Tag Archives: Carbon Footprint

Why Going Green Is The Best Thing To Do For Your Community

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As we go about our daily lives, it’s always a good idea to think about how we can contribute to the community we belong to in tangible and appreciable ways. Improving our communities from the inside not only allows us to make things easier and more convenient for ourselves, but also for the people we meet and rely upon in our day-to-day. Besides this, it also helps us think of other people’s needs rather than just our own—an essential need if we’re to live happy and productive lives. One of the best ways of improving our communities is, of course, going green: the act of adopting an environmentally-friendly lifestyle. This means taking active steps to minimize our carbon footprint and reducing waste.

It doesn’t have to start out big—we can start with the smaller things, and work our way up from there. Instead of buying new printer ink cartridges, for example, we can try using compatible ink cartridges instead. These are ink cartridges that are made the same way as new printer ink cartridges, but cost way less to make than branded ones. Instead of throwing away our old or obsolete electronics and electrical goods, we can look into getting them repaired. Another example of that is to refurbish old drones instead of buying new.

By taking up these eco-friendly practices, our communities will become cleaner, more energy-efficient, and much healthier places to live in, alongside other very practical and tangible benefits that everyone will appreciate.

Not convinced? Well, hopefully listing out those benefits in full below will convince you. Read on as we go through all the biggest reasons why going green is the best thing you can do for your community.

A healthier community

Enacting green and eco-friendly practices in your community will have the immediate effect of making it healthier for the individuals who live in it, enabling them to live longer, happier, and more productive lives. This can be considered as the most important benefit, seeing as we can tie so many health conditions and diseases to having an environmentally-negligent lifestyle. By going green, you can avoid these potential risks from taking hold in your community.

For example, recycling and minimizing trash or garbage helps makes your immediate surroundings cleaner and more attractive to look at. This causes disease-carrying pests such as insects and rodents to be driven away from your community, which then results in less people catching those diseases.

Another example is having the vehicles in your community switch to more eco-friendly fuel types will result in cleaner and healthier air, as well as reduce the chances of children and the elderly from getting respiratory diseases. Many companies like popgear use recycled material in their clothing. These and a whole lot more are attainable by going green.

Recommended Reading: A Helpful Guide to Electronic Waste Recycling

Savings on utility bills and other expenses

One of the main tenets of going green is to be conservative when it comes to the usage of utilities, such as electricity, gas, water, and so on. It goes without saying that using too much of these obviously strains the environment.

For example, the excessive and unnecessary use of electricity when it’s clearly not needed increases the power demand from power plants, which in turn increases the amount of fuel being used to supply that energy. This uses up our remaining fossil fuels at an alarming rate, while also depositing more pollutants into the atmosphere and environment. The same goes for gas and other utilities.

By being smarter and more conscious about using these precious resources in our homes, we can reduce the impact we have on the environment by quite a large degree. It will help ease the strain our environment is currently experiencing in providing us these resources and ensure that they don’t run out as quickly as they would have if we continued being unnecessarily wasteful with our usage.

Besides this, conserving energy and resources also helps us save on our utility bills. Obviously, the less power, water, and gas we use in our day-to-day, the less we’ll be charged when our monthly bills come in. Up to 20% of expanses per household, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, are saved, especially if we adopt changes such as using solar panels rather than relying on our electrical grid. This is a huge chunk of money no matter how you slice it!

Durable and stronger homes and and structures

Let’s not mince words about it: eco-friendly and environmentally-conscious “green” products are more expensive than the brands that have an easier time fitting into our budget. However, we must consider that the former is also much more durable than the latter, which will inevitably result in a lot of savings in the long run.

This can be seen the most in building construction materials, especially those involved in the building and repair of homes. For example, recycled decking, which is made from recycled plastic and wooden fibers, have been tested to last five times longer than traditional decking.

Bamboo, a self-sustaining perennial grass that can grow up to three feet in 24 hours, is lighter than most building materials and yet has greater compressive strength than brick and concrete. The best part about it is that it grows faster than it can be harvested, meaning that there’s no danger of running out of it anytime soon, no matter how extensively it’s used.

By creating your community’s homes and structures using these eco-friendly materials, you can help save the environment while also ensuring that the homes and shelters will last for as long as they’re needed.

A self-sufficient community

It’s a fact of life that we have to rely on big companies to get us the modern conveniences and essentials we need to get through the day. However, by going green, we can help reduce our reliance on them and become more independent in our lives.

