Category Archives: Environment

Top 5 Positive Environmental Effects of COVID-19

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Even the gravest of occurrences have some silver linings, and COVID-19, in all of its dreariness, has been pretty good to Mother Earth. There have been some negative drawbacks, but on the whole, the environment is one thing that has actually been positively affected by the novel coronavirus. Stay-at-home orders mean less cars on the road, and social distancing means less people at national parks and beaches in need of a good cleaning. A study now published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal went as far as to say, “In China alone, all of these air quality improvements that have outnumbered confirmed [COVID-19-related] deaths thus far.”

covid19-clean-cities

Here is a closer look at 5 positive environmental impacts caused by COVID-19.

1. Environmentally Friendly Infrastructure

With many citizens greatly limiting their travel, cities and states alike have been upgrading their transportation systems (trains, cars, planes, etc.). At a quick glance, a reasonable response to that would be, “Nice, better roads,” but fortunately, with advances in infrastructure resilient to climate change, it also means structures made with environmentally friendly materials, reduced waste, and made renewable-resource-ready, depending on the locale.

Some jurisdictions with a bit less of a “convinced” mindset towards climate change do, however, have a lot of legal loopholes in place regarding renewable energy, but at least making structures ready to switch power when the law allows is something to breath easy about (literally).

2. Lowered Emissions

As touched on in the intro, limited travel and social distancing have been large parts of increased air quality across the globe. Even NASA satellites have produced photographic evidence of less smog in urban areas.

As many large businesses in these large cities are becoming aware of the positive effects (both socially and monetarily) of corporate social responsibility, it’s also reasonable to think that many corporations will take into account all of the positives that come with remote work, and maximize opportunities do so in a world where going green is as good for the trees as it is the bottom line.

3. Moral Awareness / Disaster Relief

Most natural disasters affect those who can actually see the destruction first-hand much more deeply than people who just see pictures and videos. With a truly global pandemic affecting everyone on Earth, the overall will to “help a neighbor” has been tried and true during the COVID-19 wave. Some places just had much better disaster preparedness practices than others, and where there were shortages in one area, and excess in another, the right moves were made.

Only time will tell if optimism turns to reality, but thinking that the global reach of this disaster and the “all in this together” mantra will lead to more disaster relief for issues some people may not be familiar with (hurricanes, tornados, famine, earthquakes, etc.) is definitely beyond reasonable.

4. Clean Beaches

Over the last 10 years, roughly 60 million Americans visit a beach per year. Couple that with coastal population booms, and it’s safe to say the sand in the United States gets a lot of foot traffic. Though the lack of tourism certainly hurt the economy, it gave the beaches a long overdue break, resulting in massive decreases in coastal pollution, deep beach cleans by locals, and increases in water quality.

beach-covid19

5. A Little Bad with the Good

With closures of schools and a lot of work places, brought with it closures of some recycling centers, resulting in a lot of recyclables being trashed. The increases in online deliveries are certainly sensible, but they, too, added to an uptick in waste production, due to packaging. Additionally, medical waste (including masks and gloves) experienced a steady uptick as well.

Ultimately, the environmental effects of COVID-19 are things we can take a bit of resolve in, as pretty much everything else has been affected negatively by the pandemic. Increases in air and water quality should continue to be steady, new infrastructure with renewable resources now exist and just need some legislative boosts in areas, a lot of public places that needed a good cleaning have gotten it, and the only negatives on this list involve human actions that can be adjusted, moving forward.

The Role of IP Law in Spearheading Green Technologies

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You do not have to be a scientist to know the world is in an environmental crisis. Plastic waste is piling up virtually everywhere, and pollution is at an all-time high.

While many countries are doing their part to reduce their carbon footprint, it takes more than just regulations to create real change in this area.

Thankfully, environmentally conscious innovators are developing technologies that can help reverse or at least slow down the environmental crisis. Like other innovations, the greatest challenge to these innovators is safeguarding their innovations, and that’s where IP laws come in.

benefits of going off-grid

What are Green Technologies?

Green technologies, also known as environmental technologies, refer to practices and products that reduce energy consumption while helping to protect the environment.

They can include renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and hydropower, as well as improved efficiency in heating and cooling systems and use of new materials that are more recyclable than traditional ones.

These technologies are key to achieving sustainability – a state where human activity does not exceed our planet’s ability to support us.

IP Laws and Their Role in Spearheading Technologies

IP is the acronym for Intellectual Property, which refers to a person’s creative work or invention. IP laws are designed to protect the rights of these inventions to ensure creatives and innovators benefit from their creations.

