Miyabi Bamboo Charcoal was a solution for my family. In 2016, when the drought in California had decreased reservoirs, water companies had to add more chloramine to kill the pathogens that had settled to the bottom. It made our tap water undrinkable. My family doesn't use plastic, so Brita and bottled water were not options. I explored natural solutions and found one in Japan: bamboo charcoal. If bamboo is carbonized at high enough heat without chemicals, its porous surface area adsorbs gases and metals like chloramine and lead. Adding it to our tap water made it taste better instantly. Plus, we could toss it in landfill. I knew I had discovered an environmental solution to the plastic problem. I began exporting it from craftsmen in Japan and now Miyabi Bamboo Charcoal is available in six countries. What started as an environmental mission and solution for my family has grown into a solution for people in the zero waste movement.