For example, taking the initiative to install solar panels in every home in your community will allow it to become less dependent on the power that companies provide you with electricity. With enough time, your community will be generating enough excess power that the same company will be paying you for that excess. There’s also the fact that if something goes wrong with the power plant, your community won’t be subjected to the same annoying and disruptive blackout that other surrounding neighborhoods will be, as you’ll have enough solar power to last you the entire time.

college-green

Let’s say you’re not quite at that level yet, in terms of going green. How about supporting your local markets rather than your nearby supermarket? By doing so, you ensure that the food-growing sector of your community continues to earn a living while also retaining the ability to keep growing natural and organic produce. Doing so also cuts down on harmful emissions, as you won’t have to travel by car just to get the fresh food you need. Your community retains its independence while helping the environment.

Conclusion

There are many ways to improve one’s community from the inside, with one of the major and more effective ones being able to adopt eco-friendly and environmentally-conscious practices. By doing so, not only does the community benefit hugely in the end in terms of health, sustainability, and independence from big companies, but the environment as well.

How Robotics Contributes to Sustainable Manufacturing

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Environment-friendly manufacturing processes are vital to the success of  businesses. Consumers care about the way that products are made, and how they can be recycled or reused. To meet the needs and concerns of consumers, manufacturers of all types are turning to robotics and online manufacturing to grow their sustainable practices.

robotics-sustainable-manufacturing

1. Reducing Carbon Footprints

Robots are being created and used to reduce manufacturers’ carbon footprints. Factories and ports are known for releasing carbon into the atmosphere. Thus, encouraging climate change.

Some ports are turning to use automated robots to reduce their carbon footprint. Instead of gas-powered trucks and tools, robotic vehicles are being used instead. The robots do not rely on fossil fuels for power, so their engines run clean.

2. Speeding Up Recycling

Robots can take tedious jobs and speed them up. One of the jobs that robots are good at is sorting recycled material. They can do it quickly and efficiently, and they do not require all of the safety gear and training that humans need. Humans can sort about 800 items in an hour, but robots can sort around 2,000 items in the same amount of time.

3. Cleaning Tanks More Efficiently

Another place that robots are helping the environment is in chemical plants. These plants have massive tanks that need cleaning on a regular basis. The tanks have small openings, and they are filled with toxic chemicals and volatile gases. If you want to know how to choose a sustainable provider of specialty chemical, read this article.

robotics-chemical-industry

In the past, humans have had to enter these confined spaces to clean the tanks. They had to be trained in several safety procedures, wear a plethora of safety gear, and undergo decontamination procedures each time they left the tanks. Now, robotic tank cleaning can do it in a fraction of the time, using less water and cleaning materials. They take away the danger from human employees, and robots can work 24 hours per day.

4. Improving Sustainable Manufacturing

Robots are being used in different types of manufacturing to create more efficiency with fewer resources. Robots reduce errors, so less waste is produced.

One computer company is relying on robots to pick reusable parts out of recycled products. This type of manufacturing sustainability in speeding up the transition to Industry 4.0. Less waste is produced and the robots are able to find and separate the small parts more efficiently than human hands can.

5. Cleaning Natural Resources

Robots are also being used outside of manufacturing to help with green living. Several organizations rely on robots to clean waterways. These robots float atop the water and collect the trash as it floats. Another water-cleaning robot is able to digest pollution. The robot turns the trash into fuel that powers the boat and that controls it. Inventors are working on upscaling the robot so it can power large tankers and cargo freighters, too.

Also Read: High-Tech Methods to Reduce Water Wastage in the Manufacturing Sector

Robots are also used to clean plants that become dirty from the garbage and grime in the water. By cleaning water and flora in it, robots are protecting the lives of animals that make their homes in wetlands and coastal areas. They also help clean food supplies for people.

This infographic was created by Keyence, a provider of optical profilometers

 

Where Are All the Electric Vans?

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The USA is way behind Europe when it comes to electric vehicles, with sales in Europe exceeding 1 million in 2018, while US figures stood at just 750,000. This is despite the giants of Silicon Valley, including Google, Amazon and Tesla, all making strides to offer electric vehicles to the mass market. The area where the contrast is most clear is in regards to vans. While Europe has many on offer, electric vans are almost non-existent on American roads. Where does this leave commercial enterprises looking to cut their carbon emissions?

Europe Leading the Way

Although hardly the norm, it isn’t uncommon to see fully electric commercial vehicles on European streets. German based DHL are selling over 5000 StreetScooters a year, allowing companies to offer battery powered deliveries. Meanwhile, the UK’s best selling plug in van is the Nissan e-NV200. This attractive commercial vehicle is on sale throughout Europe, selling more than 4000 a year. Unfortunately, it is not available in the US.

