Ecology - Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products https://www.dherbs.com/tag/ecology/ Buy the best herbal supplements, natural remedies, and herbal remedies from Dherbs. We're the #1 alternative medicine store online. ✓ Visit and shop now! Mon, 18 Dec 2023 08:01:58 +0000 en-US hourly 1 6 Budget-Friendly And Sustainable Ways To Celebrate The Holidays https://www.dherbs.com/articles/6-budget-friendly-and-sustainable-ways-to-celebrate-the-holidays/ Sun, 17 Dec 2023 09:14:00 +0000 https://www.dherbs.com/?p=150183

Celebrating family and love is an essential part of the holidays. If you’re looking to save some money and be eco-friendly, use these tips.

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Ideally, everyone lives a responsible, sustainable lifestyle that helps reduce unnecessary waste. We all know that this isn’t the case, especially during the holiday season. Excess tape, tissue paper, wrapping paper, too much food, boxes, and more means one thing: excess waste. And while we encourage this time of celebration to mean something special, we also want it to benefit your wallet and the planet. 

The holidays can wreak havoc on your wallet, but it’s often your own doing. You get caught up in the festivities, but this often results in excess of everything. Since a common desire is to declutter and eliminate excess in the new year, there’s no reason to accumulate during the holidays. Celebrate the holiday season and ring in the new year with a more modest environmental footprint by checking out these budget- and planet-friendly tips

Invest In Durable Decorations

Can you go to a dollar store and buy a bunch of decorations under $20? Yes, that is a strategy for many people, but many of those decorations get tossed after the holidays. Although it may seem counterintuitive, you should spend a little more money on holiday decor. When you spend more on higher quality decorations, they’ll last longer and save you money over time. It also delays their inevitable journey to the landfill. 

Buy Climate Neutral Gifts

If you can’t or don’t want to buy secondhand gifts, consider gifts that are climate neutral certified. Think of this certification like the certified organic sticker you see on certain foods, only a climate neutral certification ensures that brands offset, plan, and have plans in place to reduce their carbon footprint. There are many brands that are climate neutral; you just have to search for them online. 

Consolidate Online Purchases

Online shopping has made holiday gift shopping more convenient than ever. You never have to enter a store and subject your poor ears to those earworm holiday songs. If you are going to purchase gifts online, try to do it in one fell swoop. Amazon, for example, will give you the option to group items together and have them arrive at a later date. That way, you reduce the amount of packages and trucks needed to deliver packages to you. Minimize the excess by shopping online in as few purchases as possible. 

Give The Gift Of Experiences

As you get older, you realize that you don’t need or want a lot of stuff. If you do see something you want, you typically buy it for yourself. A lot of other people don’t want to accumulate things either. Instead of buying a mug or hoodie that you know a person doesn’t need, give the gift of experiences. If you want to be budget-friendly, make a coupon book for coffee dates with mom, dinners with grandpa, bowling with the nephew, or babysitting for your niece. Gifts of service, such as mowing the lawn, making a meal from scratch, or running errands, are also great ideas. 

Get Creative With Wrapping Gifts

According to an estimate from Earth911, about 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper is produced in the U.S. every year. The shimmer, shine, and fun patterns are short-lived, as people tear the paper to shreds to get to the gift. Most wrapping paper is not recyclable, with about 2.3 million pounds of wrapping paper ending up in landfill every year. Gift bags are great to use because you can use them over and over again. For a recyclable option, consider wrapping gifts in old maps or vintage book pages. Save up some brown paper bags that you get at the grocery store and wrap your gifts in them. 

Make A Plant-Based Feast

Turkey and ham are the usual suspects at most holiday feasts, but what’s wrong with breaking tradition? Swap out your meaty dishes for plant-based alternatives. According to research from 2021, vegetarian and vegan diets that focused on legumes and whole grains were the least expensive diets around. A 2019 study found that transitioning from an omnivorous diet to a vegan diet lowered personal greenhouse gas emissions by 50%. Roast some Brussels sprouts or bake a platter of root vegetables. If you live in a warmer climate, get a head of cauliflower and cut it into thick steaks for grilling. You can even roast the entire head of cauliflower and smother it in a lemony tahini sauce!