Categories of intellectual property include trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights, and patents, with trademarks and patents being the most applicable IP laws in the green technology industry.

How Trademarks Work for Green Technologies

Trademarks are symbols, names, slogans, marks, or sounds used to identify the goods and services of a specific company or individual. When used properly, they become synonymous with a specific product.

By obtaining a trademark, inventors get exclusive rights to use the identifier in connection with their invention or products and prevent others from using it without authorization. This means their customers will easily pick their products from the crowded market, which can help improve profits.

Trademark protections in Canada run for renewable terms of ten years. In other words, an innovator can secure their trademark for life as long as they pay service fees after every ten years.

Role of Patents in Spearheading Green Technology

If you are involved with developing technologies, you will need more than trademarks to protect your business because trademarks are limited to identifiers. For example, if you want to protect specific inventions or product designs, you may want to consider getting patent protections.

Finding a green provider for specialty chemicals

A patent is a form of intellectual property protection that grants the holder exclusive rights over their invention. Two main types of patents apply to green technology innovations; utility and design patents, also known as industrial design rights in the Canadian context.

Utility patents protect inventions that are novel, useful, and non-obvious. These patents can apply to products such as renewable energy sources, efficient heating and cooling systems, or new materials that are more recyclable than traditional ones.

Design patents protect the non-functional aspects of a product, such as its aesthetics, shape, texture, or color. The product doesn’t have to be novel, but the design has to, and it can’t have anything to do with the function of the product.

Countries have different approaches to patent law, but the core principles of securing a patent remain relatively the same. For example, most countries have a 20-year protection period for utility patents and 15 years for design patents.

Where to Register Your IPs

Country laws designate the bodies through which its inventors and creators can register their IPs. The law places the responsibility for IP registrations in Canada on the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO).

Registration of IPs under Canadian laws limits IP rights protection to Canada, meaning the rights are not enforceable beyond Canadian territory. If you want to have a broader scope of protection, you may want to register your IPs with the World Intellectual Property Organization, which offers protection on a global scale.

Bring New Life to Your Garden by Making it Bee-friendly

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It is remarkable how resistant humankind has become to working with nature, all too often preferring to dominate and exploit the world around us – a trait which is detrimental to human and non-human life in the long run. Thankfully, more and more people are waking up to the idea that it is the processes and lessons of the natural world, rather than its exploitable properties, which are our most valuable assets.

bees-garden

As the renewable energy movement becomes truly mainstream, everyday people are beginning to turn their backs on the excesses of 19th and 20th century consumption and to instead look forwards and embrace an ecosystem of which we are not the master – but rather just another essential component.

One way in which you can do so is to take a stand against the decimation of bee populations in a constructive manner – by creating a bee-friendly garden. Patterns and techniques of crop farming have left the insects in increasingly hostile territory, with bee numbers falling dramatically enough to hit the headlines. But it’s possible even for individuals to make a difference just by the flowers and plants they choose to put in their garden.

Bees are crazy for the kinds of wildflowers that have been torn up by industrial-level farming, and a good variety of local, colorful blooms can brighten your days while providing a delicious stopping point for the stripy critters. Even just allowing your garden to grow naturally – without clamping down on weeds and dandelions – can make it a more inviting environment for the right kinds of insects.

Bees are crazy for wildflowers

Bees are crazy for wildflowers

While it’s okay to use a smattering of non-native plants in your garden, this should always be done in sensitivity to the surrounding area, as unwelcome plant-life can create environmental imbalances. If in doubt, stay local – and consult this new chart from Budget Direct, which lists some of the best choices you can make for the bees in your garden, wherever you are in the world.

DESIGN-18-plants-to-grow-for-a-bee-friendly-garden-535x3380

Saving the Planet: How to Make Blockchain More Environmentally Friendly?

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Humanity’s actions have led to many environmental problems, the consequences of which are now evident. The greenhouse effect, water and air pollution, deforestation, and the depletion of natural resources — all of this is a direct result of our activities.

To protect the only planet capable of supporting human life without special equipment, it is necessary to adapt our technology and business processes to the principles of sustainability.

One of the technologies that need to be optimized from an environmental standpoint is blockchain. Its impact on the environment so far has been significant, and not in the best way. Fortunately, there are already initiatives trying to make this industry more sustainable.

Let’s see what they are and how they can help protect the environment.

how to make the blockchain more sustainable

The Problem of Blockchain and Sustainability

The main problem with blockchain technology is that it consumes a lot of energy. The fact is that the more popular cryptocurrencies become and the higher their capitalization grows, the more energy they consume as well.

