Category Archives: Environment

9 Eco-Friendly Home Features to Check for When Buying a House

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Homeowners are becoming more eco-conscious by the day. From installing water-efficient appliances to solar panels, home buyers are looking to incorporate greener options into their home designs. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, you’ll need to shop for the following.

How to Find a Realtor Who Can Help You Pick the Perfect Home

Finding the right home won’t be easy without a great realtor by your side, but you need to make sure your agent specializes in the eco-friendly home market. On sites like homeandmoney.com, you can search agents based on their certifications, experience, and niche specialties.

You can also try searching for a Green MLS, which features energy-efficient homes being sold worldwide. Remember that any agent with the acronym LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) next to their name is accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Your LEED-certified agent can help you find an environmentally friendly home, but what features will they consider eco-friendly?

Here are 9 things your property needs to be considered “green.”

1. Eco-Friendly Building Materials

Green building materials have a low environmental impact, so look for properties made out of salvaged or reclaimed wood and recycled items. Precast concrete, straw bales, bamboo, and recycled steel are also considered eco-friendly and can reduce your dependency on oil and gas.

bamboo as a construction material

2. Energy-Efficient Walls and Roofs

Cellulose insulation, made from recycled newspapers, is more energy-efficient and safe for the environment. Ideally, you’ll insulate your entire home, including the roof, basement, and ceilings, to keep heat from escaping. If you’re buying an old house, you’ll have to replace the insulation.

3. Solar Panels Instead of Gas

It’s in your best interest to find a home with solar panels already installed on the property, as it’s cheaper and less disruptive than buying them yourself. Make sure to ask your agent when the panels were installed, how they operate, and the amount of energy they generate annually.

4. Low-Energy and Dual Pane Windows

Low energy and dual pane windows can reduce energy waste. Both provide extra insulation, which keeps your home warmer for less. If possible, consider installing dual-pane windows with a low-energy protective shield, as it’ll protect you and your home from harmful UV rays.

5. Eco-Friendly Landscaping

If you are looking for home curb appeal, search Round Rock Texas homes. Maintaining the grass on your lawn wastes a lot of water, so try to find a backyard with synthetic grass or wood chips. Another good option is a lawn filled with native plants that don’t need to be watered by the owner.

solar-based landscape lighting

6. Water Efficient Plumbing and Appliances

Water consumption is a major problem in the United States. However, you can reduce your water usage in the home by installing water heaters that lead to less waste. Low-flow faucets, toilets, and showerheads are another great option, and so are WaterSense labeled appliances.

7. Energy-Efficient Lighting

It’s easier and cheaper nowadays to install energy-efficient lighting in the home. Homeowners can use LED lights, but that isn’t the only factor that will reduce your energy usage. Motion sensors, smart lighting, and large windows can help you waste less energy every single day.

Reasons to Convert to LED Lighting

8. Underfloor Heating

Radiators are inefficient compared to underfloor heating. Wet underfloor heating systems are the most efficient, especially when paired with a modern condensing boiler. Underfloor systems can also be coupled with solar thermal and air source heat pumps.

9. Energy Star Appliances

The blue logo with a start next to the word “energy” indicates that the appliance is energy efficient. There are plenty of products that could be Energy Star certified, like dishwashers, ceiling fans, washers and dryers, refrigerators, windows, skylights, doors, and more.

How to Start Eco-Business Internationally?

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Doing business today is, perhaps, one of the hottest trends that have held its high position for a number of years now. If you want to make more than enough money, you should totally start your own business or, at least, purchase a franchise and go ahead from there. Yet, if you’re already in the game and want to grow then going international should be your next step. And going global with your eco-business is not the easiest feat, although it becomes quite popular as more and more entrepreneurs realize that it’s a pretty viable idea that pays off exceptionally well. So, what are the challenges of going international in eco-business, and how these challenges can be mitigated?

international-eco-business

Internationalization Done Wisely

Being smart in business is something that goes without question. You have to not only have some theoretical understanding of how business is done and what’s an international business but also have some kind of sixth sense to make the right decisions and take viable directions. Internationalizing your eco-business can be quite painful and not just while you’re in the process of leading your company into the Great Unknown (which international business essentially is about) but while preparing for it.

