If you are thinking about building a new home or office block, it is important that you are considering the effect that it will have on the environment. There are many different building materials that you can choose from but only some are energy efficient in the way that they are made. Here, we are going to look at some of the reasons why steel is a very environmentally-friendly building material. Keep reading to find out more about this material.
1. Less Waste
One of the most important reasons why steel is an environmentally-friendly building material is the fact that it tends to produce less waste. When you order steel from a company like Armstrong Steel, for example, you are only ordering exactly what you need. Their steel building kits provide you with the exact materials you need to assemble, so if you have any spare parts you’ve done something wrong!
This can mean that there is little to no waste in comparison to other building materials such as brick or wood. This is a great reason to consider using steel in your home.
When you invest in steel as a building material, you are also ensuring that energy usage and costs are going to be much less in the future. This is great for those who are going to be living in the building or using it, as well as the environment as a whole.
Steel is a material that can be effectively insulated and so you don’t need to worry about losing any energy. This means that this building material is much more environmentally-friendly.
3. It Can Withstand Harsh Weather
Did you know that steel is an extremely durable material and so it has the ability to withstand harsh weather and stay standing for a long time? This means that you don’t need to worry about the steel building falling down in the event of flooding or snowstorm as it is built to last. With a longer-lasting material, you can be sure that your building will leave behind a much smaller carbon footprint.
4. Solar Panels Can Be Added
The final reason that steel is an environmentally-friendly building material is that it can have solar panels added very easily. Not every building material has this ability and so solar panels are often ignored for other types of energy.
With more buildings using solar energy to power utilities, the environment will be positively impacted. This is something to consider if you are thinking about building a steel building in the near future.
Final Verdict
Steel is one of the best eco-friendly building materials for buildings across the world for a number of reasons. If you are interested in doing what you can to save the planet then you might want to consider choosing steel for your next project. Think about how durable this material is and remember that steel is recyclable. Try steel in your next building and you will feel much better about your carbon footprint and the effect that you are having on the environment overall.
Without a doubt, one of the biggest challenges of this generation is climate change. If not proactively handled, its effects may become irreversible and catastrophic to humanity. Climate change affects all people on the planet, even if they don’t see this influence with the naked eye.
Students and other members of society try to fight climate change since they are passionate about improving the quality of their life and protecting the planet. This article briefly describes what climate change is. It also highlights its effects on students’ life and education within the global community.
About Climate Change
Climate change is a well-known term, but what is it all about? Climate change describes a long-term shift in global weather and temperature patterns resulting from natural and human activities. Since the 19th century, human activity has been the primary driver for the shift in these elements, resulting in unprecedented changes in temperature and weather patterns that adversely affect humans, animals, and plants. The main drivers of climate change are as follows.
Burning of fossil fuels;
Deforestation for farming and industrial activities;
Exploration of natural resources;
Improper disposal of harmful waste.
All these actions translate into floods, wildfires, poor air quality, and more that threaten the existence of humans, flora, and fauna.
Effect of Climate Change on Students
Climate change affects students in various ways. Below are some of the main effects of these changes on learners.
1. Makes School Buildings Unsuitable for Learning
Lecture halls and classrooms are built according to the prevailing weather and temperature conditions of each location. Weather and temperature were stable and predictable when most schools were designed and built. As such, these spaces are conducive due to adequate lighting and ventilation. However, most of these designs and buildings are becoming non-conducive due to increased flooding, drought, and heat waves.
Many schools have become unfavorable for learning due to the lack of necessary cooling or heating options to mitigate these changes. Likewise, learning institutions in poor neighborhoods do not have access to the funding that can reduce these effects. Therefore, students and their teachers are left to find ineffective ways of managing the situation. In cases of flood, entire schools become inaccessible for weeks or even months until the water level drops. Even then, damage to infrastructure and facilities makes learning highly inconvenient or even impossible.
In many countries, students choose online education because they don’t like the available educational facilities or if those are unsuitable for attending. Such students also often opt for online writing services instead of writing their own papers. When they buy a custom research paper online, they can get an example of quality writing and learn to write better, even without the help of teachers. This is also an option for those busy students who like to attend climate change conferences and protests, thus having less time for paper writing.
2. Reduces Quality of Education
When students lack the required environments to learn, it can compromise their education. Teachers and professors become unable to deliver effective instruction due to problems with classrooms, lecture halls, and teaching aids. On the other hand, learners can’t concentrate in class because the learning environment is no longer conducive. Over time, comprehension and retention decline, which reduces the quality of education students acquire.
3. Causes Malnutrition
As high temperatures, floods, heat waves, and droughts persist, food production reduces. The cost of production of foodstuffs increases. Also, parents and guardians become increasingly incapable of providing the nutrition their children need to develop and grow. As a result, many students, especially in developing countries, are becoming malnourished due to poor diets. Bad nutrition creates a cascading effect that is relevant for both children at home and in school. Ultimately, students become preoccupied with how to feed themselves instead of concentrating on education.
