The real problem is we’re stuck in a society that doesn’t have answers to these problems yet. As a consumer trying to do the least harm possible, I’m asking the wrong question: “What is the least harmful product to buy?” when maybe the question I should be asking is “How can I not buy this product at all?”

We shouldn’t have to choose between milk in a plastic jug or a wax paper box. In Delhi, we still have the milk machines that let you get the milk in a stainless steel container. But I’m not sure that will last forever. The problem is the world needs to be reorganized in a fairly significant way in order to become sustainable. Kind of depressing, when you think of it.