Indeed, in order to enter your desired international market smoothly, you have to calculate your steps pretty carefully. Nothing is perfect, of course, but you can, at least, aim for the right spot and potentially be at a significantly lower risk of not making it. One of the trendiest aims in international business today is going eco-friendly. This is the kind of trend that is not only viable to follow but is also reasonable to follow.

solar-rebates-faqs

Preserving our mother Earth from any kind of environmental danger is, perhaps, the best repayment we can do, so there you have 2 reasons. As for the methodology of doing eco-business internationally, it’s pretty basic, with something borrowed from the general internationalization practices and something from the eco-business trends. So, here are a couple of such tips.

  • Assess your potential markets. Obviously, it’s better to aim where it might fit in better or correspond with the local tastes and preferences. Some of the top eco-friendly brands come from the United States and European countries, predominantly from the Scandinavian part. So, one of the best picks for your start would be somewhere there. In addition, you should consider the buying power of your potential customers, the environmental situation in the country, as well as the overall green culture of the country.
  • Establish an online presence. The internet is perhaps one of the best places to start your internationalization. As lots of people use social media and simply cannot live without Google search, having your digital content targeted for a specific audience, or translating your original content is a solid and viable idea. One way of starting your business and hitting a bull’s eye is to familiarize people with you before going with a full blast.
  • Comply with your ideas. You’re running an eco-friendly business, right? That means that you must minimize any potential harm you might do to an environment or even completely eliminate it. You have to agree that marketing an eco laundry detergent produced on a rather smokey plant or delivered by huge fuel trucks is kind of weird, to say the least.
  • Keep an eye on formalities. As you go international, every formal aspect, including the needed documents and licenses must be kept in order. That also applies to their translation. Address the leading language translation services to make sure that the quality is at the top. Additionally, consider a certified translation company in order to ensure that the professional specialists working on all translations and have the full legal right to do so. This will certainly keep you from the trouble you might be least expecting.
  • Go ethical. As it’s a must for an eco-friendly business to maintain eco-friendly production, it’s also a great bonus if you treat the people around you well too. Ensure great working conditions for your employees, implement the rules and policies that stimulate a friendly environment and productivity. This way you’ll be able to show that you’re really pursuing the great goals as well as motivate your employees to work well.

Not as Hard as It May Seem

Although running your business internationally and in the eco-friendly arena might be somewhat overwhelming from time to time due to such business’ development and limited popularity, there still is a great payoff to that. One of the most important traits of such business is that it’s considered as innovative as it can only get today and being one of the driving forces of progress is pretty cool and attracts people. So, get your courage together, make sure you do more good than harm and go ahead exploring the new horizons.

5 Sustainable Blockchain Players To Pay Attention to in 2022

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There are many blockchain players to keep an eye on this year, including Algorand. However, there are five, in particular, to really pay attention to. If you do, you’ll notice that sustainability is a common theme across some industry players.

1. Cardano

In regards to market cap, this is among the top five overall crypto projects. At the time of writing, it has one of the largest blockchains to actually utilize a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism with success. In fact, the energy usage Cardano goes through is likely just 0.01% compared to Bitcoin.

environmentally friendly blockchain players

The market has a lot of appreciation for Cardano deploying social projects and environmentally-conscious operations. One example is the Cardano Forest run by the non-profit Cardano Foundation, as it has planted over a million trees. Cardano hopes to be an overall carbon-negative network.

2. Concordium

This Swiss blockchain is both proof-of-stake and eco-friendly. It employs distinct ID layers at a protocol level. This combination of privacy features and compliance makes the ID layer a crucial connection between the virtual blockchain world and the compliance with regulations that traditional businesses have to cater to.

A non-profit foundation supports it. It also has a science team internally researching sharding principles, consensus, and ZK proofs. This blockchain network is a simple one, but it also has cross-chain interoperability.

3. Energy Web Chain SolarCoin

This is a rather novel approach in regard to cryptocurrency. A SolarCoin is created for each Megawatt hour that is generated using solar technology.

The idea behind this blockchain is to reward those who produce solar energy. Solar plant owners have to submit third-party-verified certificates of their energy generation in order to claim their rewards.

4. Solana

Of all the digital currency in the current market, Solana might be growing faster than anyone. In fact, its support for smart contracts might make it a primary competitor to even Ethereum. This network is proof-of-stake. That means that Solana security is not reliant upon using energy. Estimates suggest that a Solana transaction uses less energy than a pair of Google searches. It might even be 20 times less energy than you use charging your phone.