Today, Bitcoin alone consumes as much electricity as smaller countries. The reason for that lies in the consensus protocol some most used blockchain frameworks rely on — Proof of Work.

Proof of Work is a consensus algorithm that allows blockchain nodes to reach a consensus. Its main features are as follows:

  • A block can be added to the chain only if the previously generated cryptographic puzzle is solved;
  • To solve the puzzle, a node needs to spend computational power;
  • The more computational power the node spends, the more likely it is to find the solution to the puzzle first and add a new block to the chain.

As you can see, this algorithm requires quite a lot of energy, which generates a lot of greenhouse gasses and other pollutants. According to recent estimates, the emission of greenhouse gasses from Bitcoin mining alone is comparable to that of countries like New Zealand!

However, as mentioned above, this negative impact on the environment can be rectified by adopting changes in technology. One of the most promising approaches here is using blockchain frameworks based on Proof of Stake instead of Proof of Work.

Proof of Stake

Proof of Stake (PoS) is a popular alternative to Proof of Work (PoW) in blockchain technology. It has gained popularity in recent years due to its ability to provide a more sustainable and environmentally friendly solution to blockchain validation while maintaining security and decentralization.

Instead of relying on the intense computational power of miners to validate transactions, PoS operates on the principle of “staking.”

Essentially, participants in the network are required to hold a certain amount of the cryptocurrency to be eligible to validate transactions. The more cryptocurrency held, the higher the chances of being chosen to validate the next block.

This solution not only reduces the energy consumption associated with PoW but also encourages long-term investment in cryptocurrency.

Switch to Renewables

The use of renewable energy is another way to make blockchain more sustainable. The fact is that if the energy used by miners is derived from renewable sources, the impact of blockchain on the environment will be minimal.

Countries could drive the effort, facilitating a switch from fossil fuel plants to solar, wind, and nuclear power — non-emissive energy sources.

In addition, individuals and organizations themselves could try to offset their blockchain-related carbon footprint by investing in renewable energy sources. To illustrate the point, buildings can be covered with solar panels, and the electricity produced could be used to power mining rigs. Doing so would offset the carbon footprint and reduce energy costs.

how to decrease pollution caused by bitcoin mining

Building a solar or wind farm to power a mining operation might seem like a costly investment, but in the long run, it would pay off more than most can imagine.

Optimization of Equipment

Another way to make the blockchain more sustainable is to optimize equipment efficiency. Miners can do it in several ways:

  • Using specialized hardware for mining, which is more energy-efficient;
  • Minimizing heat loss by using proper cooling methods;
  • Using equipment that can be upgraded to the latest and most efficient models as they become available.

These methods will not only help reduce energy consumption but also reduce costs. Plus, they are relatively easy to implement, making them an attractive option for miners who want to make their rigs greener.

Improved Regulatory Efforts

Regulatory efforts are also crucial in making blockchain more sustainable. Many countries are still in the process of developing legislation on cryptocurrencies and blockchain.

energy efficient technologies

In most cases, these regulations do not take into account the environmental impact of this technology. As a result, in many places, miners can operate without any restrictions.

Improving regulatory efforts will help ensure that miners are required to follow certain environmental standards. For example, they could be required to use energy-efficient equipment or switch to renewable energy sources. Alternatively, the government could establish limits on the total energy consumption of mining operations.

These types of regulations would help make the blockchain more sustainable while still allowing it to develop and grow.

Final Thoughts

The blockchain industry is still in its early stages of development. Yet, even at this stage, it significantly impacts the environment. The main reason for this is the fact that blockchain technology consumes a lot of energy.

Fortunately, there are ways to make this industry more sustainable.

One of the most promising approaches is the use of blockchain frameworks that are based on Proof of Stake instead of Proof of Work. The use of renewable energy and the optimization of equipment efficiency can also reduce the environmental impact of blockchain. Finally, improved regulatory efforts will help ensure that miners are required to follow certain environmental standards.

Ultimately, these efforts can make the blockchain more sustainable and reduce its environmental impact.

Recommended Reading: Eco-friendly Hosting Solutions for Bitcoin Mining

Product Life-Cycle Assessment: Closing the Loop

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If you’re interested in green and environmental issues you may have heard the phrase ‘life-cycle assessment’ in relation to a particular product. It can be difficult to ascertain exactly what this life-cycle assessment involves – so we’re hoping to shed some light on the process, the different types of assessment that take place and explain what’s involved with each step.

product-life-cycle-assessment

A look at the bigger picture

Essentially, a product life-cycle assessment takes an overall view of that item’s impact on the environment – and in doing so, offers a true picture of how green that product really is. The aim is for consumers, manufacturers and policy makers to be given a true environmental picture of any product.