Impacts Health
The risk of malnutrition to students can also lead to health problems. But you should only fill nutritional gaps with healthy eating. Malnourished students are susceptible to infections and diseases due to a decrease in the strength of their immune systems. Furthermore, floods, rising temperatures, hurricanes, and wildfires are causing serious risks to health through the propagation of waterborne illnesses, pollution, chemical hazards, and injuries. Similarly, vectors like mosquitoes and rats are on the rise and spreading diseases to more locations.
All these problems primarily affect students from low-income families and preexisting health problems. These challenges exist alongside modern health issues like poor eyesight, low concentration, insomnia, etc., that develop in students that use many gadgets while learning or relaxing.
Increases Domestic Abuse
Many children suffer from domestic abuse. However, being occupied with education reduces the frequency of violence since students spend considerable time away from their homes. As climate change makes more schools inaccessible, many children are forced to stay at home. When this happens, some students experience increased violence and abuse from their parents or relatives.
Increases Dropout Rate
As mentioned above, climate change is making many schools inaccessible for brief or extended periods of time. In addition, it is increasing the cost of acquiring an education. As a result, children and young adults who cannot access their schools due to these reasons may decide to drop out.
Conclusion
Climate change is a problem that can greatly affect the lives and education of students. It can make schools unsuitable for learning, and reduce the quality of education. Additionally, due to climate change and the difficulties it brings, many learners are becoming malnourished, which leads to further health issues. Furthermore, children who are unable to attend school are more likely to become victims of domestic abuse.
Finally, students unable to access their schools due to climate change problems are more likely to drop out. These issues are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to climate change affecting education. This is why all of us must concentrate our efforts on helping the planet, and ensuring a better future for our children.
Food waste is a global issue that begins at home and as such, it is an ideal contender for testing out new approaches to behaviour change. The behavioural drivers that lead to food being wasted are complex and often inter-related, but predominantly centre around purchasing habits, and the way in which we store, cook, eat and celebrate food.
Consumer Behavior – A Top Priority
Consumer behaviour is a huge priority area in particular for industrialised nations – it is estimated that some western societies might be throwing away up to a third of all food purchased. The rise of cheap food and convenience culture in recent years has compounded this problem, with few incentives or disincentives in place at producer, retail or consumer level to address this.
While it is likely that a number of structural levers – such as price, regulation, enabling measures and public benefits – will need to be pulled together in a coherent way to drive progress on this agenda, at a deeper level there is a pressing argument to explore the psycho-social perspectives of behaviour change.
Individual or collective behaviours often exist within a broader cultural context of values and attitudes that are hard to measure and influence. Simple one-off actions such as freezing leftovers or buying less during a weekly food shop do not necessarily translate into daily behaviour patterns. For such motivations to have staying power, they must become instinctive acts, aligned with an immediate sense of purpose. Click here to see what steps you can take to tackle this issue. The need to consider more broadly our behaviours and how they are implicated in such issues must not stop at individual consumers, but extend to governments, businesses and NGOs if effective strategies are to be drawn up.
Emergence of Food Waste Disposers
Food waste disposer (FWDs), devices invented and adopted as a tool of food waste management may now represent a unique new front in the fight against climate change. These devices, commonplace in North America, Australia and New Zealand work by shredding household or commercial food waste into small pieces that pass through a municipal sewer system without difficulty.
The shredded food particles are then conveyed by existing wastewater infrastructure to wastewater treatment plants where they can contribute to the generation of biogas via anaerobic digestion. This displaces the need for generation of the same amount of biogas using traditional fossil fuels, thereby averting a net addition of greenhouse gases (GHG) to the atmosphere.
Food waste is an ideal contender for testing new approaches to behaviour change.
The use of anaerobic digesters is more common in the treatment of sewage sludge, as implemented in the U.K., but not as much in the treatment of food waste. In addition to this, food waste can also replace methanol (produced from fossil fuels) and citric acid used in advanced wastewater treatment processes which are generally carbon limited.
Despite an ample number of studies pointing to the evidence of positive impacts of food waste disposer, concerns regarding its use still exist, notably in Europe. Scotland for example has passed legislation that bans use of FWDs, stating instead that customers must segregate their waste and make it available curbside for pickup. This makes it especially difficult for the hospitality industry, to which the use of disposer is well suited.
The U.S. however has seen larger scale adoption of the technology due to the big sales push it received in the 1950s and 60s. In addition to being just kitchen convenience appliances, FWDs are yet to be widely accepted as a tool for positive environmental impact.
Note: Note: This excerpt is being published with the permission of our collaborative partner Be Waste Wise.
Global warming, according to all credible science, is one of the greatest threats to the planet today, and one that is going to get worse before it gets better. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN body established to assess the science related to climate change, modern humans have never before experienced the observed changes in our global climate. Furthermore, some of these changes are irreversible over the next hundreds to thousands of years.
