Global Concern

One of mine and many others concern is plastic pollution not only for our planet but also for our bodies.

Last October the European Parliament overwhelmingly approved a ban on single-use plastics such as straws, plates, cutlery and cotton-swab sticks in Europe by 2021, joining a global shift as environmentalists emphasize the urgency of halting the use of materials that are detrimental to the planet. Single-use plastic items such as plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks or cotton buds, will be banned in the EU. These products, which constitute over 70% of marine litter, will be banned from the EU market from 2021, under draft plans approved by Parliament.

While plastic has many valuable uses, we have become addicted to single-use or disposable plastic with severe environmental consequences. Up to 5 trillion single-use plastic bags are used worldwide every year. There are over 100 million plastic bottles used each day globally and nearly 80% of these end up in our landfills. This means that only 20% are recycled. Approximately 1500 bottles end up in landfills and the ocean every second accounting for 2 million tons of plastic bottles that are landfilled each year.  It takes 700 years before plastic bottles start to decompose and can take up to 1000 years to fully decompose. Plastic waste is now so ubiquitous in the natural environment that scientists have even suggested it could serve as a geological indicator of the Anthropocene era.

In lieu of legislation, there are simple things we all can do to help with this problem.

Five Easy ways to reduce your plastic waste.

1. Bring your own shopping bags.

2. Bring your own thermos to the coffee shop.

3. Say no to straws.

4. Choose cardboard over plastic bags and bottles for packaged items.

5. Stop buying bottled water.

Many people are aware of the negative health and environmental impacts associated with plastic bottled water and we have blogged about this before.

When we consume bottled water, we pay far too much for it in terms of expense to our health and the health of our planet. Skipping the bottle is one step toward Being Healthy by Choice.

One thing that I have always appreciated about what we do in Nikken is to make people aware of a problem and then offer them a solution.

The Solution that is a Healthy Choice for our Bodies and our Planet.

Nikken water products are the perfect solution for this problem. Many times, when demonstrating the Nikken Waterfall or Sports bottle the person, I am meeting with, points out that our products have plastics. Yes, they do but they are of very different composition to those used in most bottled waters and other products.

Nikken considered fundamental aspects for its water systems including application of the types of plastics used for water filtration and storage to provide clean healthy water free of pollutants found in bottled water and many other types of water filtration units. Equally important to our mission and philosophy is to reduce pollution by contributing to the reduction of consumption of plastic bottles in the world.

Nikken water products contain safe, environmentally responsible materials. The PiMag Waterfall is environmentally responsible. It is manufactured using recyclable biodegradable materials, including a polymer that contains no bisphenols or phthalates and does not leach chemicals into water. These materials include:

SAN - Styrene Acryl Nitrile

SAN is used for the filling and storage tanks of the Nikken PiMag® Waterfall. These kinds of plastics are stable and don't leach toxins.  They are used to make a variety of dinnerware and unlike polycarbonate, these plastics are, and always have been, BPA-free.

ABS - Acrylic Nitrile Butadiene Styrene

ABS is the plastic used for the base and caps of Pi Water, PiMag® Waterfall. An Eco-friendly plastic, ABS is a recycled plastic compound that is itself entirely recyclable. ABS is commonly considered to be a more durable, longer lasting, and an easily recyclable plastic.

Resin K

Is used in the filter cartridges of Nikken water systems. It is a thermoplastic polymer based on styrene and butadiene. It stands out for its transparency and hardness. Its development is the result of efforts to find a material that was not toxic.

When not using the PiMag Sport bottle and for cold water, we fill used glass 20oz bottles that we have gotten from tea or other beverages. A quick glance in our fridge will display about 6 of these bottles filled with Nikken PiMag water from our Waterfall unit.

The PiMag Sports Bottle is environmentally responsible, both bottle and filter can be recycled. The bottle is made with Bio-treated LDPE plastic from patented Biogreen materials that contain EcoPure, an additive that enables it to be completely broken down in into biomass that nourishes soil, and biogas that can be harvested for energy use. It is FDA Food Contact Safe and BPA-, DEHA- and DEHP-free. The PiMag Sports Bottle is unaffected by light, heat or humidity. It is the perfect solution for healthy water on the go. Heather and I don’t leave home without it, whether we are doing errands, business appointments or traveling.

Given the environmental impact of bottled water, the potential health risks that we know of, and the potential for risks we may not be aware of warrants serious consideration as to your choice for water. Filtering our tap water is convenient, cost effective and the best way to provide ourselves and our families with healthy water. Water is not just a beverage choice; it is an essential nutrient. Stay hydrated and Be Healthy by Choice with Nikken water products. Good for your body, your wallet and our planet.