4 Ways To Create A Green Property
 
Dec 02, 2019
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Global warming is having an increasingly damaging impact on our environment - polar ice caps are melting, sea levels are rising, and average temperatures are rising all around the globe. In response to this, many people are becoming more eco-conscious and looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Fortunately, there are many simple ways to make your home more environmentally-friendly and reduce harmful emissions. Recycling, switching to energy-efficient appliances, and minimizing water waste, are all effective ways to reduce environmental harm and help save the planet. With this in mind, here are four ways to create a green property.

1. Upgrade to eco-friendly appliances

Upgrading to eco-friendly appliances is an excellent way to reduce energy consumption, save money on your utility bills, and lower your carbon footprint. What’s more, switching to energy-efficient appliances may also increase your property value by making your home appeal more to eco-conscious home buyers. It said that a modern energy-efficient refrigerator could use less than half the energy consumption of a refrigerator that is over 10 years old. This is because older appliances don’t meet today’s energy standards, which means they use far more energy than new models on the market today.

When purchasing new appliances, make sure to look for the ENERGY STAR certification label. This means that the appliance has been built to be as energy-efficient as possible. You should also consider replacing any incandescent light bulbs with eco-friendly alternatives like LEDs. These use far less energy than traditional light bulbs and also tend to last far longer.

2. Make your roof more energy-efficient

Your roof can be a major source of lost energy. This is because heat travels up your home and out through your roof if it is not properly insulated. Fortunately, you can easily make your roof more energy efficient by installing extra insulation in your loft. The color of your roof is also extremely important. If you live in a hot climate, then consider painting your roof a light color to reflect sunlight and help keep your home cool.

If you live in a colder climate then your roof should be a darker shade to absorb light and warmth from the sun. If you’re planning any upgrades to your roof, then it’s always best to hire a professional with the skills and equipment to do the job safely. Remember that any projects involving working at height will also require additional equipment like scaffolding. This is needed to comply with health and safety regulations and to minimize the risk of accidents occurring. If you require scaffolding for a home improvement project, then Global Scaffold offers an excellent selection of global scaffolding to suit every job and budget.

3. Recycle more efficiently

Recycling is a great way to minimize waste, lower harmful emissions, and reduce the number of items ending up in landfills. Recent research shows that the average person in the US produces almost five pounds of trash each day. This equates to over 1,600 pounds in a year! This waste must be disposed of in a manner that is responsible and environmentally-friendly.

Most households have access to recycling programs, so there's no excuse not to recycle your household waste. Make sure you educate yourself on what can and can't be recycled in your area. You also need to ensure that you separate and clean items correctly before placing them in recycling bins. Keep in mind that one dirty product could contaminate a whole batch of items, resulting in them ending up at landfills instead of being recycled. Explain to your family the importance of recycling and encourage everyone to adopt healthy, green habits in your household.

4. Reduce water waste

Water is a precious resource that is vital to all life on our planet. Wasting water can have long-term serious consequences, including damage to aquatic environments, a lack of safe drinking water, and poor agricultural productivity.

However, there are many simple ways to conserve water in your household. This includes turning taps off while brushing your teeth or washing dishes, fixing any water leaks immediately, and installing water-efficient appliances and fixtures. You should also consider collecting rainwater and using it to water plants and flowers in your yard. Not only will these techniques help reduce water waste, but they could also save you significant amounts on your annual water bill.

Try some of these useful tips to reduce harmful carbon emissions, save money on your utility bills, and create a more environmentally-friendly household today!

 
 
How to Enhance Your Home for 2020
 
Sep 30, 2019
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When we move to a new house, there is a buzz of excitement as we decorate the walls and paint the ceiling - hours are spend imagining how to make our home beautiful and unique. After a few years, we stop investing time and energy in the appearance and functionality of our property and it can begin to look tired and dull. There has never been a better time to upgrade your home, and if you start investing time and money into building work and home improvements now, they will be ready to show off by 2020. Here are a few ideas for how you can enhance your home for 2020.

