On this Earth Day 2024, we would like to share how special our world is. How every breath of air, every drop of water, and every bite of food comes from the living planet we share. Just this morning, we read an article by Craig Foster. Maybe some of you have seen his wonderful Academy Award winning documentary called “My Octopus Teacher”.  Today, on Earth Day, he tells a story how he got mugged by a young octopus who stole his camera while he was filming and zoomed with it across the ocean floor, only to return with its production that included her take of the sea world and the human visitors who were originally filming her. FYI, female Octopus only live for one year.

World Earth Day falls on April 22^nd, it reminds us of the importance of environmental conservation, safer chemical usage, and sustainability. The theme for this year is Planet VS. Plastics, a commitment to call for the end of plastics for the sake of human and planetary health. Case Medical is a U.S. EPA Safer Choice Partner of the Year, producing products that are not only sustainable, but are validated for their intended use. Recently, we sent out a notice about how the extensive use of caustic chemicals and environmental wipes are not only destroying the protective outer seal of our containers, but can potentially cause patient safety issues. Years ago, we made the move away from plastics to sustainable materials such as aluminum and stainless steel. We have never gone back to producing plastic products for healthcare or for our community.

Plastic garage sometimes forms islands in the sea, and much of it washes ashore, accumulating as mountains on beaches. The world produces around 400 million metric tons of plastic waste each year. Every day, 2,000 truckloads of it is dumped into the ocean, rivers and lakes. Our world needs transformative change. It is time for accountability to manage the environmental crisis with innovative solutions and safer materials . The goal this year is to reduce the production of plastics by 60% in 2040 and ultimately build a plastic free culture. According to CNN “Despite global efforts to give plastic products longer lives, only 9% of them are actually recycled. Most plastic waste goes into landfills or is shipped to places like Indonesia and other Southeast Asian nations, many of which are already drowning in their own plastic pollution”.

Plastics are made from raw materials like natural gas, oil or plants, which are refined into ethane and propane. Plastics are not biodegradable, meaning they cannot be broken down by natural processes. Instead, they undergo a process called photodegradation, where exposure to sunlight causes them to break down into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics. This is how they get into our bodies. These compounds are linked to serious health issues such as endocrine disruption, weight gain, insulin resistance, decreased reproductive health, and cancer. Microplastics can cause genetic damage to marine life. The smaller the microplastic particles, the more species that can ingest them, from huge filter-feeding whales to tiny organisms at the base of the food chain and they are identified by sea creatures as food.

Case Medical is a U.S. EPA Safer Choice Partner of the Year and here to help you solve problems with sustainable and validated products and services. Look for the Safer Choice label when purchasing cleaning solutions for your department and for your home.

Visit us anytime at www.casemed.com to learn more about our products and services. We are here to help. Case Medical is a U.S. EPA SAFER CHOICE Partner or the Year for Manufacturer Formulator and recognized in NJ as Innovative Manufacturer of the Year.

Kindest Regards,