Although it’s an example that divides the opinion of environmentalists around the world, the Toyota Prius provides an interesting picture of why the product life-cycle assessment is required in a world driven by a company’s desire to be seen as green. The Prius is an electric-hybrid car which Toyota claims delivers an impressive 60 miles per gallon of fuel – a statistic that puts it as a firm environmental favourite.

However, there are claims that the construction methods used to create the batteries that power the Prius are hugely detrimental to the environment – with some sources saying the manufacturing plant impacts the environment so greatly that by the time a Prius is driven from the showroom – it’s already had the environmental impact it would take any other car 1,000 gallons of fuel to match.

What’s the verdict?

So, is the Prius good or bad? That’s not for us to decide – and we’re not suggesting one way or another, we’re simply using this as an illustration of how complex any environmental consideration can be in a product with such an intensive manufacturing process and prolonged lifespan. At the other end of the calculation you’d have to consider how long the Prius will run for – and whether that balances a supposedly negative building method.

Stages of product life-cycle assessment

The product life cycle analysis is ordinarily broken down into different stages:

1. Extraction and processing of raw materials

This is a full understanding of the journey from source to point of manufacture that the building blocks of any product take. For example, in the manufacture of a table you would begin by looking at the trees that provide the wood, the logging process that takes them from forest to timber yard and the impact of the machinery used throughout that process.

You would repeat this process for every raw material that goes into the table’s manufacture.

2. Manufacturing

Next comes the manufacturing itself – if machinery or any industrial process is used to piece our table together then resources used in that process must be considered when we look at the overall impact of the product on the environment.

3. Packaging

The packaging that a product is delivered in is effectively another product in itself. Although unlikely in our table example, it’s not uncommon for extravagant packaging to represent 10-20% of a product’s recommended retail price. Curtis Packaging, an award-winning UK based sustainable packaging company suggest manufacturers pay careful consideration to the impact of packaging on a product’s overall green credentials – from raw materials to the point of disposal, the packing that adorns your product can have serious environmental considerations.

4. Marketing

At first glance you could be forgiven for thinking marketing a product comes with no environmental impact – but you’d be wrong. From the printing of advertising materials – to the sales team’s 20,000 annual miles in company vehicles – there can be a lot of resource put into any marketing process. However, measurement is no mean feat – companies can find it difficult to differentiate between their overall carbon footprint and that associated with any one product.

5. Product use, re-use and maintenance

This is where the impact of a product moves from the manufacturer and into the hands of the consumer. What does typical use look like? How long is a product being used for? Does one person’s use vary compared to another’s? For our example table, the answers could be fairly simple – on the other hand, there’s a huge amount of variation when you look at a broad range of car drivers.

Packaging that adorns your product can have serious environmental impact.

Packaging that adorns your product can have serious environmental impact.

For any product that requires maintenance, the LCA just became much more complex (again!) – just as packaging represented an entirely separate product that requires its own assessment – a similar process is required when a car receives a tank of fuel, a top up of coolant, brake fluid, spark plugs, brake pads… hopefully you get the picture (hint – it’s complex and sprawling!)

However difficult it might be to anticipate, it’s an environmental imperative that big industry is aware of the impact they have – even when their product has left their hands.

6. Recycling, disposal and waste at the end of the product’s life

From pizza boxes to old cars, it’s easy to think of their job as being done when they’re waved off to a recycling bin or breaker’s yard – but environmentally this could just be the beginning of their impact.

In terms of recycling – the effort and impact of the process must be outweighed by the benefit of the salvaged material, it’s often in life-cycle assessments that decisions are made around what is worth recycling – and what should be destined for landfill. If landfill is the ultimate resting place for any product, what does the deterioration process look like and what does that mean to the environment in the short, medium and long-term?

Then, to bring the assessment cycle full circle – any product that can be processed and re-used re-enters the assessment cycle back at the extraction and processing of raw materials stage…

Ultimately, what is the life-cycle assessment done for?

There’s no one reason that a product life-cycle assessment is done. For some companies, they’re keen to explain the full back-story of the product. For others, it can be an exercise in understanding the full process and highlighting any areas that can be financially streamlined – it certainly provides a solid baseline from which improvements can be made.