The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment report published in 2021 found that human-caused emissions have already warmed the climate by nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit since pre-Industrial times. The global average temperature is expected to rise by 3 degrees F within the next few decades, and will affect all regions of Earth.
Many of the things we’ve taken for granted are contributing negatively to climate change, and in turn, there are many things that we can do as individuals to help reduce climate change. Below, we will talk about some of the small changes you can make to your behavior to help
1. Use public transportation more often
Granted, this is not something everyone can do, mainly because the US is not known for having quality public transportation in a lot of places. This is particularly true in certain cities like LA, where car culture rules and “carmaggedon” traffic regularly happens. Even the most populated places have problems with public transportation, and if you live in a rural town, you kind of have to own a car for a lot of things. Ultimately, if you can take public transportation instead of driving, or maybe even carpool, that helps make a difference.
Even if you live in a rural area, that doesn’t necessarily require a car to get around. Bikes are a great eco-friendly way to travel at least a short distance.
2. Try to use less energy
Every day, we use a ton of energy, and much of that energy is completely wasted. To cut back on your energy waste, make sure that you turn any lights off when you leave the room, and turn off surge protectors to prevent electronics from using power while in standby mode.
Additionally, try to reduce the number of devices connected to Wi-Fi. Especially with devices like the Amazon Echo and Google Home, you may find that you have a device in every room that uses Wi-Fi at all times. Not only does this save electricity, it also saves you money.
If you can bear it, try to use less heat and air conditioning in winter and summer respectively. A great way to reduce your energy needs is to make your home energy efficient. The best way to do this is to get your doors and windows redone, such that they keep the outside weather from getting inside when they’re closed.
3. Eat less meat and dairy
It’s understandable that a lot of people would feel reluctant to cut these out of their diets, even only partially. Cows contribute a ton of methane gas, with 1/3 of all human-caused methane gas coming from beef and dairy cattle. Ideally, if enough people abandoned beef and dairy, the industry would be forced to adjust to something less costly to the environment. There are a lot of types of farms out there, ranging from vegetable farms, to goat farms, to even marijuana farms.
4. Order only what you think you can eat
America is known for having particularly large portions, but despite that, those large portions often get wasted. Be sure to determine what you can handle, and try to avoid ordering more than that. Further, make sure that you buy fewer groceries if you find that you have some food and drinks that are expiring before you can get to them. If you have leftovers, you should also be sure to use alternatives to plastic wrapping and packaging to contain them.
5. Shop locally when possible
Shopping online contributes negatively to climate change, mainly due to the fact that it involves a lot of transportation, whether it be on planes, ships, or trucks. And obviously, these vehicles burn a lot of fossil fuels to get your items to you. Some items cannot be obtained locally, of course, but for those that can, try to get them locally. Additionally, shopping locally helps to better enrich your community.
6. Don’t worry about lawn culture
One of the most pernicious things you can do, honestly, is try to aim for that “perfect lawn.” Simply put, we don’t have water to spare for this, and it’s incredibly wasteful. You’d be shocked by how much water you use in your everyday life. And, to be frank, a perfect lawn is boring. Avoid using pesticides and fertilizers as well, as rainwater may cause these to flow from the sewer into bodies of water. Read this article to know about the effects of climate change on water resources.
Can we solve climate change on our own?
For all we can do to tackle climate change, it begs the question: is it enough? When all is said and done, among the biggest contributors to climate change isn’t individual action, or even collective action, it’s corporations. Sure, corporations cannot have this impact without consumers, but corporations have a ton of influence over what we consume, and how.
There are a number of things corporations do to not only affect the climate, but also prevent action from being taken to course correct. One of the earliest examples of this was with ExxonMobil, which, despite conducting a study that found climate change to be a real threat, worked to debunk it publicly. More minor examples, such as Amazon destroying unsold inventory, are also a cause for concern.
Politicians are not much better, and in many ways even worse. For the most part, politicians are, at best, slowing climate change, and at worst, actively contributing to it. Even Democrats have been criticized for their lukewarm response to climate change, with the Green New Deal being unpopular with many more moderate and conservative Democrats.
Now, a lot of people would tell you that the best way to solve this is to vote, but it’s not quite that simple. The most important elections rarely have politicians who have a solid chance at winning who follow the science to its natural conclusion with respect to climate change. Thus, the vote often comes down to which politician you want to let you down.
The best suggestion that could be made is to either try to force politicians’ hand via protesting, or try to affect elections on a local level. This is far more manageable than trying to get your ideal President, and has a much higher level of success.
In the grand scheme of things, if we want to turn things around, we need to do something to force corporations and politicians to do better too. This can be done through boycotts, protests, and political advocacy, among other things, to create pressure to change their ways. So don’t let your potential contributions to climate change make you feel doom and gloom, as individuals can only do so much. Do what you can, and live your life.