If you are a businessman looking to cut fossil fuel usage, while driving a commercial vehicle, then you may be better off moving to Europe. Greenhouse gases in the continent fell 22% between 1990 and 2016. The USA is struggling to keep up with the switch to renewable energy sources.

Is Tesla the Only Game in Town?

Don’t worry – it isn’t all bad news for the USA. With companies like Tesla offering their own electric pickup and semi vehicles, there could be a shift in sale trends soon. However, neither of these vehicles are yet to hit the mass market. Other electric truck or van options are few and far between. The likes of Google are focusing their efforts on creating self-drive vehicles rather than venturing into commercial electric automobiles that are wheelchair accessible as well.. 

Other Ways to Cut Carbon Emissions

Keep searching for the perfect electric van for your company. If Europe has them, then you can find one in America. In the meantime, however, consider other ways to cut your carbon footprint. For the running of any electronics, invest in solar power. This has really taken off in the USA and is one of the cheapest options available. You should also try to source products locally and remove plastic packaging from your goods.

EVs really can’t arrive soon enough, but commercial vans and trucks are yet to become mainstream. The USA needs to take a leaf out of Europe’s book and invest in electric vans. In the meantime, consider switching to solar power and taking other steps to reduce your company’s carbon emissions.

Why You Should Be Investing in Solar Panels?

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The future is green, and it’s more important to get on board with it than ever before. The past year has seen countless climate change related natural disasters, from the recent devastating mega-fires in California to frequent hurricanes sweeping the US and the Caribbean.

Solar panels are becoming much more accessible, for homeowners and for businesses. Traditional roof-rack solar panels can now be installed for as little as around $3,000, and are practically a no-brainer due to the energy savings you’ll make over time (you could even totally eliminate your electricity bill). Not to mention that you’ll be doing your part to help the environment in our planet’s time of need.

solar-energy-trends

Solar panels are becoming more accessible, for homeowners and businesses

If you’ve always found chunky solar panels ugly and off-putting, business magnate Elon Musk has a solution. His electric car and solar panel company Tesla has recently unveiled invisible solar roof tiles. The tiles look exactly like normal roof slates, but capture the sun’s energy without drawing attention. These tiles are paving the way to normalizing sustainable, beautiful eco-homes.

To further convince you about seriously considering installing solar panels for your home, check out our list of top reasons why solar panels will benefit your household or business.

Slash Your Energy Bills

After the initial investment of purchasing the panels and installation, the energy produced is all yours. Even if you consume more energy than your panels can produce, you’ll make drastic savings on what you are currently paying by purchasing all your electricity from the grid.

You’ll make even more amazing savings if you live in a sunny state or country – prices in Brisbane, Australia, are particularly low to purchase and install solar panels. And as the city enjoys on average 261 days of sun per year, panels there will produce more than enough energy to power homes all year round.

Energy costs are only set to rise and rise – meaning that by investing in solar panels now, you’ll never feel the strain of your electricity bills going up again. This is an especially smart idea for business owners with fluctuating income, as you can more easily predict your cashflow with fixed energy prices.

Increase the Value of Your Home

If you are open to the possibility of moving to a new house in the future, you will be able to sell your current property at an increased value by equipping it with solar panels. It’s an attractive prospect for buyers if a potential home comes with very small or no electricity bills, so you’ll be making a huge return on your investment in this way, too.

solar-battery

Note: Be wary of ‘renting your roof’ to solar panel companies if you can’t afford to purchase the panels outright. You may want to ‘go green’ in any way you can, but buying panels is by far the most practical way to enjoy the benefits. The lengthy leases that come with rental panel contracts (often 25 years) have been seen to put off mortgage lenders.

It’s highly recommended that if you want to benefit from free electricity and help the environment with solar, you should save up first to increase the value of your property – not render it unsellable.

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

As we said, it’s never been so important to do your bit to save our eco-system. The polar ice caps are melting faster than has ever been recorded, and the earth is suffering terrible effects. As well as hurricanes and fires, we’ve also experienced floods, earthquakes and landslides all over the world this year.

In the large scheme of things, installing solar panels doesn’t seem like it will help much, but if everyone did their part to be more eco-conscious, we could significantly reduce the strain of destructive fossil fuels on the environment. By equipping your property with solar panels, you will save money while making steps to saving the environment – a tough offer to turn down!