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LAX Becomes 2nd Major US Airport To Ban Sale Of Plastic Water Bottles https://www.dherbs.com/articles/lax-becomes-2nd-major-us-airport-to-ban-sale-of-plastic-water-bottles/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 09:17:00 +0000 https://www.dherbs.com/?p=162175

A new rule states that you will no longer be able to purchase single-use plastic water bottles at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

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If you plant on traveling out of, through, or to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) anytime soon, you won’t see plastic water bottles for sale. Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the airport authority that oversees LAX and Van Nuys Airport (VNY), banned single-use plastic water bottles. The reason for this is to encourage more sustainable travel. That said, bottled water served on aircrafts is exempt from the ban. 

The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners approved this ban in June 2021; therefore, a two-year phase-out period has been in place. This period allowed vendors to sell out bottled water inventory and modify their purchasing contracts to fit with the new regulations. Now, all businesses with leases or concession agreements at LAX and VNY must use containers made from recyclable glass or aluminum. That means that you will see canned water and glass water bottles available at these airports from now on. 

Why The Change To Plastic-Free Water Bottles?

As part of LA’s “Green New Deal,” LAX and VNY are contributing to making the city of Los Angeles carbon neutral by the year 2050. The Green New Deal aims to create zero-carbon transportation, buildings, and electricity, in addition to eliminating waste and sourcing water locally. LAWA also partnered with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to install hydration stations throughout LAX and VNY. More hydration stations provide passengers easier access to drinking water. It also incentivizes passengers to bring reusable water bottles to avoid buying canned water or glass bottled water.

Because LAX is one of the nations’ largest airports, it is a hub for three primary U.S. airlines. It also serves as a major international gateway, while VNY doesn’t have regularly scheduled commercial airline service. That said, VNY is a popular aviation airport in Southern California. Even Justin Erbacci, LAWA’s CEO, encouraged passengers to bring reusable water bottles to these airports. Eliminating single-use plastic water bottles helps to enhance sustainability efforts and promotes environmentalism across all airports. 

LAX Is Not The First To Ban SIngle-Use Plastic Water Bottles

Although this is a great step in a more sustainable direction for LAX, it is not the first airport to enforce this ban. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) was the first to introduce this ban in August 2019. Since then, SFO expanded the ban to include sodas, teas, and juices in single-use plastic bottles. At this time, LAWA has not pursued efforts to that extent, but it may head down the same road in the future. 

Karen Bass, the Mayor of Los Angeles, said that the ban of single-use plastic water bottles was essential to aid the city’s effort in combating climate change. Climate crisis is a serious issue that the city faces, and phasing out these single-use plastic water bottles aids sustainability. Bass encourages all Angelenos to aid these efforts to reduce the city’s environmental footprint. Not only does that help improve the livelihood of Angelenos, but it also encourages a better future for the environment.

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These 10 U.S. Cities Have The Worst Air Quality https://www.dherbs.com/articles/these-10-u-s-cities-have-the-worst-air-quality/ Thu, 13 Aug 2020 09:02:46 +0000 https://www.dherbs.com/?p=115415

In a time when respiratory health is of the utmost importance, you should know the quality of your city’s air. Beware of the air if you in one of these 10 U.S. cities.

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During the time of COVID-19, a serious respiratory illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the last thing people need is to breathe in unhealthy air. As of April 2020, roughly 150 million Americans breathed unhealthy air in their own cities. Unfortunately, air quality in the U.S. has gone downhill in many regions, and the most likely culprit is climate change.

In case you haven’t noticed, it has been getting hotter and hotter with each passing year. Wildfires across the nation occurred because of unusually dry conditions. The excessive heat contributes to the formation of ozone pollution, and the fires cause particle matter pollution. Some cities have higher rates of ozone pollution, while others have higher rates of particle pollution.  

The 2019 State Of The Air Report

2019 State of the Air report, published on April 24th, 2019, examined nationwide air pollution during the three-year period of 2015 through 2017. According to the data, those three years were the hottest years ever recorded on Planet Earth. The report included spikes in particle pollution and ozone pollution, exposing an additional 7.2 million people to unhealthy air from the previous report of 2013 to 2015.