Environmental problems have become global. That is why the environmental education of students is not just one of the most important tasks of modern society; it is a condition for further survival. By introducing environmental practices, students take real steps to conserve natural resources and develop environmental thinking.
Not all heroes wear capes, but some carry thermal mugs, recycle, and cut back on plastic. Wr1ter.com has put together 8 ways how students can help save the planet.
1. Save resources
Most of us do not notice how many resources are wasted every day. But saving electricity and water is a matter of a couple of minutes! Turn off the lights and unplug electrical appliances – even an unattended smartphone charger consumes electricity invisibly. When buying household appliances, choose energy-saving models – marked A, A +, and A ++.
Additionally, you can install economical shower heads and light bulbs, load your washing machine fully every time and use a low wash temperature. It can help you cut your energy consumption by up to 80% and save on bills, which is always good news for a student.
2. Separate garbage
People have learned to deal with garbage in three ways: leave it in dumps, burn it or recycle it. Unfortunately, except for recycling, such methods destroy nature and are hazardous to health.
The separate waste collection helps to recycle what is no longer needed into new things and useful materials. Here are some tips for those who have never separated waste:
Start small by choosing one or two types of recyclable waste
Choose what is easier for you to sort or take for recycling or disposal: for example, start with glass, paper, AA batteries, or plastic caps. This way, you will easily remember what should not fall into the common tank.
Organize a storage space
Another advantage of separating is that you will have to take out the trash less often. True, part of it will remain at home for a while. Decide ahead of time where to place the container, boxes, or baskets for this waste and how to compactly fold, bandage, or flatten the waste. If the habit of sorting garbage is still hard for you, use two containers for the first time – for recyclable garbage (it will be easier to separate later) and the one that you usually use.
Create a tradition
Involve the family, have a competition, or once a month, have an eco-day with garbage sorting and preparation for recycling. Such a tradition will not only take you one step closer to an eco-friendly lifestyle but will also be a pleasant occasion to please yourself and your loved ones.
Remember!
Batteries must not be thrown away with the rest of the trash! Taking them to the extended collection points for recycling is better.
3. Recycle
The separate waste collection leads to the next point of saving nature – recycling. Identify “useful” waste and where it is accepted. Find out where the nearest recycling yards are (using the Greenpeace interactive map, for example) and set aside a separate container in your home to avoid confusion.
4. Choose eco-friendly transport
Walking and cycling are the most beneficial ways of transportation for people and nature. In addition, there will be less environmental harm when choosing public transport instead of a car.
But, if you cannot do without a car, use the advice of environmentalists to help reduce fuel consumption and the environmental impact.
First, take care of the car, not only when something is wrong: pass the inspection on time, change the air filters, engine oil, and spark plugs. Secondly, keeping a constant speed and not exceed the permissible limit, saving you up to 20% of fuel. Thirdly, turn off the engine when you stop for more than a minute. And last but not least: maintain proper tire pressure. Under-inflated tires produce more drag and, as a result, increase fuel consumption.
Click here to learn why electric vehicles are the future of green transportation.
5. Reuse and don’t take more than you need.
Reducing waste is just as important as recycling it properly. Today, when almost everything is disposable, there is a reusable alternative. Buy less of what will fly into the bin almost immediately: replace disposable cups with a thermos or thermal mug, and products in additional packaging with those that are by weight (use string bags, your containers, fabric bags).
6. Support and promote eco-friendly initiatives at your college
Become a guide to the world of ecological life for your friends! So forgo the elevator in favor of the stairs, do not forget to turn off the computer at the end of the working day, and take reusable lunch boxes with you.
7. Pay attention to nutrition
Choosing the right food can also help reduce your environmental footprint. Shop for seasonal and local products. Their delivery requires less fuel and produces fewer harmful emissions. In addition, the more recycled a product is, the heavier its environmental footprint. The most “heavy” are semi-finished products and canned food.
8. Use less plastic
It is unlikely that it will be possible to shut the door on plastic – too many surrounding things are made from this cheap material. But you can reduce its consumption and contribute to saving nature. For example, do not buy water in plastic bottles; use reusable stainless steel or glass containers instead.
Sustainability has become a key element of doing business in any industry. However, running a sustainable business can be challenging and involves engaging employees in your sustainability mission. Developing a strong sustainability culture allows employees to commit to sustainability and implement the environmentally friendly initiatives that best suit the company. Your organisational culture refers to the company’s mission and vision. However, there is much more to consider, such as the daily interaction between employees and managers or your team’s attitude to their daily responsibilities. Today we will provide you with our expert tips to cultivate a culture of sustainability and ensure that your company is striving for a greater purpose other than profit.
Create A Sustainability Vision
Establishing a sustainability vision will help your company determine the direction in which it wants to move in. Therefore, it is critical to develop a picture of the future that is easy to communicate. As new challenges arise, you should adapt the sustainability vision accordingly. Then you will need to ensure that your company’s sustainability vision is remembered and celebrated in different ways.
