With melting ice caps, rising sea levels, and increasing natural disasters, no one can deny or overlook global warming anymore. Climate change is real and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that it is the greatest threat the world is facing right now.

While one can argue that there are several factors responsible for climate change, the fact cannot be denied that human activities are the biggest contributor to bringing the planet to the brink of destruction.

Rising Public Consciousness

Although a bit late, people are finally starting to realize how their behaviors and actions have been contributing to global warming and climate change. It is the result of this realization that a number of movements have been springing up across the world, lately, to raise awareness about global environmental issues and how each one of us can contribute to improving the prevalent condition – by making eco-friendly choices.

Fortunately, the efforts have been largely successful. In fact, there has been a significant change in our purchasing habits and trends. In recent years, more and more people are considering if a product is environment-friendly while making purchases.

In a recent survey, 35% of the respondents said they prefer products that are eco-friendly and wouldn’t mind paying a bit more for them. Another 56% said they are ‘slightly likely’ to pay a higher price for eco-friendly products.

While the figures aren’t ideal, they show increasing environmental consciousness among the public and their shifting preferences, as a result.

Businesses are Responding to Changing Consumer Behaviors

Changing customer behaviors have also propelled businesses to bring a change in their business models to incorporate sustainable practices and make their products eco-friendly.

The shift isn’t yet widespread in the corporate world, but it has started. Let’s take a look at some examples to get an idea of how businesses are playing a role in protecting the environment and saving the planet.

Examples of Eco-Friendly Measures Taken by Businesses

A good example of businesses going green is a ban on the use of plastic straws. Some of the big brands that are in the process of completely stopping the use of plastic straws include Starbucks, Hilton, American Airlines, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, and Sea World Entertainment.

Similarly, many businesses and countries have or are in the process of banning the use of plastic bags. For example, in March 2020, New York will become the third US state to ban the use of plastic bags; the ban is already in place in California and Hawaii.

Zara, one of the giants of the fashion industry, has also recently announced its willingness to contribute to the protection of the environment by completely going green. The company has announced that by 2025, all its clothes will be made of organic, sustainable or recycled fabrics.

Lyft, a ride-sharing company operating in the US and Canada, has also made a huge contribution to this by making its rides carbon-neutral and becoming one of the world’s largest voluntary purchasers of carbon offsets. In May 2019, the company announced that it successfully removed the amount of carbon that would have required 2.4 million acres of trees to remove from the environment within the same amount of time i.e. a year.

The Final Word

Climate change is the biggest issue that the world is facing and is more serious than any problem this planet has ever faced. Fortunately, it is also one of the very few issues over which there is a majority consent and hence, an increasing amount of efforts have been made to protect the environment.

Although the measures that are being taken are not enough and we still have a long way to go, we are heading on to the right track and if each one of us becomes more cautious and makes our choices wisely, we can make this world a better place.

At Wabii, we completely support the eco-friendly movement and are all up for playing our part in it. This is why we have started stocking some amazing eco-friendly products that are not only good for the environment, but are also cool and trendy. Some of our latest eco-friendly products include Appeel Notebook, made from Apple Pulp, and Cotton and Cork Drawstring Bag. Visit our website to check out our entire range of environment-friendly products.

With more and more people realizing the impact of their actions on the environment, there has been a shift in consumer behavior and people are increasingly opting for eco-friendly products to reduce their carbon footprint.

While this shift is evident in many areas, giving up on disposable products for reusable ones is fast becoming a universal trend. Becoming aware of how disposable products, especially the ones made of plastic, contribute to environmental pollution, many people are now opting for reusable bags, glasses, bottles, and containers.

But, there is another move (a bigger sustainability switch) we all should be making to reduce our waste contribution and that is to stop using plastic straws.

Think there isn’t much harm in using plastic straws or shifting to reusable straws will be a futile action in the grand scheme of things?

Think again!

You are contributing to the 8 million tons of global plastic waste[1] (yearly) every time you order a drink that comes with a straw. And do you know how many straws Americans use in a single day?

About 500 million!  In view of the staggering figures, it’s easy to figure out how big of an impact we can make just by making small changes to our habits and actions.

In case you are still not convinced, take a look at some of the major reasons why reusable straws are better than plastic straws:

1.     They are Eco-Friendly

First things first – reusable straws are environment-friendly, in several ways.