The 2020 State Of The Air Report

Documenting the years of 2016, 2017, and 2018, the 2020 State of the Air report found an increase in high days of ozone and short-term particle pollution, when compared to the 2019 State of the Air report. Far too many communities experience respiratory setbacks as a result of poor air quality. 2020 is the 50th anniversary of the Clean Air Act, yet people don’t seem to take air quality and our impact on the environment seriously. Soot levels rose to record highs and ground-level ozone (also known as smog) reached unhealthy levels from 2016 to 2018. Unfortunately for millions of Americans, the 2020 report marks the fourth year in a row that air quality has declined and threatened more people’s health.

10 Worst Cities By Ozone

  1. Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA
  2. Visalia, CA
  3. Bakersfield, CA
  4. Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA
  5. Sacramento-Roseville, CA
  6. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
  7. Phoenix-Mesa, AZ
  8. San Jose-San Francisco, CA
  9. Las Vegas-Henderson, NV
  10. Denver-Aurora, CO

In case you didn’t notice, California’s metro areas dominate that list. The reason for this is because of the state’s topography and giant populations.

10 Worst Cities By Year-Round Particle Pollution

  1. Bakersfield, CA
  2. Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA
  3. Visalia, CA
  4. Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA
  5. San Jose-San Francisco, CA
  6. Fairbanks, AK
  7. Phoenix-Mesa, AZ
  8. Pittsburg-New Castle-Wirton, PA-OH-WV
  9. El Centro, CA
  10. Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI

What Is Particle Pollution?

This type of pollution refers to tiny liquid or solid particles that exist in the air. You can’t see these particles because they are incredibly small, but you’ll notice that the air appears opaque if too many of these particles are present. Living in an area with horrible particle pollution can worsen your respiratory health.

What Is Ozone Pollution?

Depending on where it is in the atmosphere, ozone is labeled good or bad. For instance, stratospheric ozone protects living things on the planet from ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Ozone becomes dangerous to your health when too much ground-level ozone is present in the air. Cities with high rates of ground-level ozone can negatively affect the health of the elderly, children, or people with respiratory conditions.

As we continue to battle COVID-19, monitor the air quality or air pollution in your city. Do what you can for the environment and focus on inhaling clean, healthy air.

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How To Celebrate Earth Day While Social Distancing https://www.dherbs.com/articles/general-topics/how-to-celebrate-earth-day-while-social-distancing/ Wed, 22 Apr 2020 08:41:21 +0000 https://www.dherbs.com/?p=109287

Social distancing and coronavirus can't stop Earth Day from happening! Help the future generation by doing your part to care for the environment.

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You can postpone the 2020 Summer Olympics, cancel concerts, and close down some businesses, but you can’t cancel Earth Day, especially not on the 50th anniversary. Even in the midst of a pandemic, it is impossible to silence the importance of climate change and the steps we as the human race can take today for a healthier tomorrow.

Earth Day occurs annually on April 22nd and the theme of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day is: climate action. It is a pressing topic because climate change is one of the biggest threats to the future of humanity. It makes sense, then, that we should do all we can now to make the world a habitable, sustainable place for future generations.

A Brief History Of Earth Day

The first Earth Day took place on April 22nd, 1970. Earth Day was a unified response to oil spills, smog, and polluted rivers around the world. 20 million Americans, which was 10% of the population at the time, took to the streets, college campuses, and more to protest environmental ignorance and demand new strategies to protect the planet moving forward. These mass demonstrations worked because that initial Earth Day helped launch the modern environmental movement. As a result, the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts were established, in addition to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Earth Day 2020

Well, as a result of COVID-19, Earth Day events, festivities, and large gatherings cannot take place. That doesn’t mean that celebrating the planet and educating people about the importance of environmentalism has to cease! We can still engage in activities while practicing social distancing. How do you do that? We have some tips below:

Pick Up Trash

If you’ve visited a grocery store lately, you probably noticed that the parking lot was littered with disposable gloves and face masks. Some lots even look like the aftermath of a zombie raid on a large group of surgeons! If you head out to grocery store, take it upon yourself to walk around the parking lot and pick up all the gloves, masks, and other trash that was wrongfully tossed into the world. Obviously, use gloves to handle the trash and wash your hands when finished.