Build an Extension

When your family is growing rapidly and requires more space, you may consider buying a bigger house, but that is not your only option. Building an extension can add thousands of dollars of value to your home - and that’s before you consider how much you could make from renting the space.

Many property owners do not have much outdoor space that can be used for a house extension, and so if this is the case for you then you could consider a basement extension. Basement extensions are extremely popular in large cities where properties do not have enough outdoor space to expand their premises. It is worth considering planning experts because you could even have enough space to build an entire apartment underneath your house.

If you are reluctant to invest in a large-scale extension, a garage extension could be the perfect solution for your home. Garage extensions are relatively inexpensive and allow you to expand your home without requiring planning permission.

Invest in Green Energy

Eco homes are becoming exceedingly popular throughout the world; this is due to the growing concerns over the threat of climate change. From rain to sunshine, there are dozens of ways that you can produce green energy within your home. There are many well-priced and efficient companies such as Renew Energy who can fit solar panels on to your roof professionally. You will then be able to heat your own water and home, saving you a lot of money on bills while helping you to reduce your home’s carbon emissions simultaneously. But if solar energy is not something you are comfortable with, you can definitely opt to get cheap energy here.

Focus on Your Outdoor Spaces

Your garden is where friends, family, and neighbors will garner their first impression of your home. Therefore, one of the easiest ways you can boost the visual impact of your property is to invest some time into the garden. Fall is the best time of year to prepare your garden - it is the season to plant bulbs, prune dead flowers and decide which vegetables to start growing. There is unlimited potential when it comes to focusing on your garden and outdoor spaces; you can even build a small house or conservatory in the garden if you have space.

There you have it: enhancing your home has never been easier, and the exciting home investment won’t go unnoticed by friends and loved ones in 2020 and beyond into your stylish, eco-friendly and fit-for-the-future home.

 
 
5 Clever Ways to Create an Environmentally-Friendly Business
 
Jul 04, 2018
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It is essential people across the world start living up to their environmental responsibilities, which should be on both a domestic and business level. At present, landfills are growing in size, and the world’s oceans are filling with harmful materials, which are impacting the planet and its sea life.

If you are running a business, it is imperative to develop a greener mindset to have a positive impact on the Earth, and to encourage both companies and individuals to reduce their carbon footprint. To get started, here are five clever ways to create an eco-friendly business.

1. Change Your Office Supplies

Nations across the world are needlessly damaging planet Earth, as US companies alone are responsible for throwing away more than four million disposable pens each day.

If you want to have a positive impact on the environment, you should focus on changing your office supplies. For example, you should replace disposable pens with reusable alternatives. This will not only help to protect the planet, but it could also save your business money.

2. Switch Your Lighting

Your business will most likely use a considerable amount of lighting each day. For example, if you’re the owner of a business park, the chances are you’ll need to install both indoor and outdoor lighting. You must switch from indoor incandescent lighting or metal halide lights to LED options. Find out more about the best exterior LED lighting from Sompor.

3. Green Procurement

Practice green procurement to create a more eco-friendly business. For instance, you should choose a supplier that offers products or services that are sustainably produced and do not feature excess packaging. It’s also important to choose goods that do not include any toxic or harmful substances that can damage the environment, and the products should be recyclable, reusable, and created from renewable materials. Also, aim to find a supplier near you to reduce your company’s carbon footprint.

4. Eco-Friendly Postage

While the digital era has transformed many business operations, there will be still be a time when your company will need to send out letters, which will require the use of envelopes. You can, however, help to protect the environment by investing in reusable envelopes, which a recipient can simply reverse to send a letter or document back to your business. It can ultimately help to reduce waste while providing an easy, eco-friendly experience that your customers will appreciate.

