Month: June 2013

We are just back from a trip to “Incredible !ndia” — this is the tag line used by the Indian Ministry of Flower vendorTourism to promote India around the world, and it’s true, India is !ncredible. One might argue that I’m biased because I have Indian roots, but this is a country that grabs everyone by all senses and flys away with you. It is so alive, just teeming with life. And the colours – I love the flowers sold in the street, and the numerous fresh vegetable stands.

We were there to visit family and meet with some of our suppliers. We visited Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi. Doing what we do, Chantal and I were always on the lookout for signs and info about the current state of the plastic pollution in India, and what is being done about it. With a population exceeding a billion, over 30% of which live below the poverty level, dealing with plastic waste is a challenge by any measure. And yet, we found many signs of positive action.

The evidence is growing that chemicals leached from plastics used in everyday life, including for cooking and food & drink storage, are harmful to human health. Among the most disturbing of these are hormone – aka endocrine – disrupters, such as Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA has been associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease, miscarriages, breast and prostate cancer, reproductive dysfunction, metabolic dysfunction and diabetes, and neurological and behavioral disorders. The health risks of plastic are significantly amplified in children, whose immune and organ systems are developing and are more vulnerable.