Firstly, they are made of fossil fuels, which not only require a huge amount of resources to extract and refine, but are also non-renewable and readily depleting. Secondly, the production process of plastic straws, or any plastic product per se, releases a number of toxic chemicals as by-product, which makes their way into the environment and contributes to pollution.

Thirdly, and this makes the situation even worse, most plastic straws are not recycled and make their way to landfills. Due to their size and shape, straws easily slip through recycling machines. Unfortunately, most recycling centers do not have specialized machines that can catch thin plastic straws and they eventually end up in landfills. Lastly, plastic is not biodegradable, so the straws do not even break down due to natural processes.

Since reusable straws have a long life and are made of recyclable materials, they don’t need to be produced in such huge quantities as plastic straws and also do not contribute to environmental pollution as they can be recycled.

2.     They Do Not Pose a Threat to Marine Life

In addition to increasing land pollution, a large number of non-recycled plastic straws make their way into the oceans due to not being disposed-off properly. As a result, they not only contaminate oceans, but also disturb the ecosystem and pose a serious threat to marine life.

There have been several reports on how plastic straws can harm marine animals that often mistake them for food and get choked. Pieces of plastic can also clogs the gills of fish, causing them to die due to being unable to breathe.

3.     They Have a Lesser Economic Cost

While plastic straws appear to be more cost-effective and pocket-friendly, their long-term cost is very high as compared to reusable straws, which cost you a bit more in the first place.

Plastic straws are single-use items and according to research, the average life span of a plastic straw is just 20 minutes. You use a plastic straw and throw it away once you finish your drink. Now, think about how many straws do you use in a day, week, month, and a year and how much do you spend on them in total? This when compared with the overall cost of reusable straws that you can use for a long time and hence, need only a few (or may be just one, if you are using a metallic straw) in an entire year.

Do a little math and you will get the real picture.

Make a Difference by Using Reusable Straws

While this may seem like an insignificant act, shifting to reusable straws can actually make a huge difference to the environment.  So, make a vow to yourself and start saying no to plastic straws.

Where to Buy Good-Quality Reusable Straws From

When it comes to buying reusable straws, do not compromise on quality. Since they are going to serve you for a long time, it is wise to opt for high-quality products. And when we talk about high-quality environment-friendly products, Wabii is the name to remember. We have some great options for reusable straws, such as Asobu Reusable Straws and the Aviana™ Juniper Reusable Tritan Straw Set. Check out our website for more options!

With more and more people realizing the impact of their actions on the environment, there has been a shift in consumer behavior and people are increasingly opting for eco-friendly products to reduce their carbon footprint.

While this shift is evident in many areas, giving up on disposable products for reusable ones is fast becoming a universal trend. Becoming aware of how disposable products, especially the ones made of plastic, contribute to environmental pollution, many people are now opting for reusable bags, glasses, bottles, and containers.

But, there is another move (a bigger sustainability switch) we all should be making to reduce our waste contribution and that is to stop using plastic straws.

Think there isn’t much harm in using plastic straws or shifting to reusable straws will be a futile action in the grand scheme of things?

Think again!

You are contributing to the 8 million tons of global plastic waste[1] (yearly) every time you order a drink that comes with a straw. And do you know how many straws Americans use in a single day?

About 500 million!  In view of the staggering figures, it’s easy to figure out how big of an impact we can make just by making small changes to our habits and actions.

In case you are still not convinced, take a look at some of the major reasons why reusable straws are better than plastic straws:

1.     They are Eco-Friendly

First things first – reusable straws are environment-friendly, in several ways.

Firstly, they are made of fossil fuels, which not only require a huge amount of resources to extract and refine, but are also non-renewable and readily depleting. Secondly, the production process of plastic straws, or any plastic product per se, releases a number of toxic chemicals as by-product, which makes their way into the environment and contributes to pollution.

Thirdly, and this makes the situation even worse, most plastic straws are not recycled and make their way to landfills. Due to their size and shape, straws easily slip through recycling machines. Unfortunately, most recycling centers do not have specialized machines that can catch thin plastic straws and they eventually end up in landfills. Lastly, plastic is not biodegradable, so the straws do not even break down due to natural processes.

Since reusable straws have a long life and are made of recyclable materials, they don’t need to be produced in such huge quantities as plastic straws and also do not contribute to environmental pollution as they can be recycled.