5. Office Furniture

Billions of pounds of office furniture is sent to landfill each year. The waste usually accumulates due to business renovations, branch closures, or relocating to a new office. It’s important to realize the impact throwing away an item of furniture will have on the planet. For example, an average office chair has been created using many different materials and chemicals. While other furniture will be created from wood, plastic or metal that have a long lifespan and could potentially be repurposed for another product. So, ask yourself whether you can save, upcycle or repurpose an item before placing it in the trash.

 
 
Amazing Benefits of Green Technology
 
May 22, 2018
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You might have heard of green technology or environmental technology. Well, it is an encompassing term, and in other terms, it is the application of green chemistry and other technological process for protecting the environment. This technology is a great combination of technology and sciences that lead to the protection of the environment.

Environmental science, environmental monitoring etc., falls in this domain. The main focus of this technology is to focus on conserving nature. It is also known as clean technology, which is also used for energy production technologies. There are mélange of features as well as benefits of green technology, which are as follows:

Air purification

One of its major benefits is that it lends a hand in purifying the air by reducing carbon emission by purifying. It also features cultivation of plants in order to remove carbon dioxide, which further keeps the air fresh. In today’s modern world, there are several factories that emit a lot of carbon. Also, these days everybody is using automobiles that further cause air pollution. So, green technology plays a wonderful role in purifying air so that living beings can breathe properly.

High in demand

Green technology offers a wide array of jobs, and one can think of building a career in this domain. It is very important to have a great resume so that top recruiters can hire you. You can browse Thejobexplorer.Com in order to get details about the job and also to build an excellent resume.

Energy conservation

It helps in conserving the energy and is a great alternative to gadgets, which make use of a lot of fuel or electricity. Now, people use electrical devices that require less energy, and this leads to the decreasing the energy consumption. This further lends a hand in decreasing the consumption of fossil fuels. No doubt, automobiles cause much pollution and here comes the role of green technology. Now people are embracing electrical cars. In fact, their focus is now shifted, and they are using environmental friendly appliances and devices.

Recycling

Green technology is used in following- waste incineration, eco-friendly waste recycling technologies, solid waste management, different wastewater treatments, etc. It helps in managing as well as recycling waste material, which further makes is useful for beneficial purposes. In fact, one can make furniture fuel, sculptures, and can even create plant fertilizer.

Water purification

Another amazing benefit of green technology is that it helps in purifying water. You might already know that there is a scarcity of drinking water in several places. Green technology is helping in this regard too. Now, people are able to drink pure water, and it is possible just because of green technology. The fact is, several environmental campaigns are being organized that helps in purifying water around the globe.

Green technology has many other benefits such as it offers solutions for disposal and recycling of waste. It makes use of latest energy generation techniques, renewable resources, and several innovative methods in order to make different environment-friendly products. So, now you know how green technology is saving the environment.

Photo by Tomasz Bazylinski on Unsplash

 
 
Brightening the Borders - Why Solar Power is Making Its Way Into the Limelight
 
Mar 05, 2018
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If you have ever thought about how powerful the sun felt on a hot day, you can understand how harnessing that power to use as an alternative, clean energy makes perfect sense. More and more solar power is being used as an excellent renewable energy to power our lives and things are looking bright for the future.

If you’re looking at reasonable ways to cut your energy bills, or just interested in an alternative and clean way to power your home, check with the solar power energy providers in your area. Harnessing solar energy to help power your home offers many benefits, some of which you might not even realise.

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of using solar power and why it’s becoming increasingly popular all the time.

The Cost

The cost of using solar power will dramatically reduce the cost of your electricity bills. Because you’re not taking it completely off the electricity grid, but generating it yourself, you save money but it doesn’t end there.

There are often incentives offered by companies and other government rebates and discounts for using solar power and upgrading your system to use them. The cost, in the long run, is well worth the upfront investment for going green.

Plus, there’s the cost to the environment, which is well worth considering. Less wear and tear on our dear mother earth is never a bad thing. You’ll save money and you can rest assured you are doing the right thing in the process.