The Solana Foundation is aiming for carbon neutrality in the very near future by partnering with Watershed for refrigerant destruction. This project aims to fund the permanent destruction of HFC and CFC refrigerants. Both greenhouse gases are more than 10,000 times as powerful as CO2. They’re doing this to offset the carbon footprint of the blockchain in the future.
sustainable-blockchain-companies

5. Stellar

This decentralized protocol using open-source code has an inbuilt exchange to transfer digital currencies to actual fiat money. This can happen domestically or even over international borders. Their cryptocurrency is named the lumen. This blockchain forked off of Ripple and started in 2014 hoping to bridge the gap separating digital currencies and traditional financial institutions. Since this blockchain doesn’t rely on mining, its carbon footprint is lower than others.

Bottom Line

Many detractors or opponents of cryptocurrencies usually feature the same arguments, including lack of consumer protections, financial instability, and susceptibility to volatility. The amount of power used and the negative impact on the environment that mining and transactions take are other arguments, but these five players are doing what they can to change that.

10 Green Business Ideas for Young Entrepreneurs

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Out of some of the hottest trends that have been on the top lists for quite a while are choosing an entrepreneur as the primary occupation and doing an eco-friendly business. While the former is primarily motivated by making money to afford quite a comfy living, the latter is usually motivated by something else. And that something else does not mean it has to be charitable.

The eco-friendly business has lots of benefits, the scales of which largely outweigh the monetary advantages of doing any kind of other business. Just think about it, by going green with your business you’re promoting the Earth’s safety from potential environmental catastrophe, you support innovation, and simply look cool and trendy. So, what are the specifics of doing business in a green way? Using essay writing service uk also will help you find more information about green business.

green-entrepreneurship

Green Business: The Essentials

Although it might seem like something totally out of this world, green business is still business. You still have to be aware of all the formalities, such as legal regulations, competition, and economic rules and environments. You must make sure that people know about you, so marketing through all channels is reasonable.

Yet, there are some specific characteristics of the eco-friendly business in particular. In fact, such specifics are large in numbers, yet, their main ideas lie in creating and maintaining an image of the sustainable business that cares about its surrounding in all possible meanings. That applies not only to Mother Earth but also to your employees (who should be treated well anyway), your customers, and your business partners.

green-business-ideas

As for how you can do that, here are the 10 hottest green business ideas for green entrepreneurs today.

  1. Start with yourself. If you want to run an eco-friendly business, such as a solar panel business, that pursuits a corresponding role, you want to make such business green to the bone. Try to reduce or eliminate the use of harmful materials in as many processes as possible. Recycle the office supplies that got used up. Avoid transportation using fossil fuel vehicles. This way you’ll show that what you do is not only for money or prestige, it’s for the sake of itself, which is quite attractive for consumers.
  2. Save energy and water. While neither electricity nor water harms the environment, by saving them, you also save the environment. The thing is that electricity production might harm the environment while saving water basically saves water, the resource that becomes quite scarce even in the developed countries of the world.
  3. Address green consulting. Yes, there is such a thing as green consulting and it might be very useful especially in the beginning. Essentially, by addressing a sustainability consultant, you retrieve invaluable information for your green business that you will be able to use and reuse at your disposal. So, don’t neglect a great piece of advice, even if you have to pay for it.
  4. Topical publications. It’s also nice to show that you know what you’re doing. By creating a blog outlining the current environmental trends, you can achieve exactly that. While some of the elements of your business will surely demonstrate your eco-friendliness anyway, sharing your experience and knowledge with people also looks pretty cool.
  5. Support relevant local events and businesses. It’s always nice to have a community that follows similar ideas to yours. Sponsor the bicycle races or supply the local concerts with what you have to offer, and people will see you even if you make minimum to none marketing efforts.
  6. Partner with similar businesses. By directly cooperating with other businesses supporting sustainability will reduce the harm you might potentially do to the environment to the minimum. While you might use sustainable technology yourself, your suppliers, for instance, might not. Partnering exclusively with eco-friendly businesses will surely fix that.
  7. Even more topical publication. You might not get popular with all this eco thing in your country. But you can still expand abroad, at least, on the internet. You can significantly enhance your online presence and SEO by translating your blog content. Just check out Pickwriters and find a suitable professional for your business. There’s a lot of services like that online and many of them don’t charge a fortune.
  8. Promote reuse and recycling. Whether you produce certain green products, sell them, or provide eco-friendly services, there’s always a place for reuse. Recycle the container material, encourage your customers to bring those paper bags back for a reward, or reuse all your tools whenever possible.
  9. Get involved in green financing. This is suitable for the later stages of your business development. While there were some ways, in which you can support the local sustainability movements, you can also help with money directly whenever you can. Give donations that develop and support sustainability, sponsor the cleaning of public spaces, etc. there are many ways to help our environment and money is not an exception.
  10. Don’t stop in one kind of business. You can do good in many ways. If you sell organic food, deliver it, and help other businesses to do the same. If you repair bicycles, gather the old ones and refurbish them. If you produce organic beauty products, then sell them or provide beauty services for people.