Utilizing green energy within your business has even better rewards. Marketing your business as eco-conscious and sustainable is a great way to attract customers and impress existing ones. In recent years, studies into consumer activity have found that sustainability is a big shopping priority, especially among the millennial generation. Corporate solar panels will increase your revenue by expanding your customer base AND saving your business’s energy bills.

So – what are you waiting for? Contact a solar energy company today, who will be more than happy to assist you on your green energy journey.

Recommended Reading: Marketing Strategy for Solar Companies

What is a Full Carbon Audit?

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

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

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

guide to carbon auditing

What is carbon auditing?

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

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

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

What are some different types of carbon audit?

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

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

Why should you do a full carbon audit?

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

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

What are the benefits of a carbon audit?

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

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

Finding a green provider for specialty chemicals

How do you conduct a full carbon audit?

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

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

What are the challenges and limitations of carbon auditing?

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

How To Choose A Green Provider For Specialty Chemicals

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Sustainability is a societal goal to meet everyday needs without negatively harming the environment. This whole concept is commonly referred to as ‘going green.’

Various global industries aim to run operations without causing harm to the environment and, consequently, to future generations through sustainability standards and practices. With this in mind, businesses that have gone green prefer to work with others who’ve implemented the green concept. It ensures their efforts aren’t futile, and they protect the environment throughout the product cycle.

Green Provider For Specialty Chemicals

Finding suppliers that have gone green can be challenging if you’re sourcing specialty chemicals. Here’s a guide on picking the most suitable provider:

1. Research Their Sustainable Practices

Specialty chemicals providers follow sustainable practices to deliver products and materials with less environmental impact. These practices include waste management, carbon footprint, and the use of renewable sources of energy.

Waste Management

First, ask – what are the provider’s waste management protocols? It’s no news that plastic waste is one of the biggest threats to our environment. What are they doing to mitigate their plastics use? What is their disposal system? A good specialty chemicals provider is an active participant in sustainability efforts and will not just pass the burden on the consumers of their products.

Carbon Footprint Management

Their website, collaterals, and company information should also mention their plans to minimize their carbon footprint. Carbon footprint refers to the amount of carbon dioxide a provider releases into the environment. Did you know that the industrial sector, the specialty chemicals industry is the 3rd highest contributor of carbon emissions? This statement emanates from the fact that the industry utilizes many toxic raw materials to make specialty chemicals. Therefore, an ideal green provider puts measures to prevent these toxic emissions from getting into the environment.

Use of Renewable Energy

Specialty chemicals providers are racing to adopt green energy in their operations. In the next few years, we can expect these companies to wean off fossil fuels and be run by renewable energy completely. Is your provider adopting a similar strategy?

These sustainable practices are at the forefront of the chemicals industry’s effort to positively impact the planet. Choose a provider that’s actively adopting sustainable practices.

2. Compare Several Providers

Suppose in your search for a green provider for specialty chemicals, you find several. How will you choose?

It’s best to compare them on the extent of their sustainability. First, do they meet your definition of being green? If yes, what else do they offer beyond that?

The aim is to work with a green provider who provides more than the bare minimum. You’ll get value for your money and will have less to worry about whether or not you’re protecting the environment.

3. Get Recommendations

Finding a green provider for specialty chemicals can be arduous, especially if you only rely on general Google searches. That’s why it’s important to get recommendations from other customers that seek services from green businesses.

They’ll have a rough idea of green providers they’ve previously worked with who sell these products. With the list at hand, the process is easier and faster.

In addition, it’d help to look at reviews of the green provider. Reviews are feedback from the provider’s current and previous clients. Look out for comments about their sustainability. Do the clients fully confirm this, or are there doubts? Your chosen provider should have a clean record regarding sustainability.

4. Ask For Proof Of Sustainability

Your specialty chemicals provider may claim to be sustainable. However, how true is this?

Various regulating bodies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) issue certifications to sustainable businesses. These are the certifications you should ask to see from a given provider. Ensure the certifying body exists and is legitimate.

The other way of proofing a provider’s sustainability is by requesting a tour of their premises. During the tour, focus on how they run operations. Where do they source their raw materials; is it from sustainable suppliers? Do they have waste in their production process? If yes, how do they manage the waste? Do they recycle the waste, or is it taken for disposal?

These should give you a good grasp of the company’s sustainability efforts.

Finding a green provider for specialty chemicals

5. Look At Costs

Affordability is key when seeking a product or service; you should pay reasonable prices.

Specialty chemicals green providers will charge different prices for these goods. It’d help to compare these costs to get the most affordable one. As you do this, you’ll find that some providers will charge more because they’re green. Consider understanding why they’ve arrived at the said price. You want to maintain sustainability in your search for affordability.

