The Mercast | Plastic Free Mermaid talks Change Making

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023: #BreakFreeFromPlastic through Corporate Accountability with Shilpi Chhotray

The Mercast | Plastic Free Mermaid talks Change Making

11/29/19 • 10 min

Have you ever thought about what materials your ketchup sachet was made of? Or even thought of what this type of packaging may do to your health?

In today's episode, we are joined by Shilpi Chhotray from the UNWRAPPED Conference. She shares with us the huge problem that comes from sachet packaging and how it is being used by various companies for multiple products.

Join us as we discuss this problem and the possible actions we can take to counter and modify Corporate Accountability and make sure it is translated Globally in order to reduce the use of single-use plastics and make a positive impact.

In this Episode, We Discuss:

Reducing the use of single-use plastic packaging
Corporate accountability and The Global Waste Trade
A Summary of what Shilpi learned at the UNWRAPPED Conference

Get to know Shilpi Chhotray:

Shilpi Chhotray is a senior Communications Officer for the Break Free From Plastic global movement. #Breakfreefromplastic is a global movement envisioning a future free from plastic pollution, by demanding a massive reduction in single-use plastics and to push for lasting solutions to the plastic pollution crisis.

Know more about the break free from plastic movement:

#Breakfreefromplastic

Break Free From Plastic Newsletters

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03: Indonesian Scientist turned Radical Diaper Activist with Prigi Arisandi

The Mercast | Plastic Free Mermaid talks Change Making

05/07/19 • 23 min

In Indonesia, locals use rivers for washing, bathing, and drinking. But many are unaware of how contaminated the water is due to industrial waste from industrial factories and irresponsible dumping. The river water is so polluted, eating fish from it can cause food poisoning and even death!

To stop pollution from flowing into the Indian rivers, Prigi an Indonesian scientist turned radical environmental activist, made it his mission and purpose to make the river water clean and let other people know the real situation and problem that they are currently facing.

In this episode, Prigi talks about how he and his community are dealing with the river problem in Indonesia. He shares how he conducted their own scientific research and publicizing it through the media. Because Prigi cherishes the river where he grew up, he learned how to communicate with the locals and other people to take part in the solution.

He conducted further research on the river and uncovered the effects it has on the lives of the people living near it. Since then, he has dedicated his life to cleaning it up and bring clean water to the people of Indonesia.

In this Episode, We Discuss:

What inspired Prigi to take action over the industrial pollution that is massively affecting the rivers in India
Pressuring the government to make a water treatment plan through the media
How a local superstition over plastic diapers is harming the Indian rivers
Fish census and fish sex
Prigi’s purpose and calling
Small things equate to big ones when combined

Get to know Prigi:

Prigi Arisandi is an Indonesian biologist and environmentalist. He graduated in biology from the Airlangga University. He was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2011, for his efforts on reducing industrial pollution of the Surabaya River

Connect with Prigi:

Instagram

Resources Mentioned:

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024: Dangers of Plastic Food Packaging with Dr. Jane Muncke

The Mercast | Plastic Free Mermaid talks Change Making

12/02/19 • 11 min

Plastic food packaging indeed protects our food but it can also be the source of chemical food contamination and increased risk in health. We don’t know every material used in making these packaging and this knowledge gap can actually hurt us.

Join me in this episode as we unfold the different packaging materials and chemicals that touch our food with Dr. Jane Muncke, the Managing Director and Chief Scientific Officer of the Food Packaging Forum.

In this conversation, she talks about the different packaging materials that are used to package food. She also explains the chemical migration in our food packaging, how plastic is made, what materials are considered safe that could pass the toxicology tests, and many more!

In this Episode, We Discuss:

Different materials used in food packaging
The known unknowns
The chemical migration in our food packaging
Single-use and reusables
Plastic materials that could pass the toxicology test

Get to know Jane Muncke:

Dr. Jane holds a doctorate degree in environmental toxicology and an MSc in environmental science from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich.

She currently works as a Managing Director at the Food Packaging Forum, a science communication organization that provides independent and balanced information on issues related to food packaging and health. She is a full scientific member of the Society of Toxicology, the American Chemical Society, the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, and the Endocrine Society.

You can learn more about Dr. Jane’s work and achievements here.

Twitter

References from this episode:

Food Packaging Forum
Subscribe here and stay up to date with the Food Packaging Forum’s newsletter and read about the latest news and scientific research!

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025: The Chemicals We Eat through Food Packaging with Maricel Maffini

The Mercast | Plastic Free Mermaid talks Change Making

12/04/19 • 8 min

Don’t you just enjoy the popping sound of popcorn as it sits inside the microwave, ready for your relaxing movie night?

