Wood. When people want a new piece of wooden furniture like cupboards or chairs they, usually just throw out the old piece with really thinking about how it can be used. You would be amazed how quickly you can make a quirky coffee table by screwing a couple of kitchen units together and taking the knobs off the doors. The best bit is that the coffee table will double up as storage space as you can just open the lid and pop stuff in. You can also use wood to make lots of little things such as door stops and chopping boards and even wine racks

Glassware. Believe it or not recycling and old piece of glassware does not require you to melt it into something new. Glasses can be used to pot house plants, store knick-knacks in, and even create feature walls with if you’ve got the time to make it. If you put a little thought into it first, you need never have to throw another glass away.

Furniture. This is one of the hardest things to recycle and I’m not saying that you will be able to make tableware out of your old sofa, but sometimes there is scope to get a few more years out of items you thought were at the end of their life. Often the best place to reuse furniture is in the garden.As long as you protect the furniture from the outdoor conditions with good varnish, you can enjoy old tables and chairs in the fresh air for a long time. You might also be able to use old carpet to kneel on whilst tending to garden or to line the floor of the shed with.

Post from: Wind Institute.net

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Food

As I hope that most people don’t just throw away paper, glass and metal waste but recycle it, the rest of your household rubbish will be mainly groceries. The bulk of the food that we throw away is in most cases in perfect condition and in some cases even in the original wrapper or box. The shocking reality is that between 20 and 30% of all food purchased by Canadian families is wasted later. Together with the food thrown out in shops and restaurants, it makes between 7 and 14 billion tonnes of food wasted annually. In Canadian dollars, that’s $3 to 5 billion per year.

Now you are probably shocked by these figures, aren’t you? With so many organizations trying to help people affected by lack of food, while at the same time so much of it is being wasted right under our noses. But wait before you start packing the groceries you are not going to consume and sending it to places full of hungry people. There are some other tips you might want to consider instead of throwing the food away. 1. Try using leftovers. For example if you had some rice remaining from yesterday’s supper, you could have prepared stuffed peppers today. 2. A good way of preventing groceries going past the expiry date is sorting your food cabinet by this criteria: older food, that is going to expire soon, is stored in the front, while the longer lasting products can stay in the back of the shelves. 3. It may happen that you know beforehand that there is some food you are not going to be able to use before its expiration date. Instead of throwing it out, try to find a local charity or soup kitchen and bring your food there when it’s still serviceable. Let some people eat it – famine isn’t only to Africa. 4. If you have some leftovers anyway, try mulching it instead of just throwing it away. Always try to think in the way that groceries just shouldn’t be dumped. If you don’t have a garden yourself, try to find someone who does and can do the mulching.

Water

There are plenty of ways to prevent wasting water and you can probably name many of them yourself. One problem that comes to me when thinking about sensible water usage is the way we manage human waste: toilets. We got used to using toilets so much that we no longer think of them – as long as they function the way the are supposed to. However, have you tried to estimate how much water your household needs every month for flushing the lavatory? Wow, that’s a lot of water, isn’t it? But it doesn’t need to be that much, there are some methods of decreasing the amount of water needed for every flushing. There are two different ways to achieve that. 1. There are new kinds of toilets available, that need just the minimum amount of water necessary. You might think that there is not much to choose from when buying a new toilet, but just stop by at your nearest shop and see for yourself, you might be surprised! 2. Another way of decreasing the amount of water for flushing is to put several plastic bottles filled with water into the tank of your toilet. You might have to experiment a bit before you find out the right amount of water needed for the toilet to keep functioning fine.

Electricity

Just like with water, many advices on electricity waste prevention are accessible only and elsewhere. But now let’s focus on tumble dryers, as I identify these myself as one of the biggest energy-eaters in our households. The popularity of tumble dryers comes from the fact that modern people want everything to be done in the shortest time possible, regardless of the volume of resources that are wasted in the process of speeding things up. It is quite obvious that in our current lifestyle, there is not enough time for washing our clothes manually, and that dishwashers do really save some water. Though the pluses of a tumble dryer might be less obvious. Would it be such a great problem if we just waited 1 – 2 days for our clothes to get dry? For people who are trying hard to make their lives less of an ecological liability, using a tumble dryer is acceptable only in emergency cases. Even a better decision is to get rid of the dryer at all, or sell it. Except for the environment, you will save some money on your electricity bills as well.