Doing the Right Thing

Doing an eco-friendly business is certainly the right thing. There are lots of ways you can make our world a little bit cleaner and safer to live in and many of those ways can co-exist in one business. It’s important to remember that whenever you do a good thing, there’s no point in doing just one good thing. Diversifying your sustainable business will only multiply the great things you do in the first place.

Ways to Go Greener

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Going green is no longer just a fad, as it’s become a way of life for many. So, when it comes to making your home green, there are plenty of ways to go about it. Below are easy ways to make your home eco-friendlier.

ways to make your home eco-friendlier

How to Finance Going Green

Going green may help the environment and keep climate change at bay, but it’s not exactly free. The cost of the project depends on how you go about things. You generally don’t have to spend too much for small things, like DIY projects and reusing products. But if you plan on doing something more extravagant such as the aforementioned solar panels, you might not have enough to afford it.

You can easily acquire the funding you need by looking to personal loans. This is a loan you can use finance pretty much anything you need. Despite having the freedom to fund anything you need; however, you need to have a good credit score before applying. This is what ultimately determines how much you’re eligible to receive.

Go Solar

Solar panels are one of the most common renewable energy sources, and a great way to heat your home, save money, and protect the environment. They come in a variety of styles and sizes. They can also accommodate most types of homes, making them more accessible than ever before.

factors while buying a solar battery

Photovoltaic models are the most popular, however, they can also be costly. That’s why you need a strategy that works with your budget.

Swap Out Your Cleaning Products

As much as you love the smell of a clean home, the products can be harmful to the ozone layer. Thankfully, there are plenty of non-toxic options you can use. Instead of traditional glass cleaner, you can use white vinegar.

Alternatively, instead of using abrasive bleach products to clean your tub and sinks, you can use baking soda. Both products are safe for the environment and your plumbing fixtures.

Build a Rain Garden

Rain gardens are the perfect way to keep your lawn lush and also preserve water. In a nutshell, a rain garden utilizes water from lindab guttering to nurture your lawn from within. There’s plenty of DIY instructions online, making it a fun weekend project.

Create a Compost Pile

It might look like garbage to you, but your leftover veggie peels and orange rinds are just what your garden needs to grow. In addition to vegetable and fruit scraps, you can also use grass clippings to enrich your soil.

composting with worms

Keep in mind that meat bones and oils aren’t good for the earth, so be sure to dispose of these properly in a sealed trash can to keep your pets and other wildlife safe.

Choose Eco-Friendly Paint

When it comes time to repaint, look for environmentally safe paints. Paint can contain VOCs, which release harmful chemicals into the air. Look for ones that are clearly labeled low or with zero volatile organic compounds.

Buy Native Plants and Shrubs

Native plants are ones that grow naturally without the help of humans. They don’t require fertilizer, which means they require less maintenance and are also less hazardous to your pets and other wildlife. They also require less water, which means less water is used overall.

LED-grow-lights

Repurpose

Remember the days when you would load up on plastic bags at the grocery store, come home and then throw them out? Unfortunately, a large percentage of these ended up in a landfill for years, if not forever. Even if you recycle, you should try to use less plastic overall.

If you do opt for plastic, find ways to reuse it. Plastic grocery bags can be used for trash liners, and plastic storage bags can be washed in the dishwasher and used again.

5 Key Principles of Eco-Friendly Interior Design

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Cruelty-free beauty products and organic diets are all the rage lately because people want to start living more continuously. However, your home plays a big part in the rise in global C02 emission rates. Committing to a more eco-friendly interior design can really help the planet.