Start A Vegetable Or Herb Garden

Since most people are spending the majority of their time at home, there’s no better time than the present to start a vegetable or herb garden. There are beginner gardening guides to follow and you don’t need a lot of space either! You can set up a small planter in your windowsill, or get a raised garden bed for your backyard. The possibilities are endless! Make sure to do some research about the best crops to plant during this time for optimal yields.

Plant Flowers

Don’t you want to look outside one day and see that your flowers have bloomed? There’s really no better feeling than seeing all your hard gardening work come to fruition. The flowers will beautify your outdoor space and put a smile on your face.

Bring Your Love Of The Planet Into Your Home

Open the blinds and windows to allow natural light and fresh air into your home. Not only does this brighten your home (meaning you save on electricity by not turning on your lights), but it also gets rid of the stagnant air in the house.

Only Run Full Loads

Whether you are using the washer or dishwasher, you shouldn’t run small loads. When you run full loads, you help conserve water, which is a precious resource on this planet.

If you find another way to celebrate Earth Day this year, please let us know in the comments below.

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No Straws Allowed For National Skip The Straw Day https://www.dherbs.com/articles/general-topics/no-straws-allowed-for-national-skip-the-straw-day/ Fri, 28 Feb 2020 08:22:00 +0000 https://www.dherbs.com/?p=106660

Ditch the straw and help make the planet a cleaner place. Reusable options are available! Let’s get rid of these straws, people!

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500 million straws are used every day worldwide, making straws one of the top ten items collected every year during ocean conservation cleanups. According to the International Coastal Cleanup, upwards of nine million straws and stirrers have been picked up from beaches and waterways over its 30+-year history. Fortunately for the planet, straws are not a necessity and many environmentally friendly, sustainable alternatives are available. 

National Skip The Straw Day, which is annually observed on the fourth Friday in February, encourages everyone to slurp beverages without the aid of straws. The intention is to have 500 million fewer straws end up in landfills or oceans on National Skip The Straw Day. Eliminating plastic straws from your life is a forward stride toward creating a healthier environment for marine life. Plastic straws are made out of polypropylene, colorants, and plasticizers, and these do not biodegrade naturally. When burned, they release toxic chemicals into the air, but most end up in the ground or oceans, and these toxins can hang around for 400 years. All of the plastic straws that have ever been used still exist in some fashion on this planet.

Slurp Through Time

Straws were not always plastic. Long before the invention of plastic straws, people used bamboo and natural rye grass. Paper straws were invented because Marvin Stone grew tired of slurping beverages through grass tubes. All he did was wrap paper around a pencil and that was the original concept of his invention. His paper straw was patented on January 3rd, 1888, and the first machine to roll his straws was invented in 1906. He had it right, and now we are circling back to his invention because plastic straw use has gotten out of hand.

Here’s What You Can Do

A group of students from Whitehall Middle School in Whitehall, MI, founded national Skip The Straw Day in 2017. If young people are that motivated to bring about positive environmental change, adults can follow suit. The problem is that most people are conditioned to have plastic straws accompany their beverages. It takes time, but it is possible to break away from old habits. Here are a few things you can do to eliminate plastic straws from your life.

  • Buy a few reusable straws. There are bamboo straws, silicone straws, stainless steel straws, and other eco-friendly reusable options.
  • You can purchase a reusable wide-mouthed water bottle that either has a built-in straw cap or a different cap that is easy to drink from. If you don’t make it easy on yourself, you’ll revert to using plastic straws.
  • Plan ahead by carrying a reusable straw with you at all times. Some companies have started to make reusable straw key chains. They fold into compact shapes and are perfectly good straws. These are very useful if you are traveling or eating out.
  • Finally, go beyond ditching the plastic straw and head to a beach, park, or simply walk around your neighborhood to clean up trash, plastics, and straws. Just take note of how many straws you see.

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How To Go Plastic-Free Beyond Reusable Bags & Straws https://www.dherbs.com/articles/general-topics/how-to-go-plastic-free-beyond-reusable-bags-straws/ Sat, 25 Jan 2020 09:49:41 +0000 https://www.dherbs.com/?p=105480

Reducing your plastic waste is the key to the planet’s survival. We just can’t be wasteful any longer! Here’s how to use less plastic.