For example, this might involve organising events, such as sustainability weeks, team competitions, as well as communication campaigns. It might also be a good idea to involve employees’ families, encouraging them to introduce sustainable practices at home.
Explore Effective Solutions
You will need to develop a solid understanding of your company’s impact and potential for sustainable growth. This can be done by exploring effective solutions and strategies to tackle environmental issues, such as climate change.
Take a look at this Business and Climate Change online short course from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, which is designed to show you how to combat climate change in your context and, through the process of decarbonising your business, identify new opportunities for innovation. It delves deep into the importance of this topic, providing you with guidelines on how to create a positive impact within your sphere of influence. You will also learn more about real-world examples of low carbon initiatives.
Get Involved In Local Initiatives
No matter how much effort you put into designing a sustainability strategy, there might be a few employees who might not want to get involved straightaway. It is advisable to provide them with a sense of relevance by looking for local community initiatives that your company can support.
Following successful involvement with community initiatives, these employees can witness the tangible results, which can increase their motivation to get involved again. To ensure success, focus on achieving goals related to employees’ daily lives and personal values.
Participate In Sustainability Forums
There are many issues that your business might want to learn about. However, nowadays, it can be challenging to always keep up with the best practices out there.
Consider participating in sustainability forums where public, private, and third sectors meet to discuss innovative sustainability practices. This can provide you with ideas on how to develop a culture of sustainability that will show your employees that you are committed to making positive changes. You may also have the chance to make new business connections and partnerships.
Implement Green Practices
Think about creating a more sustainable office so that you can save money and energy. For example, you may consider using renewable energy, as green power sources are now more accessible than ever. Also, you can try going paperless by printing less in general and using e-statements and invoices instead of paper documents.
There are also many benefits of choosing LED lighting in your office, such as providing a better work setting for employees and increasing energy efficiency. Where possible, you should try to maximise natural light as well.
Provide Sustainability Training
Employees should not only understand the idea of sustainability and developing a green culture, but they should also be aware of the reasons why the company is focused on sustainability. This means that your message needs to be clear so that employees feel more aligned with the company’s mission. Sustainability training can take place in a variety of ways by using a combination of internal and external resources.
For instance, you can start by hosting monthly meetings with the aim of discussing different topics related to business sustainability. Also, it might be helpful to establish a training budget that enables employees to attend seminars or conferences.
Put Together A Green Team
If you are looking to truly engage employees and establish a sustainability culture, you will not only just need leadership from management, but at all levels of the organisation.
It can be helpful to set up a green team made up of passionate individuals across all levels and departments of the company. These people should be eager to contribute to the organisation’s sustainability efforts. This will confirm the idea of a greater movement happening and will encourage participation from other team members as well. You will find that many employees will be interested in participating in something that aligns with their core values.
Organise Regular Meetings
Holding meetings on a regular basis is a great way to allow cross-collaboration between different departments and areas of the business. It will also enable you to track progress and communicate results with the rest of the team. Keep employees fully informed about company updates when it comes to broader sustainability goals. Explain how company initiatives are benefiting the environment and your local community.
You may also want to include general news about eco-trends or worldwide sustainability activities that might interest your employees. Regular meetings will help you stay on track with your goals, ensuring that every employee can feel like a sustainability champion.
Be Open To Suggestions
When employees are empowered with education and the tools they need to make a positive environmental impact, they are more likely to embed sustainability into their daily routines. This means that you can avoid unwanted disruption to regular business culture. Instead, you can focus on making gradual changes and moving towards a culture of sustainability.
It is crucial to ensure that employees feel confident to share their ideas and suggestions, which may influence company actions. As a result, all employees can gain common ground on sustainability strategies.
Share Success Stories
It is important to show appreciation to employees who have adopted this culture by featuring their stories in a visible or public manner. If you are looking to promote employee engagement, you may also want to organise competitions with attractive incentives, such as a paid company volunteer day.
Remember to celebrate your employees’ success and show them that the company is committed to helping all stakeholders, including customers, partners, and the local community. For example, you can share awards, pictures, videos, and quotes on social media so that you can get more people involved.
Embed Sustainability In Employees’ Minds
Sustainability should become part of everyday interaction between employees and managers, from senior board meetings to sub-department lunches. When it comes to adopting new habits and getting accustomed to new ideas, repetition is key. Therefore, it might be beneficial for managers to mention sustainability during important speeches and presentations. This will portray sustainability as a main personal and organisational goal.
Managers can demonstrate that the company’s sustainability vision is not empty words but rather a top priority. As a result, the concept of sustainability and a green workplace culture will be embedded in employees’ minds.