For the most environmentally ethical companies, the life-cycle assessment gives a true picture of the impact they have on the well-being of the planet – and offers a chance to get a full and honest picture of the moves they and their partners can make in creating a product that fulfils the requirements of the environment – as well as those of the customer and shareholders.

How Renewable Energy Can Solve Smog Problem in China

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China is currently facing serious environmental problems, with potentially few solutions. Currently, this is mostly taking the form of serious smog issues plaguing North China, with more than 24 cities on red alert. However, with airports being shut down due to lacking visibility and the economy of China being heavily disrupted, action needs to be taken to solve this serious smog problem. While limited action has been taken, perhaps renewable energy is the key to cutting down China’s smog.

smog-china

How Bad Is the Problem?

The smog problem in China has become increasing worse from 2015 to 2017, with more than 90 micrograms of pollution per meter squared. These levels of air pollution are similar to the levels recorded previous to 2014, when the Chinese premier declared a war on pollution due to the health dangers posed by rising air pollution levels.

However, since 2015, levels of air pollution have risen once again. This pollution has had hard hitting effects on urban areas, especially the Chinese capital Beijing, and has caused widespread disruption to the lives of Chinese citizens and economy of the country.

The air pollution leads to the cities becoming hotter than ever. Urban Heat Island effect, which refers to buildings absorbing the sun’s heat well, is exacerbated by the smog. In fact, a car in the heat can reach temperatures of 114 degrees Fahrenheit after just 20 minutes, making travelling on hot days nearly unbearable for any living creature. In order to decrease the heated condition of China, it is essential to decrease the amount of smog covering the cities.

What Has the Chinese Government Done?

The Chinese government has taken limited action in an attempt to minimize the air pollution being created in the country. This includes the Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Plan, which acknowledged the danger posed by air pollution levels and aimed to reduce coal usage in urban areas like Beijing.

However, this is not representative of the main action the government has taken. Primarily, the Chinese government has focused on individual areas and attempting to reduce local pollution levels through efficient coal burning and banning the burning of waste materials, especially on farms. These solutions, while effective on a short-term basis, are not all that is needed, though.

Investment in renewables can reduce China's dependence on coal for power generation

Investment in renewables can reduce China’s dependence on coal for power generation

China needs to reduce its overall usage of coal produced energy, which currently stands at 64 percent of total energy consumption. While this has already been happening in China, the further introduction of renewable energy could be of great help to China’s pollution levels.

How Could Renewable Energy Help?

Many people believe renewable energy to be a small affair, something undertaken by the Western world in a vain attempt to reduce our collective guilt concerning climate change and wastage levels. This is simply not the case. Renewable energy is a $120 billion industry that receives investment and application across the world. This includes solar energy, waste-to-energy technology, wind energy, hydroelectric energy and many more attempts to reduce overall energy usage.

Through investment in renewable energy, China could reduce its dependence on coal and increase the efficiency of its energy production and economy. Smog is directly created by China’s use of coal for its energy production, and by investing in other renewable means, China can simultaneously improve its health situation.

In fact, the obviously positive nature of investment in renewable energy can be clearly seen through the Chinese government’s already existing plans to further incorporate it into the economy. In the five-year plan announced in 2016, the Chinese government explicitly stated it would decrease air pollution levels through investment in wind, solar and biomass energy production technologies.

While the plans additionally included investment in making the coal industry more efficient and reducing emissions on an industrial and commercial level, clearly renewable energy is believed to be a valid alternative energy source.

Overall, it is clear that renewable energy can certainly help with China’s serious smog problem. Whether this should be in tangent with further investment in the coal industry or necessitate the end of widespread coal usage in China is still a question for debate.

The Relationship Between Waste Management and Sustainability

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Waste management is one of the core themes of sustainability, but achieving sustainable waste management is a challenging and complex task. Despite the fact that an increasing amount of waste has been reused and recycled, landfills still play an important role in the management of wastes.

However, waste degradation in landfill produce leachate and harmful gases viz. carbon dioxide, methane which are considered as greenhouse gases. It has been studied that leachate contribute to 20% emission of greenhouse gases. This can largely risk human health as well as threat to environment. Furthermore, it contains low concentration of gases with heavy aromatic rings, most of them are toxic in nature.

The increasing cost of waste disposal is a cause of major concern in developing nations

Movements of leachate create problem as aquifers need more time for rehabilitation. Leachate can migrate to groundwater or surface water and have potential threat to drinking water. Constructing landfills have adverse effects on aquaculture and habitats by diffusing leachate into surface/groundwater with limited on-site recycling activities.