2.     They Do Not Pose a Threat to Marine Life

In addition to increasing land pollution, a large number of non-recycled plastic straws make their way into the oceans due to not being disposed-off properly. As a result, they not only contaminate oceans, but also disturb the ecosystem and pose a serious threat to marine life.

There have been several reports on how plastic straws can harm marine animals that often mistake them for food and get choked. Pieces of plastic can also clogs the gills of fish, causing them to die due to being unable to breathe.

3.     They Have a Lesser Economic Cost

While plastic straws appear to be more cost-effective and pocket-friendly, their long-term cost is very high as compared to reusable straws, which cost you a bit more in the first place.

Plastic straws are single-use items and according to research, the average life span of a plastic straw is just 20 minutes. You use a plastic straw and throw it away once you finish your drink. Now, think about how many straws do you use in a day, week, month, and a year and how much do you spend on them in total? This when compared with the overall cost of reusable straws that you can use for a long time and hence, need only a few (or may be just one, if you are using a metallic straw) in an entire year.

Do a little math and you will get the real picture.

Make a Difference by Using Reusable Straws

While this may seem like an insignificant act, shifting to reusable straws can actually make a huge difference to the environment.  So, make a vow to yourself and start saying no to plastic straws.

Where to Buy Good-Quality Reusable Straws From

When it comes to buying reusable straws, do not compromise on quality. Since they are going to serve you for a long time, it is wise to opt for high-quality products. And when we talk about high-quality environment-friendly products, Wabii is the name to remember. We have some great options for reusable straws, such as Asobu Reusable Straws and the Aviana™ Juniper Reusable Tritan Straw Set. Check out our website for more options!

A centuries-old disciple, yoga has gained popularity in recent years due to the wide range of benefits it offers. From improving your mental and physical health to helping you to achieve internal peace and happiness, yoga has a lot to offer and is rightly considered one of the best ways to stay healthy and happy.

While the benefits of yoga have long been established, science is still catching up and is in the process of validating the claims that yogis have been making for centuries with research and data. Although researchers still have a long way to go, they have found scientific evidence to back the benefits of yoga. So, if you have been thinking of incorporating yoga into your daily life, but are a little uncertain if it really provides as many benefits as people claim, here are the top four science-backed benefits of yoga that will give you the motivation you need:

1.    It Reduces Stress

One of the most widely known benefits of yoga is that it promotes relaxation and reduces stress. According to several research studies, yoga reduces stress by decreasing the release of cortisol in the body.

For those who do not know, cortisol is the primary stress hormone that our body releases when it perceives a threat and plays a key role in triggering the fight-or-flight response.

While cortisol is essential for our body to deal with stressful situations, when its levels remain too high for a long period of time, it can cause more harm than good.  High stress levels not only have a negative impact on your mood, but also disrupt your sleep and contribute to high blood pressure, diabetes, and weight gain.

In addition to lowering the production of cortisol in the events of perceived threat, yoga also reduces the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the body as well as helps break down the mental loops of anger, fear, regret, and frustrations that often lead to stress.

2.    Improves Heart Health

This is related to the previous one. Those who have been through this know that stress increases blood pressure, which is the biggest risk factor for heart disease. By helping you to relax, yoga lowers your blood pressure and normalizes your heartbeat and thus, has a positive effect on your heart health.

Several studies have also found that yoga can also help lower the LDL cholesterol and triglycerides levels, which also contribute to heart problems.

3.    Improves Sleep

Whether it is due to stress or any other reason, lack of (good) sleep can have drastic negative effects on your health in the long run.

While lack of sleep is known to negatively impact your mood, causing lethargy and tiredness, and affecting your mental capabilities, it has far bigger and more serious implications too. Without adequate sleep, our body is unable to repair itself and as a result, develops many health issues.

While it is still not clear how it works, yoga has been found to help improve sleep quality by increasing the secretion of melatonin; a hormone that controls sleep cycles, also known as the sleep hormone.

4.    Improves Brain Function

From helping you to gain mental clarity and improving your concentration to enhancing your cognitive abilities and memory, yoga provides a wide range of benefits to your brain.

Becoming aware of and focusing on your present are some of the basic components of yoga and meditation practices. This not only helps improve your concentration, but has also been found to improve your memory, coordination, and reaction time – when you are less distracted by thoughts and more aware of your surroundings, you tend to acquire, retain, and recall information in a better way.