Post from: Wind Institute.net

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Except for running a Toronto lisitngs agency, I’m always looking for ways to make my lifestyle a bit more greener. The variety of environmental light bulbs in the stores is very rich, and if you are not an experienced buyer, you might get a little puzzled while standing in front of the shelves. The following advices should make the process much easier and nicer experience.

The perfect light bulb for you

These bulbs are produced in all shapes and sizes so the best thing to do is to bring the traditional bulb you want to replace to the store and compare it with the available environmental bulbs. When using the fluorescent bulbs, check the wattage – the new bulbs use up only one quarter of the energy needed by the traditional ones (60 watt traditional bulb = 15 watt environmental bulb). Also read the label if it’s suitable for dimmers, should you wish to use it in a dimmer light.

Where to use fluorescent bulbs

Think about the place where you are going to use the new bulb – if it is too hot with no or little air circulation, the environmental bulb won’t be a good choice here (for example in recessed ceiling fixtures). It is also important to take into account the fact that the fluorescent bulb needs one to three minutes to start functioning fully and it is not good to turn it on and off too often. Thus the best places for a fluorescent bulb are those where you don’t need to turn the light on and off too much and it can stay on for the minimum of 15 minutes, so that the light bulb can function properly and lasts longer.

When you no longer need the bulb

After your light bulb has served you its time, you should always recycle it at your local recycling spot. The environmental bulbs contain mercury, a dangerous heavy-metal. If broken, do not vacuum. Do not touch with bare skin and first remove bigger pieces with a cardboard. Then apply some sticky tape to remove the remaining tiny bits and wipe the area with a wet cloth. It is also a good idea to open the window in the room for at least 15 minutes so that you prevent mercury exposure.

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Anyone who wants to become more environmentally and ‘go green’ only needs to follow a few simple steps. The first thing to do is look at improving the efficiency of your household appliances. If you are able to get a more efficient shower head then you should definitely do so. New shower heads use less than half the amount of water as old ones, and this is a great saving. Also it is a good idea to purchase energy efficient whitegoods like dishwashers and washing machines. There is a star rating in most countries that will tell you how energy efficient an appliance is.

Trying to go green and improve your environmental footprint really is not too hard. All you have to do is look around your house and change a few simple everyday appliances. The first thing that needs to be changed in most houses is the shower head. In the old days shower heads wasted a lot of water, but their modern equivalents have the amount lost. This is a great saving and the first thing you should do. Next, you should try to upgrade your washing machine and dishwasher to the most energy efficient models on the market. You can normally judge the efficiency of a model by a star rating on the side of the unit, five stars being the most efficient.

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The Atlantic City Conservation Center is one of the main points aside from the Atlantic City casino hotels and resorts throughout the region. ‘Going Green’ has reached a high point by a few impressive factors including the elimination of paper cups used in offices, recycling goods such as paper and ink cartridges, introducing hand vacuums, foam soap, and more. The energy conservation project is meant to encourage Atlantic City casino resorts to implement some changes in their building structures to help the environment.

Eco-conscious consumers can accelerate the process of these Green Initiatives by advising their favorite Atlantic City hotel and casino to practice the eco-friendly ideas as well. As you know, the gaming industry is close to hitting a $10 billion mark for 2009. What could be done if they reinvested these profits into improving their casinos to save the environment? More casinos are taking these motives into account because 1) it saves money and protects the environment, 2) currently a tax deduction for eco-friendly buildings, and 3) it gives back the community.

The consequences of such improvements are offering a better outlook for Atlantic City resorts casinos because of the principals. Newer improvements including the Solar Project which was awarded to Pepco Energy Services to build and maintain the largest single rooftop composed of solar rooftop of the Conservation Center. It’s a 20-year contract and everyone is dying to see what happens from these improvements. The vision of a healthier planet is only years away. More Atlantic City casino hotels are investing stock into these proceedings while making small improvements themselves.

Although the construction of the Conservation Center can raise eyebrows for investors, Atlantic City casino resorts are recycling goods. Paper goods are only one big contribution to the recycling efforts of Atlantic City leaders – the new ideas are to recycle carpet, office equipment, computers, and more. Pounds of recyclable materials are finding their way into the homes of others and away from the landfills. Some look at Atlantic City as a place of fun and carelessness, but these new eco-friendly initiatives are making a statement to the world – these professionals care about the outcome of their actions.

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Look for leaks first. Leaking taps, even just the occasional drip, accounts for lots of money wasted over time.

