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dangerous contaminants</a> like cancer-causing toxins, heavy metals like <a href="https://news.umanitoba.ca/the-big-tiny-problem/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mercury</a>, and disease-causing <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/health/news/pathogens-can-hitch-ride-plastic-reach-sea#:~:text=It%20found%20that%20microplastics%20can,infect%20both%20humans%20and%20animals." target="_blank" rel="noopener">pathogens</a>. Plastic household items often <a href="https://www.endocrine.org/-/media/endocrine/files/topics/2020-dec-7-harmful-chemicals-backgrounder.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contain chemicals</a> that are hazardous to humans and can <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.1c01103" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leach</a>, or seep, into water, the air, or food, especially when heated. Because of this, Hardman tries to minimize the amount of plastic her family is exposed to. As the director of the Ocean Wise Plastic Initiative, I am responsible for our plastic-reduction program where we partner with businesses and individuals to help them minimize how much plastic they use. When we're starting to work with a group, I'll say: "Stand up if you care about plastic pollution," and everyone will stand up. And then I'll say: "Sit down if you've used an unnecessary piece of plastic today." Very rarely is anyone left standing. When I start running through plastic items like toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes, it quickly becomes clear that even if everybody cares, it's difficult to stop using plastics because we're almost blind to our plastic use (through no fault of our own). It's insidious — it's in everything and every part of our day. And what keeps me awake at night is that plastic consumption is still increasing. The amount of plastic waste we produce is projected to <a href="https://www.oecd.org/newsroom/global-plastic-waste-set-to-almost-triple-by-2060.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">triple by 2060</a>.<div type="image" title="Laura Hardman" height="338" width="474" msid="97314347" hostid="261"></div>Plastic is a relatively new pollutant, so there's still a lot we don't know about it. In the lab, my team of researchers and I focus on the sources, effects, and fate of plastics in the ocean. We research how plastic is affecting certain species, and there are a number of serious negative effects. We're seeing things like endocrine disruption, which affects reproduction, and bioaccumulation, which is when plastic in the food-supply chain accumulates in the digestive tract and can cause blockages or cause marine creatures to feel full when they're not. And it's not just about the microplastics themselves being dangerous — plastic has this unique ability to attract other pollutants, and that increases its toxicity. For instance, if you're a whale and you're consuming vast amounts of food carrying microplastics, the chemical concentration in the plastic and the cocktail of whatever may be attached to the plastic compounds increases and becomes more toxic to you. What I take away from that is, if we're starting to see this in marine species, what's the impact for humans? We know that we're ingesting a lot of microplastics — as many as <a href="https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/people/one-roast-dinner-or-similar-meal-everyday-the-same-as-eating-two-plastic-bags-each-year-university-of-portsmouth-and-good-morning-britain-research-claims-3933577" target="_blank" rel="noopener">230,000</a> tiny particles in a typical roast dinner made with ingredients that are packaged in plastic, and over a <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/channels/news/some-plastic-your-tea-300919#:~:text=Using%20electron%20microscopy%2C%20the%20team,reported%20previously%20in%20other%20foods." target="_blank" rel="noopener">billion</a> in a plastic tea bag. Much of the early science on how plastics impact human health is inconclusive right now, but for me, "inconclusive" just means we're at the start of a very long research journey. And it doesn't mean that I, on a personal level, am not going to be proactive now in trying to limit my and my loved ones' exposure. Robust research takes time, but if we wait until we know the full extent of the risks, it is likely to be too late for a generation or more. The simple answer is we don't know what plastics might be doing to us, but I've started to get really concerned. So, why wait?<h2>How to limit plastics for a newborn</h2>Researchers don't know exactly how much plastic babies ingest, but they do know that babies are exposed to microplastics in the womb and <a href="https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220201/Children-are-more-exposed-to-microplastics-than-adults-says-expert.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tend to have higher exposure than adults</a>, and of course, babies put everything in their mouths. When my partner and I learned we were having a baby, I went down a rabbit hole looking at all the things that you really "need" for a newborn. You're in this really vulnerable position where, unless you've got a great network of friends and family to help you navigate it all, you don't know what you actually need and what is unnecessary waste that's being marketed to you as a new parent. Eventually I decided that my approach to reducing plastic pollution was to break all of the items on our list into three categories: unnecessary items, items that are unnecessarily made of plastic, and plastic items that are unavoidable. So my starting point was a series of <a href="https://ocean.org/action/take-the-plastic-challenge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at-home audits</a> to evaluate the plastics that were already in my life. I asked myself: "What am I using? Where is it coming from?" For instance, my partner and I used to go through a lot of plastic bread bags from bread we got at the grocery store. The swap for us was to find a good secondhand bread machine, because I'm not going to