Eco -Fr i end l y by Kristina Valdez Hot, Green Commodity Since the pandemic, global consumers have become more eco-aware. With environmental laws tightening and the cost of recycling skyrocketing, keeping up with the demand for eco-friendly products and business practices is an unavoidable pursuit. For distributors looking to answer clients’ questions about sustainability, understanding all the ways a product can be “eco-friendly” is crucial. Eco-friendly consumerism is here to stay. With a year of recordbreaking floods and wildfires behind us, environmental awareness is now part of everyday life. In the U.S., as of early October 2021, there were 18 weather-related events, including storms, heatwaves and flooding, a record high, with losses exceeding $1 billion each. The average number of billion-dollar events per year is seven, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. These ecological threats are happening globally, too. The Institute of Economics and Peace says the number of weather-related disasters in the world has increased 10-fold since the 1960s. Data captured between 1900 and 2019 reveal a global increase from 39 events in 1960 to 396 in 2019. More consumers want to take part in sustainability efforts, and the pandemic has brought greater awareness. A 2020 GROW 46 | JANUARY 2022 |
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