Guest post by Lillian Connors

Plastic is one of the world’s most useful materials. In fact, we’re interacting with plastic every day. Your phone, computer, appliances, and many other things we use every day are often made of plastic or have plastic components. Plastic is also predominantly used as packaging. The best example is the plastic bags we use to store and carry our items, and these are also among the most numerous forms of everyday consumer plastics in use.

But the ease of production, success, and dominance of plastic bags has created a serious environmental problem. Because plastic is non-biodegradable, it doesn’t decompose for centuries. Over the years, the accumulation of plastic waste has led to a massive global pile-up that is incredibly difficult to remove. It is estimated that over 6.3 billion tons of plastic waste have been generated since the invention of the material. Plastic waste harms flora and fauna, clogs drainage systems, wastes landfill space, and degrades the environment.

Guest post by Hazel Bennett

Reducing our individual ecological footprint is an important part of addressing the world’s environmental problems. Although it is a lofty goal, adopting a zero-waste lifestyle is a great way to increase awareness of how consumption patterns impact the planet. These tips can help you shift your habits and make a difference, even if actually achieving zero waste seems far-fetched.

Guest post by Brooke Chaplan

Water is often taken for granted, especially when you can just turn the tap and access it easily throughout the month. The ease with which we use water and the lack of any indicators of waste (beside the monthly water bill) makes it hard to conserve water. However, water truly is a limited resource, one which almost a billion people worldwide have limited access to.