How to Become an Interior Designer

Becoming an interior designer typically requires a degree, but not all professionals who work in this field have gone to college. The pathway to success may be challenging, but you can get there by learning a designer’s duties and required skills, like customer service and patience.

Principles of Eco-Friendly Interior Design

It’s a good idea to find a mentor who can help you gain experience and build your reputation. Non-degree holders often start as independent contractors, so they can develop their portfolio consistently. Don’t forget to build your network, as they’ll help you find job opportunities.

The Important Principles of an Eco-Friendly Home

According to studies, utilities, furnishing, shelter, miscellaneous goods, and electronics account for 33.6% of household emissions. You can get this number down by implementing the following principles of eco-friendly interior design:

1. Energy-Efficient Design

Energy consumption heavily contributes to climate change and environmental degradation. Most modern buildings consume large amounts of electricity, either directly or through conversion. For example, most American homes get their electricity by converting gas.

Natural lighting, effective insulation, and the right wall colors can cut down on consumption. Carpets can retain up to 10% of a home’s heat, and lighter colors can brighten up the room, which lowers your utility bills. Light curtains and drapes can reduce the need for artificial lights.

2. Water-Efficient Design

Water shortages aren’t all that uncommon, even in the United States. Homeowners can install rainwater storage systems that reuse rainwater for household use, while water-use feedback machines can keep people aware of how much water they’re using, preventing overuse.

Small things like a no-leak tap system, pressuring regulating devices, drip irrigation systems, high-efficiency nozzles, and low-flow toilets could help you save 50% of your daily water use. What’s more, you don’t even have to change your lifestyle to reduce your overall consumption.

3. Eco-Friendly Materials

Fast fashion and single-use plastics are polluting our planet, but so are materials that are used in our home-based fabrics and paint. Non-toxic and non-polluting materials have a much lower environmental impact, so try to use wood and stone products as long as they aren’t treated.

Bamboo is an alternative to many other organic materials, as they’re less likely to be extracted, transported, produced, and processed irresponsibly. Eco-paint, typically made from starch and clay, can lower volatile organic chemicals, but so can bio-glass and cork-made flooring.

bamboo as a construction material

4. Sustainability With Style

There’s a running myth that eco-friendly homes fail in the “stylish” department, but thanks to modern technology, that’s no longer the case. Today, bamboo and cork flooring come in various textures and colors, making them versatile for all homes, regardless of your personal style.

Not only that, but most eco-friendly materials are more durable and widely available, as brands are focusing more on their eco-lines of products. For example, PaperStone makes countertops, accessories, sinks, cladding, and more out of 100% recycled paper and non-petroleum resin.

5. Sustainable Furniture

Furniture is an essential aspect of interior design, as it plays a role in influencing a home’s aesthetic. Buying used furniture is a great first step, but you have to make sure said furniture is made from sustainable and organic materials, like non-treated wood and fast-growing bamboo.

As mentioned, sustainable materials like cork lead to less pollution, but recycled plastic, metal, and rattan-made products offer both eco-friendliness and comfort. If you’re a fan of fabric-made couches, make sure the dye used in the furniture is able to break down safely in landfills.

A Glance at Biggest Dumpsites in Nigeria

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Waste dumping is the predominant method for solid waste disposal in developing countries worldwide, and Nigeria is no exception. Nigeria is home to six of the biggest dumpsites in Africa, according to Waste Atlas 2014 report on World’s 50 Biggest Dumpsites published by D-Waste. These dumpsites are located in three most important cities in Nigeria namely, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Ibadan.

Let us have a quick look at the major landfills in Nigeria:

Olusosun

Olusosun is the largest dumpsite not only in Lagos but in Nigeria and receives about 2.1 million tonnes of waste annually comprising mostly of municipal solid waste, construction waste, and electronic waste (e-waste). The dumpsite covers an area of about 43 hectares and it is 18 meters deep.

The dumpsite has been in existence since 1992 and has housed about 24.5 million tonnes of waste since then. A population of about 5 million people lives around 10km radius from the site and numerous health problems like skin irritation, dysentery, water-related diseases, nausea etc. have been reported by residents living around 3km radius from the site.

Solous 2

It is located in Lagos and occupies around 8 hectares of land along Lasu-Iba road. The dumpsite receives about 820,000 tonnes of waste annually and has since its existence in 2006 accepted around 5.8 million tonnes of MSW.

