Life-course exposure to environmental hazards and chemical pollutants such as plastic can cause accumulation of toxic substances in the body and increase the risk of developing chronic health conditions. Plastic is a particularly problematic material at every stage of its lifecycle, from the extraction of its fossil fuel feedstocks, through manufacturing, use, and disposal.  Grave environmental health hazards are created at each stage.  The health impacts have been seen in al

I've tried it for a 2 nd  time, having a live Christmas tree rather than a cut one, or worse, a plastic tree.  The first time I encountered the realization that a live Christmas tree could be purchased, I wasn't thinking about the plastic Christmas trees that many folks seem to find room in their attics to store once the season is over.  I was thinking more about how wasteful to cut a tree down, bring it into my home, and then take it back outside to compost.  My composting l

Everyone has heard the mantra “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” but did you know there are many additional “R’s” that can be useful before choosing that last resort option to recycle.  This is especially true for plastic.  Plastic recycling is a myth, so opting for that last resort is basically putting the item in the bin and crossing your fingers that it will be part of the 5% that actually gets recycled and not the other 95% that is landfilled, incinerated or destined for the envir