Various studies also claim that residential areas close to landfill areas have low housing values because people don’t prefer to live close to the area enriched with flies, mosquitoes, bacteria and bad odours.

The lower calorific value of wastes lowers the significance of waste-to-energy technologies, such as incineration/gasification, and make waste-to-energy less viable as solution for waste management solution. The low calorific value is an important outcome of waste collection process.

Waste scavengers often collect in a mixed state with all type of wastes, which include reusable materials, plastic, glass bottles etc. which reduces the calorific value and combustibility of waste. Waste is usually sorted out manually and unfortunately it becomes very difficult to regulate and implement an efficient method. This kind of waste recovery methods is very common in Asian countries e.g. India, Indonesia etc. using improper waste management technique can cause contaminated soil, water and environment.

Water is most easy to contaminate as it dissolves chemicals easily, causing harm to all living organisms including humans. Animal and marine life is most effected with water contamination. It also restricts our use of water for drinking and cooking purposes without cleaning system. The environment is highly harmed because of improper waste management.

Greenhouse gases are generated from decomposition of waste, these gases are major cause of global warming affecting air precipitation, causing acid rain to severe hailstorms. Moreover humans who live near to garbage dumping area are found to be most significant to risk of health diseases, skin problems, cancer etc.

Olusosun is the largest dumpsite in Nigeria

With proper awareness and teaching methods of efficient waste management we can achieve sustainable solution to waste management. It has been forecasted by Environmental Sanitary Protection Plan that, by 2020 Kamikatsu a city in Japan is going to be 100% free from waste. Although the target of reaching the 100% waste is going to be achieved but the standby waste issue is going to be major hurdle as Kamikatsu have only 34% of land space available.

The lack of availability of standby space for waste is going to be major problem in future because of shortage of space, degraded quality of waste with lower calorific value and formation of leachate. And unfortunately, this issue is not going to be solved very soon.

Also Read: Transforming Waste – Eco-friendly Waste Disposal Methods

Beat Plastic Pollution by Knowing How to Recycle Plastic

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According to GenFollower, around 8.3 billion metric tons (9.1 billion US tons) of plastic have been produced worldwide, and it is found that 9.1% of plastic waste is not recycled, and this is an alarming figure which is contaminating our natural environment. Although plastic is a very useful material that’s rigid, flexible and robust, it becomes waste right after use, and contaminate the environment.

plastic-bottle

In order to protect our environmental surroundings as well as to make the most of plastic material, recycling procedure is the best solution. Plastic is actually a common material that’s now frequently used by everyone on this planet. Plastic is used in several ways because it is compact and lightweight.

The continues maintenance required is little.

Typical plastic items that usually used are bottles, food packages, bags, and containers. When you buy grocery, food items or any other product from any store or shop, you’ll use plastic bags for carrying them.

Uses of Plastic

Plastics are commonly used in:

Where does the Problem Lie?

The big problem with plastic is its disposal.

Plastic is made of polymer-bonded substances and isn’t biodegradable which means plastic won’t break down when it is buried. When plastic is burnt, it discharges detrimental chemical substances in smoke. Most of these chemical substances in smoke have negative effects on our ecosystem. Therefore, the necessity of recycling arises.

Straight into Something New

Recycling means making new items out of waste material. In this article, learn more about how to to recycle plastics

Almost all types of plastic materials can’t be reprocessed. If we recycle those that can be reprocessed, the earth will be saved to a certain degree. Plastic recycling requires the process of recovering discard plastic, and this particular waste is then reprocessed to make new materials that could be more advanced than their original state.

When compared with many other materials such as metal and glass, recycling of plastic is complex and expensive. It’s because of the high molecular body weight of the large polymer-bonded chains that make the plastic material.

Heating plastic does not melt the polymer-bonded chains, and therefore, a tiresome and complicated procedure is required. Several types of plastic-type material can’t be mixed since they recycle separately.

Benefits of Recycling of Plastics

Recycling plastic has many positive aspects:

  • Use of non-renewable fuels is usually reduced by recycling as the production of new plastic materials requires more of these fuels.
  • Use of electrical power is also reduced because already prepared plastic material is reused.
  • Amount of plastic-type material that reaches the garbage dump sites are reduced. This may eradicate land pollution to some extent.
  • Carbon pollutants are reduced because manufacturing units discharge more carbon.

