Eco-Friendly Ideas

Simple Household Changes To Combat Unnecessary Trash

Simple Household Changes To Combat Unnecessary Trash 1 Even Hotel chains are trying to contain waste to keep the planet clean, so why can’t we do it in our homes? – Photo Courtesy: Alan Levine

In today’s day and age, there are a lot of products that we purchase or use that may, at first glance, seem to make our lives easier or more convenient but cause far more damage than good. With the quality and health of our environment being an important factor in the future of the planet, now has never been a better time to take a good look at how much waste your family is creating and how you can take steps towards making better choices.

Opt for reusable solutions

Simple Household Changes To Combat Unnecessary Trash 2

Use wash clothes to wipe table and counter tops while saving paper towels for hygiene during your meals. Image Courtesy: Nicholas Lundgaard

Before you can make positive changes, you must first take a good look at what your family uses on a regular basis. Things such as paper towels can add up very quickly when cleaning up around the home. Opt for reusable solutions whenever possible. For example, leave paper towels to hygiene during meals and reach for wash cloths instead when cleaning off counters and tables. They are small enough that you’ll barely notice them in the washer with your weekly load and you’ll be limiting your impact on local landfills.

Taking an In-Depth Look at Weekly Usage

Many homeowners are beginning to take part in home waste audits. This is one of the best ways to track where you are creating the most waste so you can work towards more effective solutions. Simply weigh the amount of recyclables, compost and trash that has accumulated as you bring out your bins on garbage day. This allows for easy comparison from one week to the next. Doing so may help your family realize just how much they are throwing away instead of recycling or other means in which reducing trash may be possible.

Simple Household Changes To Combat Unnecessary Trash 3 Among the first things to reduce waste, while helping the environment, is to cut down on the number of bottles you use for water or soda.

For example, you may notice that a large percentage of your recycle bin is filled with pop cans and bottles week after week. Making your own soda with products such as the SodaStream may be something to consider, as this can reduce the number of bottles in your recycle bin by the thousands each and every year.

Select Environmentally Friendly Options from the Get-Go

Simple Household Changes To Combat Unnecessary Trash 4

It’s easy to find cups made out of recycled materials. Photo Courtesy: Daniel Ansel Tingcungco

A tip for those who find a surprisingly large amount of trash? When you are purchasing new items, see if there are solutions that have been recycled previously. Establishments such as Starbucks only use cups and napkins that are made up of recycled materials and you can do the same at home. There may not always be a 100% recycled solution, but reusing versus cutting down more trees is always the better decision.

Any time you purchase a new appliance for your home, make sure it is backed by ENERGY STAR. These products are much gentler on the environment and they save you quite a bit of cash on your monthly bills.

‘Precycling’: Limiting What Enters Your Home

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Only buy in bulk if you are likely to use all of it. Photo Courtesy: Carrie Qualters

Many consumers are familiar with recycling, but what many fail to realize is that recycling can begin outside of your residence. Just because you can purchase something in bulk doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a great deal if you are likely to toss out much of what you have bought, although doing so can mean less package waste if you know the products are something your household desperately needs.

Stopping waste before it starts sounds too good to be true, but there are many simple ways to get the job done.

When shopping, instead of using the paper or plastic bags provided by local stores, bring your own reusable bags.

Many businesses will ask if you need a receipt and if you plan on tossing it in the trash the moment you arrive home anyway, say ‘no’.

Running errands? Bring your own drink container instead of being tempted to purchase beverages while on the go.

For daily lunches, invest in a lunch box with a plastic sandwich container. This will save you at least five plastic bags and sandwich bags every single week. That’s 240 of each, every single year, just for one member of the household!

To get rid of excess paper waste, opt for paperless billing and keep all records of your payments and bills online. Most companies will even send you an email when a bill is coming up so you don’t have to worry about late fees.

Paying via credit or debit card also means no more need to pull out those checks.

Frank Winchester, author of this post, works for a well known agency informing people about solar panel grants in their area (find out more). You can follow him on Twitter @Solar_Frank.

Why People are Adapting More to Water Saving Shower Heads

by Tauseef Hussain · Leave a Comment

Tre Mercati Chess Shower Head Chrome And Matt Black by QS Supplies of UK

The world over, people are aware of how critical the supply of clean water is to human health and to the health of the environment, and subsequently most households do all they can to avoid wasting this precious resource. However, beyond the environmental reasons for saving water is another need that is becoming just as pressing – stretched household budgets!

Increasing Costs

Many households are bearing higher costs for utilities such as gas, electricity and water at the same time as living through extremely difficult economic times. It’s these increasing budgetary pressures that have people embracing all manner of ways to cut the costs of living. By reducing water usage consumers can make a direct positive impact on their budget and that is good news not only for their bank balance but also for the environment.

Making Savings

Why People are Adapting More to Water Saving Shower Heads 3

Phoenix Shower Blade 2 With Waterfall by AQVA Bathrooms of UK

Installing dual flush toilets, fitting grey water diverters and reducing the frequency of baths are some of the more popular ways of saving water within the home, but what of water guzzling showers? Water saving shower heads have in the past proven to be less than impressive when it came to user experience. Poor water flow and a general sense of dissatisfaction is what early water saving devices delivered. However, nowadays people are adapting well to water saving shower heads since both their form and function have improved beyond what anyone might ever have previously imagined.