bake it entirely by hand!Like most young moms, I worry about anything that my daughter comes into contact with and about setting her up for the best possible start. I knew quickly that I wanted to keep plastics and microplastics away from her as much as possible, because researchers are increasingly finding them in human placentas, breast milk, and <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/study-shows-infant-poop-is-riddled-with-microplastics-180978770/#:~:text=Microplastics%2C%20or%20tiny%20particles%20of,smallest%20nooks%20out%20in%20nature." target="_blank" rel="noopener">baby poop</a> — which terrifies me. Those kinds of studies scare me the most. One of the biggest sources of plastics that you encounter when you have a baby is disposable diapers — in North America around 30 to 40 billion diapers end up in landfills each year. I wanted to avoid them as much as possible and find something reusable, but we weren't sure how that was going to work. Reusing diapers is not the nicest concept to imagine, and my partner was understandably resistant. We agreed after some research that we would buy two reusable brands that were mostly plastic-free and one box of disposable ones and see how we got on. We were pleasantly surprised by the reusable diapers. After all of the horror stories about reusables, the reality was nowhere near as bad as we thought. In fact, quite the reverse — we're saving money and, honestly, they look cuter. My other half is now a firm advocate for reusable diapers. Of course, the caveat is we're only five months in — solid food is coming.Another plastic-ridden nonnegotiable for me was wipes. Most commercial wipes are sold in dreadful plastic packaging, and in order to make the wipes more resilient, they have plastic as part of the fiber weave. Plus, they're not commonly disposable in anything other than the landfill — where <a href="https://www.reloopplatform.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/report_single_use_menstrual_products_baby_nappies_and_wet_wipes.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">68 billion</a> of them end up every year. I considered going for reusable wipes, but we decided reusable wasn't practical for our family in terms of the sheer volume of washing and how much we're traveling with our little one. So we've opted to make our own wipes, and I would say it is the best thing I've done. I buy paper towels that are wrapped in paper and sustainably forested, and I make up a solution of almond oil and baby-safe Dr. Bronner's soap and use that to make wet wipes, which we store in a reusable plastic diaper dispenser. I wasn't sure how much work it was going to be and whether I was going to be able to maintain it, but we're still going strong. I'm using a plastic box, and I'm still using a disposable product, which is more consumption than I'd like, but it is working well for me. For baby bottles, I use glass bottles with a natural silicone teat. Because the bottle is going to have heat applied to it, and from what we know about how plastics can <a href="https://www.thehealthyjournal.com/faq/at-what-temperature-does-plastic-leach" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leach harmful chemicals</a> into the air or liquid over time — and specifically how plastic baby bottles shed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/19/bottle-fed-babies-swallow-millions-microplastics-day-study" target="_blank" rel="noopener">millions of microplastics</a> when they're sterilized — using a plastic bottle was not something that I was going to be comfortable with. To limit plastic in my breast milk, I already try to avoid a lot of prepackaged foods, which is where a lot of plastic contamination comes from, and I use silicone pouches to store breast milk in the freezer. Our approach to weaning is to use homemade purées made out of carrots or broccoli or whatever we buy at the loose produce section of the grocery store, instead of packaged pouches of baby food.There are a lot of places where plastics appear that we don't really think about. For example, a lot of children's cutlery and plates are plastic. And there's clothing — which can contain a lot of plastic. A lot of people make sure their babies' clothes are organic, cotton, and made with child-friendly dyes, but they're not aware of their own clothing. Your baby is probably sucking on your clothes more than she's sucking on hers. I try to apply the same rules to myself as I do to her, so for the clothing I wear now, I try to stick to natural fibers and dye.<h2>Cutting down on consumption</h2>I live and breathe plastic reduction every day, but I still feel anxious about what decisions to make — and all of this can be really intimidating for young parents who want to raise their kids in a way that is safe and environmentally friendly. It's also tough with other people. Other people want to be amazing and buy stuff for your baby, right? And I have never refused gifts, because that would be awful — you don't want to be a complete monster. But one of the things that's been super helpful is sharing my values with family and friends. I don't want to ram it down people's throats, but my sister said that she enjoyed learning along with me. So talk about it with your family and friends and share that this is what you're trying to do — because it isn't easy — and then they can help you and enjoy the journey with you. I want people to know that you're not the only person thinking or learning about this. "You can't be perfect in everything," is what I have to keep telling myself, and what I would tell anybody else. Anything that you can do is a win for your child and a win for the ocean. Every time you say, "I don't need that" or "I can get that secondhand," that's a win. And that has to be celebrated, because if we don't start there, it's going to feel too big and we're going to become too overwhelmed. And that paralyzes us from taking action.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/adrienne-matei" rel="">Adrienne Matei</a> is a freelance journalist based in Vancouver, Canada. She writes about culture, technology, lifestyle, the environment, and more.