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In case you haven’t heard, there’s a serious plastic problem around the world. Microplastics end up in our oceans and water sources, and plastic straws, bags, cups, and containers wind up in the digestive systems of various marine species. One new study found that stadiums and concert venues worldwide throw away over five billion single-use plastic cups every year; and they aren’t getting recycled! How do we put an end to such a serious problem that threatens our health, planetary health, and the health of animals?

It all starts with you. You, as in each person reading this article and related material, have the ability, nay, the responsibility to recycle what you can and reduce your plastic waste as much as possible. About 91% of plastic does not get recycled, meaning that it ends up somewhere else, which is apparently everywhere. Fortunately, it’s getting easier to go plastic-free, and that means that there is no excuse for wasting plastic. You can reduce your plastic use by implementing the following tips into your life.

No More Bottled Water

Did you know that bottled water is less regulated than tap water in North America? Well, it is, and that makes purchasing bottled water absurd. Bottled water is basically tap water that has been moderately filtered. Plastic bottles are some of the most popular plastic items that end up in the ocean and landfills. It’s unnecessary and we need to stop. Get a reusable bottle that is either glass or stainless steel and consider investing in a Berkey filter to reduce plastic bottle waste.

Compostable Cutlery

The whole point of recycling is to avoid the use of single-use products. There’s no need to throw away something that can be repurposed as something else or easily composted. The allure of plastic kitchen utensils is that they are cheap and can be thrown away, making cleanup minimal and easy. Spend a little extra to obtain sustainably made cutlery that is recyclable or compostable. Some companies are even making cutlery out of avocado pits!

Glass Tupperware

Glass is best when it comes to Tupperware. Not only does it not leach plastic into your food during the heating process, but it also can safely withstand higher temperatures. That means you could reheat your food in the toaster oven as opposed to using the microwave. You can also get your hands on some Mason jars because they are versatile and sustainable containers.

Reef-Safe Sunscreen

A lot of commercial sunscreens contain plastics and chemicals that harm coral reefs. Considering that most coral reefs around the world are dying or already dead, we need to work hard to preserve the healthy reefs that are left. Many sunscreen companies are releasing paraben-free, reef-safe sunscreens with all natural ingredients, which are beneficial for your skin and the planet.

Plastic-Free & Recycled TP

Toilet paper rolls are typically wrapped in clear plastic that holds the rolls together. There are companies like Who Gives A Crap that have started packaging toilet paper in cardboard boxes and delivering rolls straight to your door. You don’t even need to leave your house for new rolls of TP. Who Gives A Crap TP rolls are made from recycled toilet paper or bamboo, making them tree-friendly. Plus, 50% of their profits go toward building toilets for people in need.

It’s all about starting small when you go plastic-free. Reusable bags and straws are a great step in the right direction, but we need to do more as a species to reduce plastic waste if we want a healthy planet in the future.

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Ditch The Keys For World Car Free Day https://www.dherbs.com/articles/general-topics/ditch-the-keys-for-world-car-free-day/ Sun, 22 Sep 2019 09:15:43 +0000 https://www.dherbs.com/?p=85546

One day a year is dedicated to avoiding the use of cars. Bust out the bicycle or take public transportation for World Car Free Day!

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World Car Free Day has been encouraging motorists to give up their cars on September 22nd since the early 1990s. This is not an unreasonable request, people! With a mission to encourage greener, eco-friendly methods of transportation, World Car Free Day is about informing people of the many alternative methods of transit. Whether you are biking, walking, taking the train, riding the bus, or carpooling, there are many ways to get from point A to point B and back again.

The first car rolled onto the streets in 1886 and the increasing number of motor vehicles that have come into existence has significantly damaged the air quality. There are over one billion motor vehicles on the planet today, and this doesn’t account for the mopeds, motorcycles, or scooters! People have become dependent on their cars and fear the idea of finding other means of transportation.

Although World Car Free Day is typically held in Washington DC, which is a major metropolitan area, you can celebrate without a car wherever you live. Exposing yourself to sustainable ways to get around works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and traffic. People who carpool, vanpool, or use buses, trains, and bikes more frequently can lessen the amount of environmental pollutants that are released into the atmosphere.