Solous is just 200 meters away from the nearest dwellings and almost 4 million people live within 10km radius from the site. Due to the vulnerable sand formation of the area, leachate produced at the dumpsite flows into groundwater causing its contamination.

Epe

Epe dumpsite also in Lagos occupies about 80 hectares of land. The dumpsite was opened in 2010 and has an annual input of 12,000 tonnes of MSW. Epe is the dumpsite which the Lagos State government is planning to upgrade to an engineered landfill and set to replace Olusosun dumpsite after its closure.

Since its existence, it has received about 47,000 tonnes of waste and it is just 500 meters away from the nearest settlement. The dumpsite is also just 2km away from Osogbo River and 7km away from Lekki Lagoon.

Awotan (Apete)

The dumpsite is located in Ibadan and has been in existence since 1998 receiving 36,000 tonnes of MSW annually. It covers an area of 14 hectares and already has in place almost 525,000 tonnes of waste.

The dumpsite is close to Eleyele Lake (2.5km away) and IITA Forest Reserve (4.5km away). The nearest settlement to the dumpsite is just 200 meters away and groundwater contamination has been reported by nearby residents.

Lapite

Lapite dumpsite is also located in Ibadan occupies an area of 20 hectares receiving around 9,000 tonnes of MSW yearly. Since its existence in 1998, it has housed almost 137,000 tonnes of MSW. It is 9km away from IITA Forest Reserve and surrounded by vegetations on both sides of the road since the dumpsite is directly opposite a major road.

Olusosun is the largest dumpsite in Nigeria

The nearest settlement is about 2km away but due to the heavy metals present in the leachate produced in the waste dump, its leakage poses a great threat to groundwater and biodiversity in the area.

Eneka

It is located in Port Harcourt, the commercial hub of South-South, Nigeria along Igwuruta/Eneka road and 9km from Okpoka River and Otamiri River. It receives around 45,600 tonnes of MSW annually and already has about 12 million tonnes of waste in place.

The site lies in an area of 5 hectares and it is flooded almost all year round as rainfall in the area exceeds 2,500mm per annum. Due to this and the resultant flow of the flood which would have mixed with dumpsite leachate; groundwater, surface water, and soil contamination affect the 1.2 million people living around 10km radius from the site as the nearest building is just 200 meters away.

5 Benefits of Vegan Shoes

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Are you on the fence about making the change from leather shoes to vegan ones? Or, perhaps you’re not entirely sure what vegan shoes are? If you’re looking for more reasons or maybe a compelling reason why you should switch, you’re in the right place.

To start off, anything vegan means that no animals were harmed in the making of the product. In this case, no animal products are used in the making of vegan shoes. And it doesn’t have to mean that you’re a vegetarian by nature to buy them. If you care for the environment, you should give them a try.

Below are the benefits you get from buying vegan shoes:

benefits of vegan shoes

1. Zero Animal Cruelty

Perhaps the number one reason why people buy vegan products is that no animals are involved in making the items. No animal skin or animal glue was used in manufacturing.

The same cannot be said of leather shoes produced from cows, goats, sheep, and pigskin products. The method of harvesting the animal skin is also not so kind to animals.

On the other hand, shoes from veggie sites such as Topveganchoice.com are made from plants and fungi. Choosing plant-based items is saying no to animal cruelty and exploitation.

2. Environmentally Friendly

Its common knowledge that leather production is a big harm to the environment. To start with, animal farming itself causes a lot of pollution, besides leaving a large carbon footprint. Leather processing makes the situation even worse. To add insult to injury, if the manufacturer is careless enough to release the dyes into water bodies near the factory, the full cycle of pollution has been completed.

Vegan fashion has a very minute carbon footprint. In addition, no chemicals are used in creating plant-based leather, and you can live sustainably with no harm caused to the environment.

3. More Affordable

Let’s be honest, dress shoes can be expensive for both men and women. A vegan pair? Super affordable. Here’s why the price is lower:

Leather raw materials come from traditionally farmed animals, which means costs were used in farming. Plus, skin processing has many procedures – an added cost to the final product.

On the other hand, vegan shoes have a lower cost of production. Also, the manufacturing steps of plant-based items are fewer, translating to low and affordable items.

4. They Last Longer

While leather lasts, it doesn’t stand the test of time when subjected to weather extremities. But plant-based shoes do.

Some materials for making these items include bio-based polyurethane, recycled rubber, hemp, corks, and Goretex. The processing of these products is also dedicated to making a final product that is sturdy and long-lasting.