But what might be scarier than your horror movie (if you're watching one), is knowing that there are chemicals from the packaging of your microwaveable popcorn transferred into your movie snack which you already ingested.

Today we are joined by Researcher, Maricel Maffini. She discusses with us a summary of her presentation from the UNWRAPPED about the chemicals in packaging that transfer to our food and the ways in which the chemicals come out of the packaging into your food.

In this Episode, We Discuss:

A summary of Maricel Maffini’s presentation on the UNWRAPPED Conference
Chemicals added to make the plastic more flexible
Ways in which chemicals come out from the packaging
Microwave safe vs Health safe
Lipophilic plastics, PFAS, and PVCs
Supporting companies that have a safety product policy

Get to know Maricel Maffini:

Dr. Maricel V. Maffini is an Independent Consultant. She holds a doctorate degree in Biological Sciences. She has more than 25 years of research experience in the fields of carcinogenesis, reproductive biology, and endocrine disruption.

For the past nine years, Dr. Maffini has conducted research and published on the U.S. food additive regulatory program, conflicts of interest and regulatory science. Her current work focuses on environmental health issues related to chemical safety with special emphasis on food chemicals, risk assessment, and science policy.

She has authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, reviews, and book chapters. Before becoming a consultant, she was a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council, a senior science officer at The Pew Charitable Trust, and a Research Assistant Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.

Twitter

To know more about the Unwrapped conference you may check their website here.

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29: The Nutritious Weed Burger with Mark Kulsdom

The Mercast | Plastic Free Mermaid talks Change Making

12/13/19 • 45 min

Today’s episode will surely make you crave for food as we talk about the best burger for our health and planet, the weed burgers!

Join me in this conversation about healthy foods with Mark Kulsdom, the co-founder and CEO of The Dutch Weed Burger! Today we’re going to try the famous “Dutch Weed Burger”, which is one of the healthiest hamburgers in the world! It’s packed with proteins, more than in meat and contains more calcium than with milk!

Okay before you click play, maybe you’re thinking, it’s a weed, so there’s basically marijuana in it? If you want to find out, make sure you listen till the end of this episode, as Mark shares the story behind The Dutch Weed Burger and why it’s so successful!

In this Episode, We Discuss:

The story behind the Dutch Weed Burger
How much protein is in a burger?
Why you should try weed burger
The reason why The Dutch Weed Burger is so successful
Mark’s secret on being a successful vegan
Topics about veganism, the climate emergency, how to take a stand, and many more!

Know more about the Dutch Weed Burger

The Dutch Weed Burger is a 100% plant-based super fast-food burger that everyone can eat! From the bun on which it is served to the organic toppings and the sauce that adds up to that juicy bite, everything breathes sustainability and makes this healthy fast food snack ready to feed and meet the future!

You can learn more about The Dutch Burger here!

Connect with Mark Kulsdom through his LinkedIn here.

Social Media:

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

Korte Papaverweg 2M 1032 KB Amsterdam

+31 (0) 6 24 85 76 39 | [email protected]

Mentioned in this episode:

Extinction Rebellion

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26: How The Food We Eat Impacts Our Health With Linda Birnbaum

The Mercast | Plastic Free Mermaid talks Change Making

12/06/19 • 10 min

You might think buying and eating organic food is good for you, which it is. But, what happens then if that organic product is put in a plastic container?

In today's episode, we are joined by Linda Birnbaum, the recently retired director of NIEHS, an institute dedicated to learning more about how the environment affects our health. In our conversation, Linda explains how the environment affects the food that we eat in various ways. She explains how fish has mercury from their food, or how organic food will affect us when placed in plastic containers.

In this Episode, We Discuss:

A Summary of Linda Birnbaum’s Presentation from the UNWRAPPED Conference
How our Environment affects the food that we eat
BPA, BPS, BPAF
Contamination in the environment
Do we really need these chemicals or not

Get to know Linda Birnbaum:

Linda is the first board-certified toxicologist and the first woman to serve as Director of the NIEHS, which has a unique research mission to discover how the environment affects people’s health in order to promote healthier lives.

Under Linda’s leadership, the NIEHS became a world leader in toxicology and environmental health research, with NIEHS science inspiring health policy and safety standards in the United States and abroad. Scientific reports generated by the NTP, such as the bi-annual Report on Carcinogens, serve as major presentations of scientific analyses of substances in our environment that may cause cancer. The NIEHS also established a national network of exposure assessment laboratories with an innovative grant program called Children’s Health Exposure Analysis Resource. Research conducted by the NIEHS Children’s Centers cosponsored with the EPA, and related work with environmental justice communities has led to policy changes to protect the health of children through improvements in their environments.