Whether the trends have changed or you’re tired of seeing the same old design in your room, it may be time for a change. However, redesigning your kitchen units (and maybe the whole kitchen) can be costly, especially if you purchase too many supplies or need to stick to a budget. Even so, you can change whatever you like through sustainable practices that will allow you to buy affordable things. A penny saved is a penny earned, so let’s get into it.
1. Try sustainable paint
The easiest and less pricey option for redesigning your kitchen units is to paint them. Green products are accessible, but first, you need to consider a few things. To keep the paint on for a longer time, you must be careful how you strip off the old paint. For example, you might want to get a lead-based paint remover that will safely alter it. Removing and cleaning the waste won’t be a hassle anymore, and you’ll be able to dispose of it properly.
Secondly, when looking for sustainable paint, the best options are products with low or no VOC (volatile organic compounds). For durability, check if the paint is oil-based or water-based with 100% acrylic resin. You may also add a clear sealer top on the paint for more protection. Finally, regarding the sealer, you’ll find polyurethane products that will care for your cabinets against fingertips and other strains.
Know that sustainable paint is not only good for the environment but your health too. If you don’t choose protective equipment, your lungs may be affected by the fumes and chemicals, and in the worst cases, those paints can even contribute to respiratory diseases and cancer. So, besides choosing sustainable paint, make sure you properly ventilate the room and wear a mask to minimise the risks.
Look for sustainable materials
When choosing sustainable materials for your cabinets, you’ll have two options: either purchase high-end products that will last forever or look for recycled countertops. The expensive materials will surely last for a longer time, but depending on how much you want to invest in your house, they might not be the best solution if you’re not already settled in your own household.
Then, if you choose recycled products, they might not look that good so they may need another repaint, but the prices are more accessible, like:
FSC-certified and bamboo plywood;
FSC-certified wood
Wood Veneer
Renewable wood like lyptus (made from two species of eucalyptus)
Still, if your budget allows it, look for these high-end materials:
Maple
Cherry
Alder
Red birch
The less expensive products are not less durable, they’re only not that fancy-looking, but you can still change their appearance. Salvaged wood and reused wood pallets are better than having furniture containing certain toxins that can affect your health. For example, some semi-volatile organic compounds found in such materials have been found to contribute to asthma and wheezing.
3. Shop from local manufacturers
One great way of being a sustainable customer is to support your local businesses and purchase their products. By doing this, you’ll offer them the opportunity of creating new and better products and also provide qualitative furniture to their clients. What’s best about local manufacturers is that they can make custom kitchen units that will suit your tastes better. They may cost you a little bit more, but the investment is worth it.
However, if there are no local businesses in your area and you have no choice but to buy from regular suppliers, you can at least check their ethical and eco policies to ensure they respect the environment and don’t waste resources. Be aware of greenwashing and check if there are rumours around the company’s practices because, most times, if other people sense there’s something wrong with a business, it might be true.
Greenwashing happens when companies invest more in advertising and promoting their intentions and practices. Still, in reality, they don’t implement sustainability into their culture to minimise their impact on the environment. So, if one of your suppliers seems to insist too much on green products and such, make sure you research them thoroughly before purchasing their products.
4. Buy second-hand
Second-hand shops are not only great for reusing clothes but also for furniture. Some showrooms will work by displaying used units, cabinets and such at a discount price. The only disadvantage is that you may find cracked or broken things, so they will need reparations, repainting and much more. Still, the advantage of such showrooms is that you’ll find plenty of unique products, from vintage units to some of the latest designs that you may not find on the internet anymore. Plus, some of these products are made with high-end materials, which is why some of them are very heavy.
Regarding the design, if you’re lucky to find a furniture auction near you or selling online, you might be able to get your hands on:
Mid-century modern furniture with organic and geometric shapes, minimal ornamentation and neutral and bold colours;
Modern furnishings, with smooth surfaces, straight lines and warm neutral colours;
Art deco furniture, with angular lines, bold patterns and prints and animal themes;
Chippendale furniture that has wooden lattice-shaped curves and elaborated ornamentation;
Rocco furniture brings the 18th century into your kitchen with lighter woods and pastel colours;
Victorian furniture is represented by heavy fabrics, ornate carvings and inlays;
The mission-style furniture features include straight lines, squared legs and durability;
The Queen Anne design involves curving shaped-furniture, delicate fan or shell patterns made from maple or mahogany woods;
Wrapping up
What do you think about these ideas? We believe anyone can redesign their kitchen units and furniture by making a small effort to look for something more than you’d typically find at the regular supplier. Painting furniture is also a sustainable method of caring for and changing your cabinets. Make sure you choose the proper paint and product and equip yourself with masks. So, what’s your next plan for transforming your kitchen units?
It’s hard to believe that only a few decades ago we fell into the trap of thinking “disposable” equated to “cool.” We also had an attitude that nature was inexhaustible, messy, and probably needed to be tamed. Times certainly have changed, and from engineers to householders, to small businesses, doing what we can to go easy on the environment has become something we all wished we’d started doing long ago. This awareness has led to some pretty ingenious solutions and ideas. Let’s explore some examples that range from the super-serious to the cute and fun.
