Tag Archives: Plastic

By Fredrica Syren: It’s a sad fact that these days we humans regularly ingest plastic without knowing it. We are most vulnerable to microplastics simply because they are smaller, and harder to see and avoid. Microplastics enter the body directly and lead to an array of health impacts (including inflammation, …

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By Larraine Roulston: NOT GREAT! Plastic is not a natural product and, biodegradable or not, it still takes years to break down and the fragments then become micro-plastic. In the UK, researchers submerged and buried what claimed to be “compostable” and “biodegradable” single-use plastic bags and found that after 3 years, …

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By Larraine Roulston: Last month was declared “Plastic Free July.” Our man-made problem and addiction to single-use plastics all too often are cluttering our beaches and killing sea life.  All over the globe, plastic entering the ocean just circulates there forever, leaving swirling cyclones of plastic soup. When our disposable culture discovered …

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By Larraine Roulston: Is breaking up with plastic hard to do? Once alternatives have been sought and people adopt different habits, it’s really not so difficult after all. For the most part, the major hurdle is changing one’s habits. For example, most grocery shoppers have opted to provide their own …

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By Fredrica Syren: Today is World Ocean Day and today people around globe celebrate and honor the ocean which is essential for our survival. It’s a time to get together with your family, friends, community, and the planet to start creating a better future. Working together, we can and will protect …

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By Fredrica Syren: I’m just going to say it: plastic is addictive — or should I say, the convenience of plastic is. We’re all so busy, more busy than we ever have been, and one thing that helps save time is convenience. And plastic fits into that category. I admit …

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By Fredrica Syren: Until now, research on the impact of plastic on our health has focused solely on specific parts of the plastic lifecycle, often on single products, processes, or exposure pathways. Now a new research report by Center for International Environmental Law(CIEL), Earthworks,Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives(GAIA), Healthy Babies …

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By Larraine Roulston: April is our spring month when schools can demonstrate their commitment to the environment through a number of fun and exciting activities. One popular program to reduce plastic is the “Plastic Bag Grab Challenge” initiated by Recycling Council of Ontario (RCO) and Walmart Canada, which rewards students …

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By Larraine Roulston: When the first disposable diapers appeared over 60 years ago, they were designed with snap-on reusable plastic pants. This invention was initially introduced just for travelling and vacationing with babies. The tactic was used to ease the transition towards the acceptance of plastic covered diapers for daily …

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By Fredrica Syren: The American Academy of Pediatrics is fighting for stronger federal food safety requirements that will warn families about the risk of exposure to harmful chemicals from microwaving and from cleaning plastic containers in dishwashers. They are pointing towards growing evidence against chemicals in food colorings, preservatives and …

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