Did you know that we consume the equivalent weight of a credit card of plastic every week through the water we drink, food, and air we breathe? (EcoResolution)
One would think with a composition of 70% water, we humans should be paying a tad more attention to what we ingest. Should we not?
Water Composition of the Human Body: On average, the body of an adult human being contains 70% water. Most of the water in the human body is contained inside our cells. The average human body is comprised of 32 trillion cells that must have water to live and stay healthy.Then, with all the recent news and focus on droughts around the world, apparently the worst for 500 years, rivers drying up to unprecedented levels, many revealing the secrets of the past, the oceans becoming a dumping ground, the challenge of how to keep ourselves hydrated without the burden we are placing on the planet through single-use plastics.
"How do we solve this dilemma now, with urgency, with impact, and to reverse the many wrongs we have committed against our planet?"
66% of the world's population experiences severe water scarcity for at least one month of the year.
700 Million people could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030, according to the Global Water Institute.
3.2 Billion people live in agricultural areas with high water shortages or scarcity.
"With water being the 'essence of life' and at the same time, the imbalance of water security across the planet, coupled with, the plague of plastic, how can we tackle these issues, together?"
Are you on a mission to reduce your plastic consumption by dutifully using your reusable water container? Popping a filter on your shower head? Buying food in bulk or using glass containers for storage versus plastic?
Although all are ways many of us are exercising to be on the good side and not the bad side of the plastic debacle, is that the full story? Sadly, it is not!
The MacArthur Foundation estimates that by the year 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than there are fish.
"To give you a point of perspective, there are currently 8.3 billion tons of plastic in the world today in visual terms, imagine one billion elephants!"
The image beggar’s belief. However, the real impact of this volume means the existence of even more microplastic in our water and even more risk to our health as 8.3 billion tons of plastic continually breaks down. “Once the plastic is in the environment, we can’t really get it out.” Insidiously small, and invisible to the naked eye, these tiny particles contribute to ill health as our bodies are not designed to process them.
Our plastic story begs the question of what we can do and how we can do it. What is our ‘Duty of Care' to the planet, our health, and our future?
Duty of care is a powerful phrase we should each take to heart as it will be the cornerstone for our conscience, decisions, health, and the health of our families, loved ones, and future generations to come.
Selling more water in yet another plastic bottle is not the answer. While names like Ice, Volcanic, Arctic, and Spring impart nourishing feelings of health and vitality, they change not the content of microplastics floating silently within.
Putting on blinders and hoping that recycling will do something with those thousands of tons of plastic bottles filling up our trash bags is akin to putting your head in the sand in the middle of a war zone and hoping it's going to go away.
"It is never going to be about recycling and reusing. We must STOP drinking water out of those plastic bottles. Choosing how we source, filter, and ingest water becomes the only meaningful question!"
Filtration systems have been around for decades, but the sophistication, elegance, state-of-the-art designs, and technologies are now readily available in ways we could never have imagined, even a few years ago.
Removing plastic from our lives is not an option but an obligation if we are to choose health over illness.
There are many parallels in our past: the alcohol industry advertising, "it's good for you," smoking sections in the rear of commercial airlines, and how, in the late 1800s, healthcare professionals thought the washing of hands was unnecessary, to the lie propagated by interested parties that fossil fuels weren't harmful to the planet.
"We are facing an existential crisis, and the elimination of single-use plastics is an absolute priority. We need to embrace alternatives for how we hydrate, and the quality of water we consume to protect our health and not endanger it."
Water filtration systems likely hold an answer and an important solution to this double-edged dilemma:
1. Health: Filters remove pharmaceuticals, pesticides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), with many filters also removing bacteria.
2. Environment: Using filtered water and reusable vessels eliminate much of the mountain of plastics in our landfills, oceans, and seas.
"It seems, therefore, that ‘Duty of Care’ is truly all about how to choose the right filter for yourself, your family, and your consumers versus what bottled water brand to buy next."
At the most basic level the benefits of filtered water include improved skin hydration, nutrient absorption, weight loss, detoxification, digestion, and a reduction in the risk of cancer. Basic, however, is no longer enough. Micron filters of 0.2 are needed to truly remove not just your trusty microbes, silt, and pesticides but must now elevate to a higher level to remove microplastics, as long-term consumption of them can only induce poor health.
"It's not a question of IF, but when? Human exposure to microplastics leads to oxidative stress, DNA damage and inflammation which ultimately can become chronic. It is easy to see where this leads….. "
As you sit back and reflect on the humble sip of water, think carefully about the quality of that water and not so much what you can see but what you cannot! The right type of filter not only enhances the taste but removes microplastics as well. As Audrey Hepburn Quoted: Water is life, and clean water means health.
To your health – all 100% of you!
At 4xi, we believe in preserving our planet and promoting awareness about sustainability issues, the environment, social, and governance. We are committed to supporting the United Nations Global Compact and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
We believe in doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do.
INNOVATION PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Check out Vivreau Advanced Water Systems:
Vivreau is committed to the healthy hydration of people, wherever they may be at work, rest, or play.
Founded over 30 years ago in the UK and brought to North America in 2008, the company has grown into a global team of water quality experts with dedicated R&D and water sensory labs.
Through a deep commitment to environmental consciousness, Vivreau's solutions are environmentally friendly, eliminate single-use plastics, reduce waste, and provide healthy hydration.
Vivreau's systems filter water through activated carbon and an ion-exchange resin produced from coconut shells. The activated carbon removes substances that impair taste, such as chlorine, and reduces the levels of limescale, copper, and lead, resulting in the safest and most flavorsome and safest filtered water on the planet.
Vivreau focuses on complete solutions with dispensers and bottles that combine elegant design, reliable performance, and great-tasting drinking water in a way that is good for the planet and environmentally friendly.
Vivreau works with foodservice partners, businesses, universities, care establishments, hotels, and conference centers, in public places like museums and airports, to help elevate their brand, profits, sustainability, and health & wellness initiatives.
4xi Global Consulting & Solutions is a team of talented leaders from both the client-side and service provider side, impacting the Human Experience (HX) for people at work, in education, rest, and at leisure.
We believe in a people-first, experience-led philosophy. Whether client, employee, or guest – their experience is the fundamental foundation of success.
We work with corporations, service providers, and innovators:
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Headquarters Fractional Support On-Demand
Evolving Experiences© - Employee (EX) & Customer Experience (CX)
Design4Life©: Environmental, Physical, and Experiential Design
Global Amenities Strategy, Design & Operations
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Explorers Innovation Directory: Gateway to Innovation
Sustainability Simplified©: Supply Chain & Innovation
Market Research Reports & Benchmarking
4xi is proud to be Chair of WORKTECH Academy for North America and a member of its Leadership Advisory Board. 4xi is a Global Ambassador for WORKTECH Academy.
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