Not Just Houses

With technology always advancing and changing the way it’s used, there are so many more options for solar power, and the options are growing all the time. You can heat your water and your home, but you can use it to heat your swimming pool and not just in homes, but businesses as well. Larger business and buildings are finding it well worth their while to install solar panels to capture energy that is already there and lower their energy bills while they’re at it.

Going the Distance

Trains, buses and cars, can all tap into the sun’s power and store it for use. This is a huge benefit for transportation. To be able to cut back on energy that traditionally comes from fossil fuels is a going to be huge for both businesses and individuals alike. With running costs lowered, we spend less and the planet scores again.

Mobile Power

Did you know you can charge all your gadgets with solar power? You can. Your mobile phone, e-reader, tablet, as well as solar powered dryers, smaller appliances and your flashlight can all be kept fully-charged at all times with the power of the sun. With our increasing reliance on all these gadgets and more, there’s no doubt that the ability to stay charged on-the-go will be music to many people’s ears.

The Future Looks Bright

There are more and more advancements using solar energy being tested and discovered all the time. As we progress, so does the way we use solar energy, the way we capture it and the way we store it. Solar panels have dropped in price considerably over the years, as more and more are needed, the technology has advanced for more effective, less expensive and better-performing panels.

There are experiments being carried out to harness the energy from space, closer to the sun and even ways of tapping the energy directly from trees. But the truth is, the sun provides more energy to the earth than we can ever use, so tapping it for our use only makes sense. It’s clean, less expensive and readily available.

As ways to make this energy source more efficient and improve its conversion to electricity continue, soon, it won’t be a new energy, it will simply be one of them. The future truly does looks bright for solar power.

 
 
5 Ways to Create an Eco-Friendly Business
 
Apr 05, 2017
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Every organization has a responsibility to reduce their carbon footprint whenever possible. Not only can eco-friendly services help to improve the planet, but it can also help your business attract more customers and clients.

You might not realize it, but a 2014 global survey found 55% of consumers are happy to pay a higher rate for products or services from companies who utilize eco-friendly practices. So, you can help the planet while boosting your profit margins.

So, if you want to help grow your company whilst preserving planet Earth, read our top five tips to creating an eco-friendly business.

1. Cut Building Emissions

One of the best ways to embrace an eco-friendly environment is by taking steps to cut your building emissions wherever possible. For example, you could triple-pane windows, install geothermal systems and insulate your walls to retain heat. Solar power could also be an effective way to power your company while reducing your energy bills.

If you are building a property from scratch, we recommend investing in modern energy-efficient appliances and features. It could even be worth finding out if there are any rebate or incentive programs in your area regarding energy efficient systems, installations or solar panels.

2. Telecommuting

One of the best ways a company can reduce their carbon footprint is by allowing their employees the flexibility of telecommuting. The less time a person has to drive to work, the fewer carbon emissions that will pollute the air. With many online conferencing applications and mobile devices allowing employees to connect from anywhere at any time, it has never been easier for employees to work from home – which can boost their morale and, in turn, their performance levels.

3. Cloud Computing

One way to aid the telecommuting experience is by integrating cloud computing services into your daily operations. For example, Bytes can provide Office 365 cloud services, which allow a business owner and employees to access various Microsoft applications on any device from any location – if they have an internet connection.

As a result, this can reduce travel costs, as people will not have to come into the office to use the business applications – and it also allows clients to enjoy an online conference via Skype for Business. Also, as employees can collaborate on the same files and calendars, it will eliminate their reliance on hard document copies.

4. Reduce Water Usage

If you would like to conserve water and save money on your utility bills, you should encourage your employees to reduce their water usage in the office. You can, therefore, lead by example by fixing any dripping taps, resolving any plumbing issues and installing low-flow toilets and faucets. You should also avoid running the water for too long or leaving the tap on when not in use.

5. Eco-friendly Procurement

If you want to become an eco-friendly company, you must only work alongside suppliers who share your commitment to our planet. We, therefore, encourage you to source goods and services sourced and supplied by sustainable means. For example, you should source local suppliers over competitors across the other side of the country.

