Unwrapping Our Future: We lead a "packaged" lifestyle consuming plastics and paper at every turn. This month, we unwrap water risks in the packaging industry and mull over the challenges of being a responsible consumer - which brands? Plastics or paper? Bottled water or tap? Can we consume responsibly?

Weibo was flushed with comments on piles of rubbish left by tourists during the Golden Week. Indeed our recent report “Bottled Water In China: Boom Or Bust?” warns of the rise of plastic walled cities. Already, China's bottled water industry produces one plastic Jinmao Tower per year. If mainland China consumes bottled water like the average person in Hong Kong, we are looking at an annual addition of four plastic Jinmao Towers. Is that sustainable? What if the rest of Asia followed suit? We appear to be urgently in need of a bottled water revolution. 

Without proper collection and recycling, our oceans have already become littered with plastic waste. Doug Woodring, founder of Ocean Recovery Alliance says this is already costing us USD13billion per year and shares with us strategies for a plastics-free ocean. Plastics also litter our lands. The use of plastic mulch films to help save irrigation water has also unfortunately led to soil pollution as these plastic films lay buried in the soil. BASF’s Dirk Staerke expands on damage caused to farmlands in China and how biodegradable films can be a win-win solution for both water and soil.

So what can we do? We can start by drinking responsibly. Know what is inside your bottled water - is it "fake water"? Is the labelling of bottled water regulated? What is each bottle's environmental footprint? Those "in the know" may be less swayed by fancy packaging and more inclined to switch back to the tap.  

To be a responsible consumer is easier said than done. But should consumption be at all ‘cost’ – be it to our waters, land, air and glaciers? It doesn’t have to be. We are not going to stop consuming but we can change how we do it.
 

	Unwrapping Packaging Water Risks China's paper packaging industry discharges wastewater similar to its entire coal industry. Explore the dirty secrets behind paper & plastic packaging with Feng Hu. Also, see how shifting consumer attitudes can bring about new innovations
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	Are You A Responsible Consumer? With waste levels already sky high and set to grow, Dawn McGregor mulls over the challenges of being a responsible consumer from fashion to food to plastic. Whether as an individual or corporate, see what action you can take
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	China's Bottled Water: Boom Or Bust? China's bottled water industry stands at a fork in the road. Big expansion plans by the industry could be derailed by central policies to protect drinking water sources. Get ahead of these key risks
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	Plastic Waste: The Vector For Change USD13billion is the annual cost of  impact of plastic pollution to our oceans. Doug Woodring, founder of Ocean Recovery Alliance, shares challenges ahead and strategies for a plastics-free ocean
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	Biodegradable Films: Save Water & Soil Plastic mulch films help save irrigation water but unfortunately, the plastic residue pollutes the soil. BASF's Dirk Staerke expands on the damage caused and how biodegradable films can be a win-win solution for both water and soil
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	Bottled Water: Drink Responsibly Know your bottled water - is it "fake water"? Is bottled water regulated? What is each bottle's environmental footprint? Those "in the know" may be more inclined to go back to the tap. Hongqiao Liu walks you through how to drink responsibly
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