1. Tunnels Without the Disturbance
Have you heard about microtunneling? Modern-day life means having access to a great many infrastructure services, most of which come from tunnels that run for miles beneath the surface. Not too long ago, the solution was diggers and a huge mess – not exactly good when sensitive areas were traversed. Now, specialized machinery can dig microtunnels with very little need for surface disturbance. It’s one of those jaw-dropping technologies that few of us are aware of but that are becoming the norm rather than the exception.
2. Trawling Away The Oceans’ Garbage Patches
Massive “islands” of floating plastic are threatening sea-life and the health of the planet is heavily dependent on the health of its oceans. A non-profit organization has come up with a simple yet effective way to clean up floating debris in rivers and in the sea. Will this huge cleanup come cheap? Sadly, it won’t. Support their work if you can.
3. Edible Water Bottles
Stopping the plastic problem at its source would certainly be a big advance. One of the top culprits in plastic pollution, water bottles, may be taking on an edible spin. For now, they consist of coated spheres of water. Pop one in your mouth, bite down, and enjoy a fresh, guilt-free draught of water. Now, we just need to see a similar level of ingenuity being applied to other types of food packaging.
4. Chewing Gum Sneakers
Continuing our journey from the large-scale engineering project to the products that ordinary people use almost every day, we have a truly intriguing idea from the Netherlands: chewing gum sneakers! Instead of using plastics and newly manufactured synthetic rubber, one company has found a way to make rubber from used chewing gum. While the global impact will likely be a small one, this type of ingenuity deserves a big thumbs up!
5. Drowned Bicycle Bottle Openers
Another rather fun idea from the Netherlands, we have drowned bicycle bottle openers! It seems that the Dutch, or at least some of them, have been disposing of old bicycles in canals. A local gin producer has decided to cash in – and clean up the canals – by using bicycle parts to make its own eco-friendly bottle openers.
From Mega-Projects to Upcycled Products: Every Bit Helps
Can you add your two cents to global efforts that benefit the environment? Whether you’re an inventor with grand schemes or an ordinary citizen, you can help to make a difference. Reduce, reuse, recycle – and do a bit extra on top of that. Looking for an idea? Why not organize a riverside cleanup or hit the beach with your garbage bags and a few friends. Every bit helps!
Most people don’t see what happens to their trash. They throw it in a black plastic bag, toss the bag into a dumpster and the trash man collects it once a week and makes it disappear. Magic, right?
Wrong.
Most of our trash ends up in a landfill where it is buried and mixed in with decades-worth of junk. Certain items will break down over time while others are essentially just stored there, in a graveyard of forgotten items and a mountain of garbage.
In the year since China banned the import of other countries’ plastic recyclables, the global recycling industry has been in flux, resulting in plastics ending up in landfills, incinerators and littering the environment. This is causing countries and citizens across the globe to reexamine their recycling systems and highlights the need for zero waste practices.
Zero waste is the concept of eliminating the amount of trash thrown away by only purchasing reusable items. That’s a significant shift from the 4.4 pounds of trash that the average American tosses every day. But certain trends are helping make the idea of zero waste a reality in the United States. Let us have a look:
Replace Single-Use Packaging With Reusable Materials
Way too many plastic items that we use every day are meant to be used only once. And the amount of packaging that goes into shipping one box, that will simply get tossed in the garbage after the parcel is unwrapped, is astounding. In fact, 40 percent of plastic produced is packaging, which is thrown away after it arrives at your doorstep.
Plastic bag and straw bans are on the rise across the globe. Consumers are becoming more conscious of how their use of these items contributes to the trash crisis. Recent data shows that customers are more likely to buy products from brands that promote sustainable business practices.
Reduce Energy Waste By Choosing Renewable Options
Many industries are opting to reduce energy waste by pursuing renewable energy sources. U.S. manufacturers account for 30 percent of the nation’s energy consumption, which means manufacturers must take the lead in reducing fossil fuel consumption and energy waste.
The U.S. is the leader in energy waste. Americans spend $350 billion on energy costs each year, yet three-quarters of that energy goes to waste. One way to reduce the burden on our power grid — and our wallets — from all that lost energy is by switching to renewable energy sources.
Air compressors are vital to the upkeep of a successful farm, and many producers in the agricultural sector are also reducing waste by switching to high-powered air compressors that, when properly maintained, can reduce energy usage and cut costs.
Eliminate Food Waste
About 94 percent of food waste ends up in landfills, which contribute to methane gas emissions. Reducing food waste not only helps the environment, but it also decreases the amount you have to spend at the grocery store. It also helps to conserve energy, as less power is needed to grow and produce food if less is wasted.
Individual consumers can help eliminate food waste by freezing leftovers to preserve them and composting uneaten food, as opposed to tossing in the trash.