Improved Design

Today’s water saving shower heads can be found with multiple settings so each user can make adjustments to the settings to suit their individual needs. Many devices boast an array of options such as wide stream, narrow stream, massage or pulsating, gentle mist and even right down to a slow drizzle, should that suffice. Water saving shower heads that comprise a single setting are more affordable than multiple setting devices although neither are extremely expensive.

Not only are these water saving devices affordable, they are often backed by a Government funded scheme, which is another reason why home owners are adapting to them more. In addition, manufacturers have learned to deliver aesthetically pleasing designs that also offer optimum functionality along with water savings – so fitting a water saving shower head no longer means compromising on interior design elements.

Going Green

Another reason that water saving shower heads have become more accepted is due to the overwhelming evidence that the health of the planet is reliant on every single person doing their little bit to save the environment. People have finally come to understand that if each of us takes care of the world’s precious resources then the planet will be preserved for the future.

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Crosswater Rio Shower Head with Light at QS Supplies

Although many of us have memories of extremely long hot showers under tremendous amounts of water that left us feeling totally relaxed and rejuvenated, these days we must keep in mind the impact we’re having on the planet and on our finances. The costs of capturing, cleaning, storing and piping water to our homes is great and those costs are passed on to each household.

By fitting water saving shower heads you will save money, save water and discover that these devices have improved so much that you can still enjoy your shower immensely. When you tell others of your positive experience you will encourage them to adapt to this ultra efficient device too, and for that the planet and future generations will thank you.

Author Bio : Tauseef Hussain is a media blogger and writes for Designer Bathrooms, the on-line store for designer shower heads. You can follow him on twitter @usef4u

Filed Under: Bathroom Interiors, Eco-Friendly Ideas Tagged With: bathroom, bathroom decor, bathroom remodeling, tips to renovate bathroom

5 Unusual DIY Flooring Ideas

by Daley James · Leave a Comment

Sun Floor – Photo Courtesy: Mike

Anyone who has ever watched an episode of Grand Designs or spent any time online searching for alternative DIY designs will be well aware that there are some incredibly eccentric people out there who love to see items of all types, shapes and sizes turned into something incredible for their homes. There are hundreds of bizarre examples to choose from, and some of the more eclectic choices have come in the flooring industry. It has become a modern craze to do something a little different with your floor space, and one of the greatest things about most of these weird and wonderful designs is that almost all of them are eco-friendly alternatives to traditional forms of flooring that find a use for materials that might have just been discarded otherwise.

1. Whiskey Barrel Flooring

Whiskey Barrel Flooring by McKay Flooring

The whiskey barrel has become a popular choice in bars, restaurants and homes that want an old school, authentic look of solid oak that is unfinished and lived in. The Glasgow based flooring company McKay Flooring came up with the idea to turn this age old barrels into flooring, and it looks pretty spectacular to the eye. If you wanted to install a bar or games room in your home, this is what you would want to use for your floors.

2. Glass Flooring

A fabric shop installed clear glass floors so that the old streets of Jerusalem can be seen. – Photo by James Emery

If you want to go a little further into making your home or business look ultra-modern and very cool, having glass flooring installed on your mezzanine level or stairs will give the area a very sleek design. These glass tiles are 6 inches thick and completely reflective, meaning that when coupled with LED lighting, they can be used to alter the mood of a room.

3. Leather Flooring

A beautifully designed Leather and Wood floor by Seward Construction CO of Denver, Colorado.

A growing trend for incorporating leather flooring into living areas has emerged out of the blue and the signs are good that they will become more popular, especially in homes that require a smart and sophisticated look. Chocolate brown is the most chosen color so far, and the durability of the leather design has been praised amongst the owners that have fitted leather flooring into their homes. In America, there is one particular store that has created floor tiles out of leather belts. They are pretty expensive to get fitted, and probably lead to a lot of men walking around with looser trousers.

4. Radiated Heat Flooring

Radiant heat lines being laid in a room floor – Photo Courtesy: Donna

A very eco-friendly alternative to regular flooring is to have radiated heat flooring installed. The majority of the energy used to heat a home is lost because it is lost immediately. What radiant floors achieve is transferring the warmth directly to you as you come in contact with the floor. Not only is this very cool, it’s also a great way to keep your heating bills down, which is great for your pocket and the environment.

5. Optical Illusion Tiles and Carpets

Stairs? – Photo Courtesy: Christine und David Schmitt

The optical illusion tiles and carpets serve no purpose other than to bring a huge smile to the face of whoever sees them and to make geeks say ‘That’s cool!’ really loudly. It can be very confusing, but it can also be used as a cool marketing tool. A video game store in Paris uses an optical illusion carpet to give customers the floor of the illusion of being in a ‘vortex’. It is actually designed by drawing bent lines in a particular order, but messes with your head either way!

This article was written by Daley on behalf of Ecotile, a company specialising in durable and environmentally friendly flooring solutions.