Inverse Polymerization Procedure

The most popular procedure that is used for polymers recycle is the inverse polymerization procedure in which the polymers in the plastic material are transformed into monomers that are used in the manufacturing process.

plastic-wastes

Recycling has unending benefits

Most of these chemical substances are then synthesized and purified to form new materials. Different polymers are usually transformed into oil in another process. The main advantage of this particular process is that any mixture of polymers can easily be used.

Steps Involved in Plastic Recycling

The standard steps which are involved in the particular recycling of plastic material are;

  • Step 1: Accumulating plastic waste from industries and households.
  • Step 2: Separating the plastic waste materials in different categories such as bags, containers, pet bottles, etc.
  • Step 3: The plastic is cut into small pieces.
  • Step 4: The small pieces are carefully cleaned for removing any unwanted particles or dirt contaminants on them.
  • Step 5: The cleaned pieces are dissolved and poured into storage containers for recycling.

In order to aid this process, plastics that have identification code should be identified with the different polymers that are usually used in the manufacturing of plastic. This process should be started at home. When you’ve used that plastic item, you can easily use the same item for something else entirely. For instance, if you purchase a fruit juice bottle, you can easily use the plastic bottle as a storage bottle for reusing the PET bottle.

What is a Full Carbon Audit?

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Carbon auditing allows businesses to fully understand their carbon footprint and the impact that they have on the planet.

Carbon auditing allows for companies to understand their energy usage and costs, enabling them to use their resources more efficiently to combat climate change.

Throughout this article, you will find out what a carbon audit is and why a full carbon audit is so important. We will also give you tips on how to conduct a full carbon audit and highlight some of the challenges and limitations related to carbon auditing.

guide to carbon auditing

What is carbon auditing?

A carbon audit is sometimes called a “carbon footprint”, but it is a way of measuring and recording emissions from an organisation.

Carbon audits are used to review the usage of carbon and greenhouse gas emissions for one business or building.

This process allows companies to figure out where they might need extra help in reducing their emissions or what they can do to improve their carbon footprint.

What are some different types of carbon audit?

There are two different types of carbon audit – otherwise known as a carbon footprint. They are:

  • Primary footprint – this refers to carbon emissions produced by our primary activities (these activities include: driving cars, burning fossil fuels and the use of electricity).
  • Secondary footprint – this refers to the indirect carbon emissions associated by manufacturing, and the breakdown of all products, services and food, which an individual human requires.

Why should you do a full carbon audit?

The importance of a full carbon audit cannot be underestimated, and a full and comprehensive audit will be extremely beneficial for your business going forward.

Not only will a comprehensive carbon audit inform your business how it can improve its carbon footprint, but a carbon audit can show businesses if they need to offset carbon, by working with companies like Celestial Green Ventures PLC.

What are the benefits of a carbon audit?

The benefits of a carbon audit are numerous and here are some examples of why carbon auditing will be good for your business:

  • You can use a completed carbon audit as a benchmarking tool
  • A carbon audit will allow you to create a strategy to improve your carbon emissions – be that in the form of cutting down your emissions directly, or using carbon offset projects, like Celestial Green Ventures, to reduce emissions
  • Celestial Green Ventures PLC’s carbon offsetting projects are a great way to mitigate carbon emissions and you will help communities and biodiversity all across the world
  • There may be financial incentives to reduce your carbon footprint
  • Customers and stakeholders expect companies to be more responsible in terms of carbon output

Finding a green provider for specialty chemicals

How do you conduct a full carbon audit?

There are several steps to conducting a full carbon audit, and often a professional will do this for you. Here are the main steps to complete in order to conduct a full carbon audit:

  • Step One: Identify the material sources of emissions
  • Step Two: Collect data on emission quantities
  • Step Three: Turn this data into a carbon footprint report
  • Step Four: Assess any potential carbon reduction opportunities
  • Step Five: Purchase any carbon offsets – from organisations such as Celestial Green Ventures PLC
  • Step Six: Establish a time-saving process to make carbon auditing an easy and repeatable process

What are the challenges and limitations of carbon auditing?

There are a few challenges that you may face when you start carbon auditing, such as:

  • Finding that there is a lack of standardised calculation models
  • Disagreements regarding which greenhouse gas emissions make up a carbon audit
  • Difficulties in collecting accurate data
  • Errors in both calculating and reporting
  • Difficulties in ensuring transparency and audit credibility

Conclusion

Carbon auditing is, for many businesses, a vital part of reducing their carbon emissions. A completed carbon audit will allow businesses to fully grasp what their carbon emissions are and they can take steps to tackle them.