I research harmful microplastics. Here's what I do to keep my family safe from their toxic chemicals.

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Shutterstock</div></div></div><ul><li>Goldman Sachs is joining other big US companies like Starbucks to ban plastic straws from its US offices.</li><li>The change comes as states like California have signed bills aimed at reducing straw waste. </li><li> Straw bans are just one small way to get people thinking about how to reduce their plastic use, say environmentalists.</li></ul>Goldman Sachs bankers looking for a straw for their Diet Coke may have to look outside their office walls. The investment bank joined Starbucks and American Airlines in doing away with plastic straws in the US, according to a memo sent to employees on Wednesday. Paper cups and plastic lids will also be removed from the firm's pantries, with employees encouraged to use their own mugs. The policy will go into effect on Oct. 29 at the firm's New York, Jersey City, Dallas, Richardson and Salt Lake City offices, with the rest of the Americas offices enacting the change by the end of the year. The bank has already outlawed the waste in the Europe and Asia-Pacific regions. Goldman already committed to eliminating all business waste from landfills by 2020, according to the memo, which was sent by Dino Fusco and Kyung-Ah Park, the bank's global head of corporate services and real estate.In September, California Governor Jerry Brown <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-straw-ban-restaurants-what-you-need-to-know-2018-9">signed into law a first-of-its-kind bill</a> aimed at reducing straw waste in the state. Starting in 2019, sit-down restaurants in the state won't serve any drinks with straws, unless customers ask for them. Starbucks has vowed to get its iconic green sippers completely off store shelves by 2020, while Seattle banned all plastic utensils, including straws, from bars and businesses city-wide in July.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plastic-straw-ban-why-are-there-so-many-2018-7">Environmentalists say</a> straw bans are just one small way to get people thinking about how to reduce their plastic use.In 2015, plastic consumption worldwide totaled <a href="https://blog.euromonitor.com/2018/04/ethical-living-megatrend-briefing-plastic-lose-re-use.html">300 million metric</a> tonnes. That essentially means that for each one of the world's 7.6 billion humans, we're making 88 pounds of plastic a year.<h2>See also: </h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-big-changes-in-equities-trading-leadership-shows-how-important-technology-is-to-trading-clients-2018-6">Goldman Sachs has created a new team to take on high-speed traders like Virtu and Citadel Securities at their own game</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/david-solomon-goldman-sachs-inner-circle-management-team-dozen-2018-7">Goldman Sachs just named its next CEO - here are the execs who will be in and out, according to a dozen insiders</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-poached-an-equity-derivatives-trader-from-barclays-2018-7">Goldman Sachs has poached an up-and-coming equities trader from Barclays - bolstering a lagging business for the Wall Street giant</a></li></ul>Get the latest Goldman Sachs stock price<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/GS-Quote"> here.</a> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-smart-contracts-can-work-2018-10">How smart contracts will work</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Goldman Sachs is banning plastic straws - and it's part of the firm's grand scheme to cut down on waste