Leather may look good when you buy it, but give it a few months, and you won’t recognize the shoe you once fell in love with. Remember, they do not react well to the environment and will wrinkle and warp when exposed to weather extremities.

Unlike leather, plant-based items won’t crease or warp when exposed to water. They look a lot better a few years down the line.

5. Fashionable

The truth is that fashion is environmentally unsustainable most of the time. Once a piece of clothing is no longer fashionable, the item is thrown away.

But plant-based fashion is taking a different path. Designers are hopping on the sustainability bandwagon and the result is timeless fashionable vegan products.

The trend can be seen already in big stores offering plant-based products. Plant-based products will soon become the new normal as the world attempts to reverse the effects of global warming.

Conclusion

As you can see, there is no end to the list of benefits of vegan shoes. If you care about animals and about the rapidly increasing global warming, you have every reason to try these amazing shoes.

10 Tips For Going Green On A Budget

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With modern life being so hectic and demanding, it’s easy to forget that there’s an alternative. Going green can relieve a lot of the pressure on you in terms of environmental concerns, but it can also be a more relaxing and rewarding way to live. Many people think that in order to make the transition to a more green lifestyle, you need to spend more, but that just doesn’t have to be the case. If you’re savvy with your spending, you can go green without breaking the bank. Here are 10 tips for going green on a budget.

green-economy-coronavirus-pandemic

1. Make use of any cash available to you

First and foremost, you need to make sure that whatever sources of income are available to you are in use. That means any income you’re getting, any cheques or back payments you’re owed, and any debts you can call in should all be present and accounted for in your bank balance. External financial aid can also be a good way to shore up some money; even £500 loans can help with the costs associated with going green if you’re struggling for a little cash.

2. Cut down on your meat

Meat can be incredibly expensive, especially if you buy the high-quality stuff (which you should if you’re conscious of your health). You can swap meat and animal protein for plant-based alternatives, which will save you a significant amount of money both in the short- and long-term. Beans, chickpeas, and other pulses can all be readily used in place of animal proteins, and they’re often better for you as well, especially if you find that you consume a lot of red meat.

3. Ditch your car

There’s a growing school of thought that says you should ditch your car and cycle as much as you can instead. Of course, if you have a lengthy commute, this may not be possible, but you could always cycle to the train station and hop on a train with your bike (assuming this is allowed, of course). By taking public transport or walking to your destination wherever possible, you’ll be saving on costs, looking after the environment, and improving your physical health, too.

green travel

4. Cook more meals at home

By swapping your takeaway meal for a home-cooked alternative, you’ll be saving more money than you might think. Buying the ingredients and spices to make your favourite meals is almost invariably cheaper than buying the meals pre-made, whether that’s as a takeaway meal or as a ready meal from a supermarket. Cooking has also been proven to boost mental health, so start planning some plant-based meals today. You won’t believe how cheap they can be!

5. Stop buying water bottles

Bottled water is one of the biggest contributors to plastic pollution in the world. You don’t need to continuously buy bottled water; instead, try buying a single plastic bottle and re-using it, or better yet, buy yourself a reusable bottle specifically made for the purpose. The environment will thank you, and so will your wallet; bottled water can actually be pretty expensive, especially if you plump for the big brands. Fill up on tapwater instead; you won’t regret it!

6. Go paperless

This one shouldn’t cost you a penny; many companies will, in fact, incentivise you for doing this (or disincentivise you for not doing it). Ditch paper wherever possible in your life. Go paperless with your bank statements and any other bills you receive on a regular basis. Don’t ask for a receipt unless you absolutely need one, and if you do, ask for it to be emailed to you rather than sent on paper. There are plenty of places you can ditch paper in your life, and it won’t cost anything.

a paper free office

7. Drop the tumble dryer and the AC

Many electronic devices in your home could be taking up monstrous amounts of electricity, thus using power you don’t really need. Instead of a tumble dryer, try drying your clothes on a drying rack. While this is common behaviour in the UK, there are still many people who prefer to dry with a tumble dryer, so try it without. Similarly, unless you’re absolutely baking hot in the warm weather, try living without your AC for a while; you’ll save money on electricity this way!