This could include implementing carbon reduction schemes or utilising carbon offset programmes. However, there are limitations associated with carbon auditing and difficulties surrounding data collection and a lack of uniformity in the carbon footprinting sector could affect the results of a carbon audit.

The 5 Environmental Issues That Construction Firms Must Address

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For the last couple of years, it seems like barely a week has gone by without an alarming sign of climate change. There have been extreme weather events, as well as unexpected wintry conditions in California and the record-breaking heatwave that we saw here in the United Kingdom last summer. The government has made pledges that it will take the issue seriously, but there has been a lot of scepticism from leading figures about how much that will actually amount to. It is very clear that businesses and individuals must also step up and take responsibility.

When it comes to construction, there are a lot of different areas that require focus. So much of the conversation around the construction and property industries over the last couple of years has focused on other issues which, while admittedly important, do not factor in the long-term environmental concerns. For example, there was a huge amount written about the shortages in construction supplies, and the shortage of skilled workers in that industry. Meanwhile, the property market ballooned during the pandemic years and has since come crashing back to earth. As we look forward to the rest of the year, and the years beyond, here are the major environmental issues that construction firms must address when they are working.

environmental impact of construction projects

1. Air Pollution

Air pollution has been pushed to the forefront in recent months. For example, London’s mayor Sadiq Khan has made cleaner air a huge part of his mission. It is important to remember that during the construction process, there are a lot of opportunities for exhaust fumes and other noxious vapours to be emitted for extended periods.

Construction firms must be aware of the air pollution that they are causing and look for ways that they can either mitigate it or rule it out entirely. A simple example of how they can cut down on exhaust created is to use electric vans and other vehicles where possible for transporting materials to the work site.

2. Non-Recycled And Non-Recyclable Materials

This is an area that every business needs to focus on, regardless of sector, but it can be particularly relevant here. People who are looking to build their properties from scratch may insist on using entirely new materials, but there is no need for such a definitive approach. Take something as simple as a wooden deck, for example. Recycled materials are just as hardy, just as effective, and just as easy to style.

It is the responsibility of the contractors to offer a range of materials to their clients and to recommend the use of recycled materials where they can. This will massively cut down on the amount of waste that the construction industry generates. It is also important to think about using recyclable materials.

construction-waste

So much waste from construction projects ends up in landfills. It is vital that the industry as a whole considers this issue and tries to avoid using everything from single-use plastics to non-biodegradable materials.

3. Impact On The Local Wildlife

Every time a construction project gets underway, the local wildlife will be affected. There is such a huge number of different elements and species at play that the idea that a project could be completely free of this issue is a hard one to believe. However, with the right preparation, surveys and consideration, the impact can be kept to a minimum. The specifics will vary from project to project depending on the location and the type of wildlife that lives in the area. For example, a project taking place near water will have to consider everything from fish and frogs to the animals that use the area.

One of the most important species that anyone thinking of renovating or demolishing a building will need to consider is bats. Bats are a protected species in the UK, and they often make their nests in roofs, lofts, and barns. They are also often found in trees, and a bat survey must be conducted to ensure that you are not damaging their habitat.

The first step is to take a preliminary roost assessment. If a roost is found, then you will need further surveys about the best way forward. For more information about bat surveys and a range of other wildlife surveys, talk to the team at Arbtech. They can help you to get surveys done quickly and efficiently and advise on how your project can proceed.

4. Noise Pollution

This point may seem a little less grave than some of the others that have been discussed already, but it is a major factor not just to the local people, but to the local wildlife. Sustained noise pollution can be a serious problem, which is why it is advised that construction companies check with the local council before they begin a project. It may be that work must be restricted to certain times of day, or it may be that the project needs to be moved entirely.

methods for stabilizing soil for construction

5. Using Methods That Cause Erosion And Contamination

As unfortunate as it may be, there are still a lot of ways that construction companies can damage the local environment through carelessness. For example, it is possible for the soil surrounding the worksite to become eroded thanks to the coming and going of heavy vehicles and heavy equipment, not to mention the ongoing disruption of the construction work itself. Soil and water contamination is also a major risk on a lot of projects and requires constant vigilance from the people working on the site to ensure that it is not happening.

One of the main factors that contribute to these harmful scenarios is businesses not investing in newer techniques and new equipment which are less likely to have a negative impact. Given how tough the market has been, it is understandable that spending a lot of money is the last thing any firm wants to commit to. However, the environmental impact of any construction project must be going to be kept to a minimum.


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