Restaurants can use these tactics and others to cut down on food waste, such as donating leftovers and properly training staff to get on board with waste reduction. They can also hire auditors to help them identify ways to reduce waste and streamline business practices.
Never Too Late to Make a Change
Though the statistics may seem disheartening, the reality is that it’s never too late to make a change in your individual or business habits to help cut down on waste and work toward the goal of accomplishing zero waste. Following these trends and implementing others is just one way to do your part to eliminate waste and protect the environment.
The conservation of water, its proper flow, and assured safety for home or industrial use can be achieved by reusing water through renewable energy. However, algae control is challenging even for modern wastewater treatment plants. One of the best ways of resolving this problem is by installing launder covers.
Aside from this concern, water ecosystems also face other issues, the most notable being water and wastewater treatment facilities. So how can launder covers be of any help in such a scenario?
The discussion that follows will serve as a useful reference point when choosing the right launder cover for your water and wastewater treatment facility. Let’s get up to speed on how launder covers can help water environments.
Prevent Algae Growth
Algae growth has a proven tendency of developing in water and wastewater treatment facilities. It causes changes in the hydraulic dynamics of clarifiers, which leads to obstruction of design features found in weir configurations. Once launder covers are installed, they provide an attractive and extremely low maintenance structure to help eliminate algae growth problems.
Also, larger algae can dislodge and move around in plants that utilize ultraviolet disinfection technology. If the floating algae ends up covering UV bulbs, this may cause bulb failure and render UV bulbs ineffective, which are unfortunately very expensive to replace.
That’s why the installation of reliable launder covers, like IEC Covers, is recommended to help prevent algae growth in water and wastewater treatment plants. This would save money on repairs and UV bulb replacement at the same time.
Control Gas And Odor Emissions
Launder covers are useful in providing a continuous protective environment above the effluent stream. They can contain odor and gas to prevent environmental pollution and protect the health of workers in the area.
A reliable and corrosion-free launder cover system prevents direct sunlight from reaching the elevated growth areas of the weir and clarifier launder. Since launder covers serve as odor control hoods, they trap noxious gases that are generated during wastewater treatment processes.
Provide Essential Value To Water Environments
Custom designed launder covers can be placed in rectangular and round tanks, providing essential value for different water and wastewater operations. This page will teach you everything about wastewater treatment.
Here are the advantages of installing launder covers in water environments:
Continuous inhibition of algae growth
Lightweight and cost-effective solution for water problems
Operable access for safety inspections and preventive maintenance
Maintain Weir Structural Integrity And Function
Eliminating direct sunlight inhibits algae growth, which also enhances the flow consistency of weir and reduces the need for maintenance. Launder covers shield other openings where access is normally required, but for safety reasons they need to be covered when not being used.
You can request custom-designed launder covers according to your preferred requirements. Custom-designed launder covers can be used in both round and rectangular clarifiers, as well as channels, sludge thickeners, and other openings.
Acts As Debris Barrier
Plastic bags, leaves, dead tree branches, and other windblown debris often lands in water environments. Launder covers help prevent such waste materials from ending up in your water and wastewater plant.
Also, aside from preventing debris from entering the water stream, launder covers can also be helpful in containing localized odor emissions if present in the weir area (effluent trough). Choosing fiberglass launder covers helps seal water environments in order to control odor.
Protect Launder From Weather
Strong winds, storms, snow, or heavy rainfall may introduce debris to water environments. Installing launder covers helps protect them against debris and damage caused by natural disasters. Choosing high-quality launder covers will ensure that they can withstand harsh weather conditions while protecting water and wastewater treatment plants.
Here’s a quick guide for when you are choosing launder covers:
NSF/ANSI Certified: Choose launder covers that are NSF or ANSI 61 certified. Also, opt for launder covers made of AWWA F101 compliant materials. NSF/ANSI Standard 61 or NSF-61 refers to a national standard relating to water treatment, establishing strict requirements and controls for equipment coming in contact with potable water or other products supporting the potable water production.
Quality Make: Select launder covers with superior strength and corrosion resistance that use FRP components to ensure long and maintenance-free service life. Choose clarifier launder covers that utilize fiberglass and stainless steel hardware, specifically made for municipal or industrial wastewater treatment purposes. These launder covers are easy to use, ensuring smooth operation and meeting the required NPDES effluent levels of Total Suspended Solids or TSS.
ISO Certified: Choose an ISO 9001 certified launder cover for manufacturing facilities.
Conclusion
Launder covers provide great protection against debris, harsh weather conditions, and direct sunlight. They further help protect weir structures, prevent algae growth, and are handy in avoiding the potential damage that algae can do to UV bulbs in treatment facilities using UV disinfection technology.
Choosing high-quality launder covers would mean having long-term peace of mind that your water quality is preserved and wastewater treatment operations can function smoothly.
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