While we encourage people to care for their bodies from a dietary standpoint, we also need a healthy planet to survive. Care for the planet because it provides us with so much! The more we pollute the environment, the more we increase our risk of developing health issues that stem from airborne toxins. Ditch the keys today and find a method of transportation that best fits your mobility. See if your city is hosting a car-free event and join the festivities!

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Irish Teen May Have The Solution For Removing Microplastics From Water https://www.dherbs.com/news/irish-teen-may-have-the-solution-for-removing-microplastics-from-water/ Tue, 13 Aug 2019 17:37:51 +0000 https://www.dherbs.com/?p=99922

An 18-year old from Ireland just won $50,000 in the Google Science Fair for his project, which focused on removing microplastics from water.

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The Google Science Fair, which began in 2011, is a place that allows students between ages 13-18 to submit experiments to a panel of judges. The winner receives the grand prize of $50,000, and this year’s winner was a teenager form West Cork, Ireland named Fionn Ferreira. His project was titled “An Investigation into the Removal of Microplastics from Water Using Ferro Fluids,” which examined a method for removing microplastics from water.

Microplastics, which are less than two millimeters in diameter, pose a major threat to our oceans. Even though the existence of microplastics in our oceans and food sources is a problem, it is difficult to remove them because they are so small. Ferreira may have discovered a solution for their removal, though, using magnetite powder (a.k.a. iron oxide). His hypothesis is based on the work of Dr. Arden Warner, a man who discovered that magnetite powder could help clean up oil spills. The reason this works is because magnetite powder and oil are non-polar. Ferreira wanted to apply this to microplastics in water. For fear of incorrectly explaining his method of extraction, here is what Ferreira wrote in his science paper.

“I used this method in the extraction of microplastics by adding oil to a suspension containing a known concentration of microplastics, these then migrated into the oil phase. Magnetite powder was added. The resulting microplastic containing ferro-fluid was removed using strong magnets.” He later went on to explain that he chose ten different types of plastics to continue his testing, and conducted more than 1,000 tests, concluding that this method would be effective at removing about 85% of microplastics from water.

Microplastics make their way into the ocean from landfills and litter, but also from fishing nets and gear that get discarded in the ocean. These things are not biodegradable; rather, they continue to break down into smaller pieces of plastic, resulting in billions of tiny microfibers and microplastics, which cannot be filtered. Small fish eat these microplastics and bigger fish eat the smaller fish. Humans then eat the bigger fish, so humans consume microplastics. A recent study indicated that humans swallow around 2,000 microplastics every week.

Ferreira has the hopes of taking his at-home tests further to create a large-scale operation, focusing on the removal of microplastics from larger bodies of water. In closing, Ferreira urges that testing does not need to be conducted in professional labs to yield results. You can build your own equipment and test everything at home.

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New Biodegradable Plastics Are Made From Cactus https://www.dherbs.com/articles/general-topics/new-biodegradable-plastics-are-made-from-cactus/ Thu, 08 Aug 2019 18:31:26 +0000 https://www.dherbs.com/?p=99801

Eco-friendly and biodegradable plastics are necessary, and one Mexican researcher found a way to make bio-plastics from cactus juice.

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Researchers at the University of Valle de Atemajac near Guadalajara, Mexico, have figured out how to make biodegradable plastics from the juice of the edible nopal cactus, commonly known as the prickly pear cactus. Tests have shown that this bright green liquid undergoes a magical transformation, when mixed with other natural materials. In short, it becomes a bio-plastic.

About 19 billion pounds of plastic end up in the ocean each year. On average, humans consume about 50,000 pieces of microplastic each year because plastics break down in landfills and make their way into the food system. While developments like this biodegradable cactus-based plastic make positive strides toward a healthier nontoxic future, there aren’t enough biodegradable options to balance the plastic that is produced worldwide.

Plastic Fact: Roughly 1.15-2.41 million tons of plastic enter the ocean from rivers each year. Divers found a KFC bag from the 1970s off the coast of Queensland, Australia during an ocean cleanup about a month ago.