To know more about the Unwrapped conference, please visit their website here.

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14: Could raising cows as food ever be a part of the climate solution?! with Andrew Cameron

The Mercast | Plastic Free Mermaid talks Change Making

07/22/19 • 52 min

The nutrients in beef greatly depends on what the cow eats. If eating processed and unhealthy food degrades our health, then it’s most likely the same with animals.

Okay, you might be confused. But how does the way a cow is raised or fed could make any difference to your health and to the environment?

Today on Mercast, Andrew Cameron, the owner of Byron Grass Fed (a company that connects ethical meat producers to like minded consumers) joins me to talk about the difference between grass-fed and grain-fed cattle as well as eating meat (beef) in a regenerative way.

In this Episode, We Discuss:

Andrew’s thoughts on climate crisis
Crisis around food and its production
Regenerative animal agriculture
Grass-fed vs. Grain-fed
Small scale regenerative farming
Labels in animal agriculture that we need to look out for
Free-range method of farming
Why Andrew choose to grow his own food

Get to know Andrew:

Andrew is a Regenerative farmer consultant and manager who built his own organic food business distributing naturally. He is a firm believer in giving people the opportunity to a clear option when making an ethical choice with their food.

Through Byron Grass Fed, he links local and ethical farmers to conscientious consumers. Allowing consumers to have access to a trusted local, ethical and more sustainable food source.

Connect with Andrew:

Mentioned in this Episode:

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11: A glimpse into plastics from Southeast Asia with Beau Baconguis

The Mercast | Plastic Free Mermaid talks Change Making

07/01/19 • 6 min

Today’s episode will center around the plastic pollution in Southeast Asia.

If you travel to Southeast Asia, you’ll notice how food packaging differs from what we are used to here in the global north. This small plastic packaging called “sachet” is now causing major harm to our environment particularly on bodies of water.

In this episode, we’ll talk about the plastic food packaging in Southeast Asia and why it’s a common marketing strategy for companies to produce them in sachets with Beau Baconguis, Regional Plastic Campaigner for GAIA!

Tune in as you learn more about the plastic pollution in Southeast Asia and what you can do to help become a part of the solution.

In this Episode, We Discuss:

The difference between the food packaging in Southeast Asia vs
Company brand audits
Why small single-use packaging is common in Southeast Asia
Zero-waste strategies and alternative packagin materials

Get to know Beau:

Beau works as regional plastic campaigner for GAIA, a worldwide alliance of more than 800 grassroots groups, non-governmental organizations, and individuals in over 90 countries whose ultimate vision is a just, toxic-free world without incineration.

She is also an environmental activist, an earth builder, and permaculturist. She completed her degree in Biology from the Ateneo de Davao University in Davao City. With two decades of environmental advocacy experience behind her, she used to work as a researcher with communities and peoples’ organizations from different parts of the Philippines dealing with a variety of environmental issues including logging, illegal fishing, development aggression, quarrying and the like.

Connect with Beau:

Twitter

Mentioned in this Episode:

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02: What even is Break Free From Plastic? with Emma Priestland

The Mercast | Plastic Free Mermaid talks Change Making

05/07/19 • 7 min

Imagine a world free from plastic. Wonderful isn’t it?

Our vision of a plastic-free world is possible and it’s slowly happening. There are many amazing people working hard to make this happen and one of them is Emma!

Emma is a Plastic Pollution Campaigner at Friends of the Earth. I met her from the Break Free from Plastic Global Leadership meeting and she’s here to talk about her involvement with Break Free from Plastic and the work that they’re doing to reduce single-use plastic.

In this episode, we talk about the Break Free from Plastic campaign and the future of plastic pollution. Emma will also share what Break Free from plastic is all about, their strategies and how it plays a big role in tackling plastic problems around the world.

In this Episode, We Discuss:

How Emma got involved with the Break Free from Plastic movement
Emma’s amazing experience at the 1st Break Free from Plastic meeting held in Tagaytay, Philippines
Foundational strategies on how to tackle the problem with plastics
Legislations that support less plastic usage
Brand audit and how it is impacting big corporations to rethink their approach with plastic and ultimately change their ways

Get to know Emma:

Emma Priestland is a Plastic Pollution Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, a unique network of campaigning local groups, working in over 200 communities throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Learn more about the work that Friends at Earth is doing here.

Connect with Emma:

Resources Mentioned:

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