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Swimmer <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/swimming-across-pacific-ocean-ben-lecomte-photos-2018-10">Ben Lecomte</a> is making his way through the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/category/great-pacific-garbage-patch">Great Pacific Garbage Patch</a> right now. He's kicked through <a href="https://www.followmychallenge.com/live/thevortexswim/#">371 miles of trash</a>.</li><li>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plastic-pollution-microplastics-pervade-surface-deep-ocean-2019-6">garbage patch</a> is essentially a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/great-pacific-garbage-patch-ocean-cleanup-plastic-timeline-2019-1">vortex of plastic trash</a> in the ocean between Hawaii and California. It's bigger than two Texases.</li><li>Lecomte spoke with Business Insider from his boat and said "the most disgusting thing is the amount of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eating-microplastic-potential-health-effects-2019-6">microplastic</a> that we capture in our nets every day."</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, swimmer Ben Lecomte is kicking through trash.Lecomte swam across the Atlantic Ocean - from the US to France - in 1998, and he tried to become the first person to swim across the Pacific last year, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ben-lecomte-ends-record-breaking-attempt-to-swim-across-the-pacific-ocean-2018-11">traveling 1,753 miles</a> before calling it quits. This year, he decided to plow through a swirling vortex of garbage between Hawaii and California known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. "I'm not trying to go for any record," Lecomte told Business Insider from the sailboat that's following him as he swims. "It's a unique opportunity to show exactly what is under the surface." The human race dumps about <a href="https://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/feature/junk-food/">8 million pounds of plastic trash into the oceans every year</a>. For context, the average 16.9-ounce bottle of water weighs less than 13 grams, so there are at least 35 water bottles in a pound of trash. But of course, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plastic-straw-ban-why-are-there-so-many-2018-7">bottles are not the only litter</a> in the sea: there are abandoned fishing nets, laundry baskets, toilet seats, toothbrushes, and much more.Currents sweep up a lot of this plastic and carry it to a handful of locations in the ocean. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the most well known of these trash vortices - it's double the size of Texas and now holds <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ben-lecomte-ends-record-breaking-attempt-to-swim-across-the-pacific-ocean-2018-11">79,000 tons of trash</a>.That's what Lecomte is swimming through. He wants the effort to bring more awareness to the issue of plastic consumption and show people what the garbage patch really looks like. "I want to share what it is through swimming and bring people with me," he said. Here's what Lecomte's journey has looked like so far.

A 52-year-old man is swimming through the Pacific Garbage Patch. He's caught disgusting trash, including a toothbrush and a toilet seat.