Filed Under: DIY Projects, Eco-Friendly Ideas, Flooring Tagged With: design, flooring

What are Bottles Really Used for and What is Their Application

by Robert Lerman · Leave a Comment

Using bottles has become something that we do on a daily basis and because of this we cannot appreciate how useful they are for us. They can be used for storing different liquids and they certainly make our lives much easier.

We often do not pay attention to the small things that surround us every single day. One of the things we have got used to are the plastic and glass bottles that are an inseparable part of our lives. There is probably not a single person on Earth that can imagine even one day without the use of any bottles. Not only do they make our lives easier but they also enable us to do things we would otherwise be unable to do. Such things are storing different liquid materials for very long time periods.

What do we use bottles for?

Just think about the thousands of litres of water that we consume every year. Not only do we store and transport water by using different types of bottles but we also use them for the consummation of carbonated drinks. A huge advantage of both plastic and glass bottles is that they can be reused hundreds of times. The only important thing for using these bottles for long time periods is that they have to be regularly cleaned and kept dry when empty. This is because they may start to smell awkward and you may have to throw them away before their time has come.

The bottles have become a necessity for us. A proof for this is that they are applied in all of the spheres of our lives. For example, we use them in the household for storing different drinks, for preparations such as laundry detergents and softeners. Another sphere they are applied really often is pharmacy – for storing medicament, syrups and many more. In the car industry, bottles are filled with motor oil, antifreeze, brake fluid and hydraulic fluid.

Do bottles have any disadvantages?

The main disadvantage of using bottles as a whole is that they lead to pollution of nature due to their slow decomposition. That’s why we should be responsible for keeping the environment clean. We can do this by separating the trash if we want to protect the planet we live on from pollution catastrophes and if we want to prevent it from becoming a huge dump site.

Why is recycling so important nowadays?

Recycling the bottles we no longer need is probably the greatest thing we can do as far as saving the nature is concerned. We should also recycle separately – the glass ones at one place and the plastic ones at another place. We have to do this because even one plastic bottle thrown to the glass bottles may prevent the workers from the recycling factory from doing their job properly and the whole recycling batch may be ruined. Recycling nowadays is more important than it used to be some time ago mainly due to the long time that is necessary for decomposition. Those bottles we’ve thrown away have grown in numbers and, now that we see the problem more clearly, this is what makes reusing them so important.

Every person is in need of different types of bottles and buying some that would be always around is a very good idea. Glass bottles are even better as the time period you use them is much longer.

Filed Under: Eco-Friendly Ideas Tagged With: bottles, glass bottles

Eco Friendly Kitchen Design

by John Pauline · Leave a Comment

Photo Courtesy: Kendyl Young

It’s no secret that for a lot of homes the kitchen is very much the center of great amounts of activity, especially for family homes or house shares where a large number of meals will be cooked and eaten over the course of a single week. It’s also often one of the most energy driven rooms in any house, with all the electrically powered appliances from kettles to dish washers and so it’s one of the best rooms to focus on with economy and ecological saving technology.

Saving Water in the Kitchen

Even in regards to less busy households, energy expenditure and waste water are normally at their highest in the kitchen. But there are a number of ways to cut down on both factors; some of them are even achievable with no extra spending whatsoever. The cheapest, most obvious and often the least utilized of all these potential energy savers is simply to turn off every wall socket (with the exception of the fridge of course) every time you finish cooking, or leave the house. Another small but significant method for saving energy is to only boil the amount of water you need; if it’s only you having a cup of tea then measure the amount you need by the size of the cup you’re drinking out of. This takes no time at all and will save you electricity and therefore money in the long run.

People may think this is an overly obvious method of money and energy saving, but it’s far less commonly used than some might think. Another method of saving is to switch the kitchen taps you use, for a set with a form of economy click feature which will automatically stop at 50% flow to save the amount of water used. There are in fact a number of simple, newly adapted features for kitchen taps which allow for lower water usage and many of them are detailed on specialist comparison web sites.

Energy Saving Kitchen Lighting

There are also methods of economical improvement and energy conservation in terms of lighting choices. For example, a lot of modern kitchens now utilize the LED bulbs in their under cabinet lighting strips, which use up to 80% less energy than standard bulbs and last up to and above 30,000 hours longer. It’s also advisable to switch to fluorescent lighting if it’s not already installed in your kitchen; this is also an energy saver although not by anywhere near the same level of saving as LEDs.

Beautiful Kitchen Lighting – Photo by Grant McLean

Even without the day to day changes you can make to your bills, there is now a huge range of deliberately ecologically improved and economically sound kitchen appliances available; from washing machines to refrigerators, everything that’s been optimized can be found and compared online using Eco savvy websites.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that energy saving is simply for climate experts and nature lovers; it’s an ideal pursuit for anyone with an eye for savings, or a mind for economical improvement.

This ‘tips and advice’ article was written by blogger John Pauline. For more handy hints about life and stress, find John on Twitter @johnvitality

Filed Under: Eco-Friendly Ideas, Kitchen Interiors Tagged With: eco kitchen, eco-friendly homes, energy bills, green living, kitchen design, sustainable kitchen