Ensure you settle for a green provider whose prices you’re willing and able to pay, all factors considered.

Conclusion

Consciously taking care of the environment, directly or indirectly, is a commendable practice. The discussion above has established that one of the ways to do it indirectly is by buying products from sustainable vendors. Before choosing an eco-friendly specialty chemicals provider, do your research, check out their sustainable practices, and compare them with other providers.

Why Steel Is An Environmentally-Friendly Building Material

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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.

Also Read: 5 Things to Know Before Working With Steel

2. Reduced Energy Usage

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.

How to Incorporate Sustainability into Your Business?

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Since catapulting to the frontlines of news headlines and global consciousness, climate change is one of the most talked about and concerning topics of the modern age. Fortunately with this shift in cognition, manufacturers all across the globe have banded together to create green products in hopes of a more eco-friendly future. It’s these very products that can transform any business from a wasteful guzzler to a green success. With this guide, we’ll walk you through how you can incorporate sustainability into your daily business practice.

1. LED bulbs

Switch out the incandescent light bulbs with CFL or LED bulbs for a longer-lasting and more energy-efficient brilliance. Compact-fluorescent (CFL) and LED light bulbs tend to carry higher price tags than the average fluorescent bulb, however they offer a far more attractive projected lifespan than typical fluorescent bulbs which tend to offer 1,200 hours of  light.

LED bulbs, on average, cost around $5 and offer 25,000 hours of light, while CFL light bulbs cost about $2 and offer 10,000 hours of projected lifespan. Not only are CFL and LED lights more practical from a sustainability standpoint, but they will also save you thousands on your business’s electric bill.

2. Biodegradable Kitchen Supplies

Using biodegradable kitchen supplies to save on plastic waste. Unless your office is the type of place where employees keep personal dishes in the kitchen cupboard, you will likely need to keep a stash of utensils, cups, and plates on deck for any catered lunches or work parties.

Instead of giving into the cheap prices of eco-unfriendly plastic ware, invest in biodegradable kitchen packaging for a greener feast. With fewer resource requirements, these biodegradable forks, spoons, and knives will leave your business with a reduced carbon footprint.

Green SMEs

3. Ink cartridge recycling

Recycling ink cartridges is a great practice to put in place for businesses equipped with a number of printers. Believe it or not, the vast majority of discarded ink cartridges end up in harmful, toxic landfills that eventually end up in our oceans. Ink cartridge recycling is the most eco-friendly solution to this preventable problem. There are a number of simple ways to take those empty cartridges off your hands and into the hands of a trusted recycler:

  • Find a local recycling facility: You may not even know where your local recycle center is located. Luckily Earth911 can guide you to the nearest location for easy cartridge recycling.
  • Find a local office supply store: Did you know most office supply stores offer recycle programs? Check online or call in to see if they accept ink cartridges.
  • Consider refilling original cartridges: Do a bit of research on the brand of your empty ink cartridge. You may find that they are able to refill your cartridge and you won’t ever have to worry about tossing them!

4. Opening windows

Opening up windows is an easy solution to a stuffy, warm office. When people are packed like sardines into their tiny cubicles, the air can quickly become stale and stifling. Instead of wasting money and energy on air conditioning, open a few windows to let fresh air flow in.

Air conditioners put hydrofluorocarbons, a type of greenhouse gas emission, into the environment—so while you may feel refreshed, the earth is further harmed. Reduce your business’ contribution by saving the AC for the more-unbearable summer days.

5. Adopt renewable energy

Invest in renewable energy sources for a long-term, energy-efficient, and eco-friendly power solution. Every year, we see more and more solar panels sitting atop rooftops, which means the time to invest in solar panels is now. By converting sunlight into a sustainable power source, solar panels are the greenest source of energy on the planet today. Solar energy can be used heat buildings and provide energy to power lights on.

what-is-community-solar

6. Make use of post-consumer waste

Turning to post-consumer waste (PCW) to escape the cycle of high-volume paper waste is an exceptional solution for any company that uses a lot of paper. PCW paper is paper re-made at recycling facilities. According to the Environmental Paper Network Paper Calculator, PCW paper saves on

  • 5,610 gallons of water
  • 5,000,000 BTU of energy
  • 376 pounds of solid waste
  • 1,035 pounds of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions

Bottom Line

In 2021, there are no more excuses for why a business is stuck in the past. The future can be a bright one if we all put our best foot forward and make the effort to make our spaces greener!

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.
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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.

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.