This new plastic starts to break down after one month in the soil or home composter, and within days of it being in the water. Do you understand what that means??? That means that if cactus-based plastic makes its way into the ocean or rivers, it will safely dissolve. Should this development replace actual plastics, we won’t have to look at videos of straws in turtle noses online anymore. Yay for eco-friendly developments! Unlike plastics made from fossil fuels, the cactus-based plastic is carbon neutral. It is made from the cactus juice sugars, which have a viscous consistency, making it easier to produce solid material. After fiber is removed from the juice, it is mixed with glycerol, proteins, natural waxes, and colorants. It is dried on a hot plat to yield think plastic sheets.

Plastic Fact: In the beginning months of 2019, a dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, which is the deepest point of the ocean, discovered a single plastic bag.

Corn, which is currently used to make compostable forks or cups, has an environmental footprint because of the fertilizers and other resources that are used during the growing process. Cactus, on the other hand, is a survivor of a plant that doesn’t require specific growing conditions, growing in areas that you wouldn’t think of for farming.

The only downside to this new cactus-plastic is that it isn’t as long lasting as plastic made from fossil fuels. It will be single-use only because of the current durability. The plus side is that it is more biodegradable than the other plastic alternatives on the market. The researchers aren’t just stopping at plastic utensils, though. The creation of cactus-plastic has opened the door to start creating shopping bags, jewelry, toys, and cosmetic containers. Tests to determine how much weight the plastic can hold are currently being conducted. Finally, the researchers have teamed up with several companies that are interested in making this new bio-plastic a large scale operation. We want to leave you with this: a lot of damage has been done to the environment, but it is never too late to start making positive changes.

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Baby Diapers May Be Hiding Some Dirty Secrets https://www.dherbs.com/articles/wellness-prevention/baby-diapers-may-be-hiding-some-dirty-secrets/ Thu, 02 May 2019 10:45:30 +0000 https://www.dherbs.com/?p=95387

While they might be a blessing for parents, a lot of disposable diapers contain plastic components that may be damaging the environment.

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The creation of the disposable diaper can be traced back to a nun who worked in a hospital in Ohio in the 1950s. According to historians, she proposed that Procter & Gamble, a giant in the U.S. consumer goods market, should invent a replacement for cloth diapers. The reasoning behind this was to create a hygienic product that could ease the workload of mothers.

Since the creation of the disposable diaper, the industry has grown to generate $65 billion per year. Disposable diapers have expanded to countries across the globe, but the convenience of these products comes with an environmental cost. The reason for this is because disposable diapers have traditionally been made out of non-recyclable polyethylene plastic, which takes several hundred years to decompose. During the decomposition of these diapers, toxic chemicals and microplastics are released into the environment, diseasing coral reefs and killing marine life.

Babies poop about four or more times a day, and there are over 300,000 babies born worldwide every day. Until babies are potty trained, they go through hundreds of billions of diapers each year. Additionally, one baby creates about 1,000 pounds of poop a year and runs through 7,000 diapers before potty training, so there is a lot of untreated waste and non-biodegradable waste that ends up in landfill sites.

Disposable diapers made with plastics are some of the most prominent items at landfill sites in the United States and Europe. The reason diapers have become a threat to marine life is because plastic diapers have entered into countries with less sophisticated waste management systems. For instance, the population on the island of Java, Indonesia has doubled over the past 45 years, and the waterways are clogged with plastic trash, including plastic diapers, as a result.

In an effort to make environmentally and socially responsible choices when it comes to raising a child, several companies in the disposable diaper industry have developed eco-friendly, disposable diapers over the past several years. Because the average parent doesn’t want to deal with the mess of cloth diapers, the eco-friendly, biodegradable diapers may be a step in the right direction towards a healthier, less contaminated planet. In addition to the sustainable materials that are used to make the diapers, they are more effective at protecting a baby’s sensitive skin.

If you are entirely opposed to using disposable diapers, no matter how environmentally friendly they are, reusable cloth diapers are cost effective and beneficial for the planet. Even if you consider the water, detergent, and energy that is used to wash cloth diapers, you’ll still spend a third of what you would otherwise spend on disposable diapers. We aren’t advocating for plastic disposable diapers and we aren’t demanding that you only use cloth diapers. Our intention was only to present you with both sides of the equation and show you that, if you have a baby, environmentally responsible companies have created biodegradable diapers that are safer for the planet, and even safer for your baby.

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