8. Buy as much as you can second-hand

A lot of the goods we buy can be bought second-hand, reducing the cost massively. Doing this is also kinder to the environment, as you’re reusing something that someone else has already recycled. Cars, musical equipment, entertainment (like video games), and clothes are all great examples of things you can buy second-hand, and we’re sure that there are plenty of other specific examples in your life. The next time you’re out shopping, ask yourself if you really need to buy what you’re buying new.

skip bins

 

9. Sell things you don’t need

When you go green, you’ll probably find that there are appliances or other items that you used to rely on but no longer need. You can and should sell these things, because you’ll make a little extra cash and also send the item to someone who actually needs it. Don’t just leave it lying around your home accumulating dust, and don’t throw it away; instead, sell it, and if you absolutely can’t sell it, make sure you responsibly recycle it. You’ll almost always find someone who has a use for your old stuff, though!

10. Add timers to your heating and hot water

Think about the times during the day when you’re most in need of your heating or hot water. There are going to be moments when you don’t really need these things to be on, but they’ll be on anyway, draining resources unnecessarily. If you can, install a thermostat that can be programmed, so you can tell your system when to switch on the hot water and the heating.

5 Ways European Citizens Can Help the Environment

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European residents must do their part to protect the environment, just like all other global citizens. Climate change is real, and thousands of scientists continue sounding the alarm that we need to change our ways. Future generations may have to deal with all kinds of shortages if we can’t figure out methods to reduce our wasteful tendencies.

We’ll talk about a few things the average European citizen can do to help the environment right now. Most of these actions won’t require that much behavior modification, and you can feel good when you do them.

How European Citizens Can Help the Environment

Dispose of Cleaning Products the Right Way

Studies have shown the hazards of many cleaning products. Half a century ago, many chemicals people used around their homes harmed both those using them and the environment when a homeowner disposed of them.

When you buy household cleaning products, check the labels to ensure they don’t contain anything that harms the planet. You can find household cleaners that specifically say they won’t cause damage when you use or dispose of them.

Rather than dumping potentially harmful chemicals down the drain or somewhere outside, you can often contact your town or city’s government and locate waste disposal centers that will take them and deal with them. You might collect all the leftover chemicals and receptacles you have and take them there once a month or so.

Bike to Work or Take Public Transportation

If you can, take public transportation to work, when you need to go to the grocery store, or if you have another errand to run. If you don’t live somewhere with buses or trains nearby, then you can ride a bike to reach the places where you need to go.

green travel

You might have to take your car somewhere occasionally, such as if you’re picking up something that’s too large to carry with you on a bike or to take on a train or bus. If you can reduce the number of times you drive, though, every time you save yourself a trip, you are helping the planet.

If you bike or walk somewhere, you’re also getting in some much-needed exercise. Many of us live much more sedentary lives these days, so walking or biking helps you get your steps in and burns some calories. That can save you money you’d spend by joining a gym.

Purchase an Electric or Hybrid Vehicle

Every year, more hybrid and electric vehicles come out as well. If you can get one of those instead of one that runs exclusively on gas, that’s very helpful to the environment.

If you have a gas-running car, you can trade it in, which will lower an electric or hybrid vehicle’s cost.

You can also buy a used or certified pre-owned electric or hybrid car. That should save you some money if you can’t afford a brand-new one.

how to join Tesla engineering team

Every year, European nations continue building more electric charging stations to help with this transition. The switch can’t happen instantaneously, but if you can join this gradual movement, you’ll know you’re taking a concrete step toward reducing your carbon footprint. That will reduce foreign oil dependency as well.

Use Long-Lasting Lightbulbs

When you go shopping, you can look for long-lasting lightbulbs instead of the old-fashioned models. It might not seem like that will make much of a difference, but an energy-efficient lightbulb can last far longer than the traditional kind.

Buying the energy-efficient kind with the coils will save you money since you will not have to replace them as often. You can usually count on these bulbs to last you for several years rather than a few months like you would get with the old-fashioned, solid version. Also, since you have to throw fewer of them away, they make less trash in landfills.

Shop Wisely

You can get in the habit of bringing cloth bags with you when you go grocery shopping or shopping for small items. You can reuse those bags again and again.

green-freezer-bags

You can keep those bags in the car with you if you go run some errands. If you happen to forget the bags, you can also ask for paper bags in stores instead of plastic ones. Many stores no longer carry plastic bags anyway, but you can insist on paper ones when you buy things in the stores that do.

These small actions can help conserve our resources, and you can set a good example for your friends, neighbors, and kids as well.