<ul><li>The Indian environment ministry issued a letter to states and union territories informing them that there is no imminent ban on single-use plastics. </li><li>It also clarified that the ban would not affect multi-layered packaging, normally used for food and beverages. </li><li>The document shared by ministry outlines action points to achieve the goal of eliminating single-use plastic by 2022. </li></ul>Companies in India were anxious about the government implementing a nation-wide ban on plastic but it seems there are no plans to announce any such restrictions — for now. The environment ministry issued a document to states and union territories (UTs) clarifying that there is no ban on single-use plastics but that the country is still planning on eliminating their use by 2022, according to <a href="https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/plastic-curbs-to-spare-multi-layered-packaging/cid/1709407">The Telegraph</a>, "There is now a need to take it (the awareness) to a new level and ensure that by 2022, we eliminate single-use plastic from our society," stated Environment Secretary Chandra Kishore Mishra in the letter. The ministry outlines that states need to implement legislative interventions and behavioural changes to wean people away from consuming <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/In-some-countries-people-face-jail-time-for-using-plastic-bags-Here-are-all-the-places-that-have-banned-plastic-bags-and-straws-so-far-/articleshow/68712914.cms">single-use plastics</a>. Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi’s call to action during India’s 73rd <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/topic/Independence-day">Independence Day</a> had businesses in India worried about the potential economic impact. If such a ban were to be implemented, it would affect <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/here-are-all-the-things-you-wont-be-able-to-use-after-india-bans-single-use-plastics/articleshow/71375802.cms">everyday items</a> like plastic cups and plastic plates at food stalls, packaging on biscuits and sodas, and small bottles. Food and beverages are safe The environment ministry also clarified that any planned guidelines to curb the consumption of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=single+use+plastic&amp;sortorder=score&amp;curpg=1">single-use plastic</a>s will not apply to multi-layered plastic packaging, which is commonly used to package products like food and beverages. During the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indian-pm-endorses-iit-camera-to-catch-inattentive-mps-in-parliament/articleshow/71376832.cms">Singapore-India Hackathon</a> at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) on 30 September 2019, Modi clarified that he was exclusively campaigning against single-use plastic and not a plastic-free india. "Some people, by mistake, are talking about plastic-free India. I have not said this. I have said that single-use plastic, which comes to use only once, causes a lot of problems," explained Modi. The environment ministry pointed out that only <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/which-states-in-india-have-banned-plastic/articleshow/70218756.cms">five states</a> — Maharashtra, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh — currently have legislation in place to regulate plastic waste. It has asked other states to plan on introduce restrictions on plastic use to curate a list of products that they plan to on restricting. It also clarified that there may not be a requirement to ban plastic bottles, like the ones used for packaging water and sodas, and that the focus should be on making sure the bottles are recyclable and can be reprocessed. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/article/amazon-flipkart-and-bigbasket-are-racing-to-eliminate-single-use-plastic-from-their-supply-chain/articleshow/71402437.cms">Big Basket ahead of e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart in eliminating single use plastics</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/here-are-all-the-things-you-wont-be-able-to-use-after-india-bans-single-use-plastics/articleshow/71375802.cms">Here are all the things you won't be able to use after India bans single-use plastics</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/mount-everest-will-turn-into-a-plastic-free-zone-by-2020-as-nepal-bans-it/articleshow/70780916.cms">Mount Everest will turn into a plastic-free zone by 2020 as Nepal bans it</a>

India won’t be banning plastic — for now

<ul><li>The world has produced over 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste since 1950.</li><li>Every Indian on an average consumes 11 kgs of plastic per year. </li><li>India also planning to join the “Clean Marine Ecosystem”.</li></ul>Plastic is a growing concern not only for India but the whole world. Disposal and recycling of single-use plastic items such as polythene bags and containers are a major concern. Since the 1950s, an estimated 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2018/03/03/the-known-unknowns-of-plastic-pollution">produced</a>, of which an estimated 9% has been recycled and another 12% of plastic waste has been incinerated. India was the global host of the <keyword id="18996" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Environment-Day">World Environment Day</keyword> this year. The country, which is in the 75th year of its independence, pledged to eliminate the use of all single-use-plastic items like straws, plastic bags and water bottles, by the year 2022. 
 
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Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan, on the occasion of the World Environment Day, said - "We make a solemn pledge that we will eliminate all single-use plastics from our country." This statement has also shed some light on the PM’s idea of new India by the year 2022. 
 
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]]></cdata></div> At Vigyan Bhawan where India’s Prime Minister <keyword id="6597234" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-singh-modi">Narendra Singh Modi</keyword> emphasised on India’s relentless commitment towards protecting the environment, Vardhan said - "This India of our dreams (New India) will be single-use plastic free." This commitment is intended to send strong messages to the world which is threatened with increasing <keyword id="1820144" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="plastic-pollution">plastic pollution</keyword> due to the huge amounts of environmental degradation it causes. 
 
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]]></cdata></div> <keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword> in his speech mentioned that India is preparing to join the “Clean Sea Campaign” and make its contribution towards saving the world's oceans. "Plastic threatens to become a menace to humanity. A lot of it never makes it to the recycling stations”, he said. The annual average per capita <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/environment/the-good-earth/by-2022-india-vows-to-stop-single-use-plastics/articleshow/64471467.cms">consumption of plastic in India</a> is at 11 kg as against the global average of 28 kg. The large amount of plastic waste the world produces inevitably enters the environment, with <a href="https://globalnomadic.com/turning-rubbish-into-money-environmental-innovation-leads-the-way/">studies</a> <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016648014004225?via%3Dihub">suggesting</a> that the bodies of 90% of seabirds contain plastic debris.

You Searched For "plastic consumption" and got 13 results

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