 
 
Consumers Encourage Companies To Go Green & Companies' Profits Increase
 
Aug 23, 2014
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In the past few years, consumers have been opting for eco-friendly products. This change has encouraged businesses to follow suit and adapt the same principles. The push is not only helping their bottom dollar, but improving the environment simultaneously. Additionally, many of these companies reap the rewards of tax breaks as well.

Ford Motor Company has been at the forefront of a green initiative. In addition to releasing several fuel efficient vehicles which includes the first clean diesel engine, Ford has dominated the flex fuel market, allowing vehicle owners to chose between gasoline and E85 Ethanol fuels. Since the introduction of the EcoBoost feature in 2009, Ford has seen a drastic improvement in sales. The Ford Escape features interior fabric materials made of recycled plastic bottles and scrap cotton that would otherwise end up in a landfill. Several of their facilities are also adapting green policies. Geothermal cooling systems, sustainable landscaping, and a system that turns volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from paint into fuel have all been utilized in various plants. The Dearborn, MI location even boasts the Guinness record for World's
Largest Living Roof which not only provides stronger insulation, but is estimated to last twice as long as standard roofing.

Japanese automaker, Toyota, has been rated as the #2 ecological car company, according to Interbrand. In addition to the Prius, Toyota offers four other vehicles in a hybrid model. They also have the all electric iQ EV, a fuel cell vehicle called FCV, and a plugin hybrid that they are continually working on. In addition to creating eco-friendly vehicles, the company has instituted green policies like reforestation and grant programs aimed at rehabilitating the environment. Additionally, they have adopted a stewardship program called Toyota Green Initiative that partners with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to educate students and alumni about the benefits of going green.

Ice cream giant Ben & Jerry's is known to utilize green practices. They initiated a project called Caring Dairy to encourage sustainable practices within the dairy farms they utilize. The company has also invested heavily in alternative energy sources including solar and wind, as well as carbon neutrality programs. In their Netherlands facility, the company recently installed a anaerobic floatation reactor called The Chunkinator. The machine uses ice cream waste to create biogas, creating enough energy to create 16 million pints of ice cream. The machine not only reduces their carbon footprint, but drastically cuts energy expenses since energy is now sourced internally.

Ben & Jerry's parent company, Unilever, utilizes green practices across the board. The company institutes a four step practice to reduce greenhouse gasses, water usage, waste, and packaging while utilizing sustainable sourcing. As one of the world's largest purchaser of palm oil, they have been a large contributor to deforestation, however the company is moving towards sustainable practices which will also reduce greenhouse gases. Unilever oversees many food, beauty, and cleaning product companies including Dove, Knorr, Lipton, Bertolli, and St. Ives.

Many hotels like Marriott have instituted green policies which they encourage their guests to participate. Marriott were the first hotel company to design and build a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified hotel. So far the company has 31 LEED-certified hotels and 106 LEED-registered hotels. Energy efficient lighting, water conserving shower heads, and sustainable linen practices have been implemented. More than 60 of their locations across the globe feature electric vehicle charging stations, encouraging their customers to consider green initiatives as well.

These green practices aren't strictly for product companies. Schools from grade school to college across the country are utilizing eco-friendly practices as well. Schools are retrofitting lighting and installing water conservation systems. AM Conservation Group points out that a recent survey by The Princeton Review, called 2014 College Hopes & Worries Survey, found that 61 percent of respondents consider a college's commitment to green practices before enrolling. The large benefit of school-based programs is the ability to educate the students in the process. The energy consumption cost reduction allows schools to focus funds onto programs that benefit the students as well.

As more consumers seek green products and services, more companies are taking green initiatives. A Edelman goodpurpose study found that 72 percent of people would use and recommend a product from an environmentally conscious company over other companies. Consumers are influencing companies all over the planet to adapt green practices. By publicly announcing the initiatives their taking, companies are increasing profit while making a change for the environment.

Written by Jane Brown