The Final Word

Whether you are trying to cope with stress, struggling with poor sleep or insomnia, having difficulty thinking clearly or memorizing information, struggling with anxiety, want to improve your physical health, or just need a pick-me-up to feel good about yourself, yoga is the answer to all your issues.

It is one of the simplest forms of exercise with the most amazing and diverse benefits. Also, there are so many different types and techniques of yoga that you will find one that suits your needs. All you need to do is to take out some time. Start with 10 to 15 minutes and you will feel the difference within yourself in just a few days.

The Pro-Environment Advantages of Organic Cotton Over Conventional Cotton

When we are picking out a new dress at Macy’s, we hardly ever wonder where the material was sourced from. However, knowing how the cotton we wear was produced is now more important than ever.

These days, millennials are focused on organic foods, natural cleaning products, and sustainable energy sources. Yet, organic material in fashion is just as important for preserving our environment.

Difference Between Organic and Traditional Cotton

Many of us have read about organic cotton being used to make high-end products in fashion magazines. These clothing, towels, bed linens and other textile products are usually sold at premium prices. However, the cost is not the only difference between organic cotton and traditional cotton products.

Purity Level

The purity of the cotton fiber is determined by how it is picked. Organic cotton is only handpicked which prevents its delicate fibers from being weakened and damaged and therefore, preserves their purity. Ordinary cotton, however, is more in demand and so is harvested by machines to handle the overload. Therefore, cotton fiber often gets damaged during the process, which means purity is not maintained and some portion of the plant is wasted. Apparel made from organic cotton is, therefore, softer than regular cotton.

Environmental Impact

More importantly, however, is the fact that organic cotton is not treated by toxic pesticides, herbicides, and GMOs. These poisonous substances are not just harmful to humans but to the entire ecosystem. So you will be shocked to know that conventional cotton is the dirtiest crop and requires up to 25% of the world’s insecticides and 10% of the world’s pesticides, even though it is only grown in 3% of the area.

Impact on Wildlife

These deadly toxins not just kill insects in the cotton crop, but they also unintentionally kill 67 million birds in the United States every year, reports the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The runoffs from these chemicals also poison open waterways, which contaminate the local fish, farm animals, and other crops and trees. The horrible truth is that when we consume local animals and crops, we too are contaminated by these toxins- traces of these chemicals are also found in breast milk! This can hinder neurological developments in babies as well as cause cancers in adults.

Impact on Farmers

Worldwide, there are over 100 million farmers that grow cotton in 80 countries. Out of these, 77 million workers suffer from pesticide poisoning every year. These result in over 20,000 deaths every year, particularly in developing countries which do not have any protective measures against pesticide toxicity, stated the World Health Organization.

What’s worse, developed countries fare not much better with the U.S. reporting a death toll of 10,000 farmers every year due to cancers related to these chemicals.

In contrast, organic cotton farms are working in compliance with the “decent” work policy, with about 46% reported to be either partially or fully Fairtrade-certified. About 97 percent of these businesses also offer their female workers women-friendly conditions like maternity support, since the majority of cotton pickers tend to be women.

Impact on Water and Soil Sustainability

A single T-shirt made from non-organic cotton can take as much as 2,700 liters of water. Organic cotton requires far less water as it is not treated by pesticides.

Additionally, regular cotton is grown over and over on the same soil, deteriorating the quality of the soil and bleeding it dry of nutrition, leading to bad crops. These crops need even more water, leading to more water wastage.

Organic cotton, on the other hand, is rotated from plot to plot, which means the soil retains its fertility and creates biologically diverse agriculture.

Impact on You

Regular cotton requires a large amount of chemicals dyes, chlorine, and heavy metals to process, which leaves permanent residue in the apparel. When you wear these, you suffer skin allergies like inflammation, rashes, and eczema.

Organic cotton manufacturers use water-based natural dyes and safer products to manufacture their clothing. This means there is no chemical retention in these clothes and they are great for people with sensitive skin, particularly babies.

Several of the world’s biggest brands, including ASOS, H&M, Levi Strauss, and Nike have committed to using organic, sustainable cotton in their clothing lines. Yet organic cotton still accounts for only 1% of all cotton production. We need to do better to save the world we live in.