You might waste as much as 140 gallons in a week! Are your hot water pipes insulated? They’ll be if you try to go green and save money.

Insulated pipes let the hot water reach the taps quicker, so saving water, whilst you go green and save money too. Low flow toilets are an alternate way to save water. You do not want to flush gallons of water away each time, just what you want. Edison was a genius, but his light bulb invention has been superceded by the new compact fluorescent light bulbs. These are bulbs that employ a mere 25% of the energy a normal light bulb uses. They also last ten times longer. Replace all your standard bulbs for compact fluorescent light bulbs and immediately go green and save money!

Post from: Wind Institute.net

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During this economic crisis and continued global warming, the need for sustainable development has become a now issue instead of a later issue. Both private and government entities (including the EPA) have come up with programs and products that promote “green” production and consumption. These environment-friendly practices are now being used in numerous firms and industries.

But what about the apartments we rent? Are our homes as "sustainable" as they should be? Continued efforts to sustain the environment should first and foremost be undertaken under our own roof. These can be done with the use of products that consume less energy and other resources. Over time, the use of these products can result not only in savings but also in the reduction of waste and materials harmful to our homes and the environment.

Here’s a quick list of 10 items I’ve discovered that can make a world of a difference.

1. Heat-energy recovery system

· Sensible Heat Energy Recovery System (SHERS) uses heat generated from an air-conditioner or refrigerator to heat water. Payback period is anywhere from six months to two years

2.The Eco Bio Block

· Made of volcanic stones and beneficial bacteria, is used to purify water in home aquariums, water tanks and big bodies of water such as ponds, lakes and marshes. When used in home aquariums, there is no need to filter, clean and change water for a period of one to three years.

3. Biowash ball

· Washing clothes without using a detergent may seem strange. Introducing the Anabess biowash ball, it’s made of natural ceramics & alters the chemical composition of the water so it can wash clothes more effectively without liquid detergent. It should last 3 years. Think of the savings in gas from running to the tore for more detergent.

4. Air-con with inverter technology

· The Panasonic Envio series of air-conditioners makes use of an “inverter technology” that changes compressor operation speed to match a changing room temperature and adjust power output accordingly, which leads to reduced energy consumption of up to 50 percent, while product only costs about 14% more than the average AC. The payback period may be expected in about seven months..

5.Low Flow faucets

· Moen has heeded the call for water conservation by coming up with WaterSense-certified bathroom faucets. With the help of new aerator technology these Moen faucets use 30% less water than other models but still feel just as powerful on your hands.

6. Compact fluorescent lamp

· Much has been said about the efficiency of compact fluorescent lamps or CFLs. They have a lifespan 5x longer than incandescent lamps and consume 80% less energy with the same level of lumens. Companies such as Purely Products even carry CFLs that double as ionizers for the room, eliminating the need for an unsightly ionizer on the floor.

7.Reusable shopping bags

· The impact of just one person changing to reusable bags over a two-year period is significant. Used twice a week for two years a consumer would save 832 plastic bags from going in a landfill.

8.Biodegradable Cellulose Sandwich bags

· Typical plastic bags are derived from petroleum and take well over a lifespan to decompose. These biodegrade in 30 to 90 days in soil BUT actually keep food lasting longer, unlike plastic, they don't release gases which spoil food taste.

9.Smart Surge Protector

· Green Home introduced a smart surge protector. The power strip is able to 'sense' the flow of electrical current through the strip's control outlet. This patent pending option enables the Smart Strip to fully deactivate selected items when it’s not in use saving you money and time!

A small electronic device inside the Smart Strip monitors the current on a single outlet. Let’s say the computer is plugged into that single outlet. When your computer is finished shutting down, the current draw from the computer drops to its idle current -- and the Smart Strip monitors the current change, automatically shutting off all of the computer peripherals.

The Smart Strip Power Strip is the only surge protector in existence with energy saving electronics. The 10 outlet surge protector version has 1 Control Outlet, 3 Constant Hot Outlets, and 6 Switched Outlets.

10.Compostable Trash Bags

· These BioBags are made from GMO free starch and are 100% biodegradable and 100% compostable.

Now that you know about these products start using them. By changing just a few things we routinely consume, we all can do our part.

Post from: Wind Institute.net

Technorati Tags: climate change, eco-friendly, environment, environmental protection, global warming, go green, green, save the earth, save the planet, sustainabillity, the green effect

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