The Ultimate Guide to Reducing Water Waste in Your Home
I’m John from Plumb It Right, with 38 years of experience in the plumbing industry. After years of plumbing work around Perth, I’ve learned that a few simple changes at home can have a huge impact on water conservation. Whether you’re looking to cut down your water bill, reduce waste, or just do a bit more for the planet, here’s my ultimate plumbers guide to reducing water waste. These tips are easy to follow, cost-effective, and can make a noticeable difference.
- Fix Leaks Right Away
A dripping tap might seem like a minor inconvenience, but it can waste thousands of liters over time. I’ve seen countless homes lose water and money just from ignoring small leaks.
- Why it matters: Just one dripping tap can waste up to 20,000 liters of water per year. That’s enough to fill a swimming pool! Besides the waste, leaks also drive up your water bill.
How to fix it:
Check your taps, pipes, and fixtures regularly. If you spot a leak, try tightening the connections or replacing worn washers. For bigger leaks, don’t hesitate to call in a professional. Also, make sure everyone in the household knows to report any leaks right away—small habits like this make a big difference!
- Install Low-Flow Fixtures
If you’re serious about cutting down on water use, low-flow fixtures are a must-have. These include showerheads, faucets, and toilets that limit the flow of water without reducing pressure, so you still get a great shower or faucet flow.
Why it matters: Low-flow fixtures can cut your water usage by as much as 50%, which helps the environment and your wallet.
- Pro tip: Look for WaterSense-labeled products—they’re certified to be efficient and are easy to find in stores. Plus, some are designed to maintain water pressure while using less water.
Easy upgrade: If you’re not ready to replace all your fixtures, start with the showerhead and faucets in the busiest bathrooms. These tend to see the highest water usage, so switching just a few fixtures can lead to substantial savings.
Water Conservation Strategies Transforming Australian Mine Sites
G’day, folks! Pull up a chair and grab a cold one, because we’re about to dive into a topic that’s as crucial to Australian mining as a good pair of steel-cap boots – water conservation. In a country that’s drier than a dead dingo’s dinner, how our mining companies manage water is becoming as important as the minerals they dig up.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Water conservation in mining? Isn’t that like trying to keep a Great White as a pet?” But hold your horses, because the clever cookies in our mining industry are pulling off some pretty impressive tricks when it comes to saving our precious H2O.
From the parched plains of the Pilbara to the tropical top end, Australian mine sites are transforming faster than a bluey changing colors. So, let’s take a gander at how they’re turning the tide on water waste.
- Cutting-Edge Water Treatment: From Mucky to Crystal Clear
Let’s kick things off with something that used to be a real headache for mining operations – what to do with all that dirty water. These days, mine sites are turning into water treatment wizards, making murky mine water cleaner than a whistle.
I visited a coal mine in the Hunter Valley where they’ve set up a water treatment plant that looks like something out of a sci-fi flick. Massive tanks, whizzing pumps, and more pipes than you can poke a stick at. The site’s environmental manager, Shazza, couldn’t stop grinning as she showed me around.
“See this?” she said, holding up a glass of water that looked clearer than Sydney Harbour on a good day. “This came out of our tailings dam this morning. Now it’s clean enough to put back in the local creek system. We’re not just saving water, we’re helping the local ecosystem too.”
But it’s not just about cleaning up dirty water. These treatment plants are allowing mines to recycle and reuse water in ways they never could before. I chatted with Bob, a process engineer at a gold mine in WA. He chuckled as he explained their system. “We used to need fresh water for everything,” he said. “Now we’re using treated mine water for dust suppression, ore processing, even for the staff showers. Though we had to convince a few of the boys it wouldn’t turn them green!”
One company really leading the charge in water treatment is Rio Tinto. At their Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine in Mongolia (I know, not Australia, but bear with me), they’ve built a state-of-the-art water recycling plant that recovers 85% of the water from the tailings thickeners. That’s billions of litres of water saved each year!
- Smart Water Management Systems: Every Drop Counts
Now, let’s talk about something that’s got the tech heads as excited as a kid in a lolly shop – smart water management systems. These clever bits of kit are helping mines track and manage their water use with pinpoint accuracy.
I popped into an iron ore mine in the Pilbara where they’ve installed a system that would make any water-wise gardener green with envy. Sensors, meters, and gauges everywhere, all feeding data back to a central control room. It was like mission control for H2O.
The water systems manager, Johnno, was like a proud parent showing off his kid’s first footy trophy. “This beauty can tell us exactly how much water we’re using, where it’s going, and where we might be wasting it,” he said. “We can spot a leaky pipe or an inefficient process quicker than you can say ‘dripping tap’.”
But it’s not just about tracking water use. These systems are helping mines optimize their water consumption in real-time. I had a yarn with Emma, a data analyst at a copper mine in South Australia. She explained how their system works. “It’s like having a thousand pairs of eyes watching every drop,” she said. “If we see we’re using more water than usual in one area, we can adjust on the fly. We’ve cut our water consumption by 30% since we installed it.”
One company that’s really embracing smart water management is BHP. They’ve implemented a Water Accounting Framework across all their operations, allowing them to track and report on water use with unprecedented accuracy. I chatted with Tom, one of the engineers working on the project. He grinned as he told me, “It’s like having a water budget for the whole operation. We know exactly what’s coming in, what’s going out, and where every drop is being used.”
- Dry Processing Techniques: Who Needs Water Anyway?
Alright, now let’s talk about something that’s really shaking things up – dry processing techniques. These clever methods are allowing some mines to drastically reduce their water use, or in some cases, eliminate it altogether!
I visited an iron ore mine in the Pilbara where they’ve implemented a dry processing system for their lower grade ore. It was like watching a giant game of snakes and ladders, with conveyor belts zigzagging everywhere and massive crushers and screeners doing their thing. Not a drop of water in sight!
The site manager, Dave, was practically bouncing with excitement as he showed me around. “This system has cut our water use by 40%,” he said. “Plus, it’s cheaper to run and produces less waste. It’s a win-win-win situation!”
But it’s not just iron ore. Mines are finding ways to reduce water use in all sorts of processing operations. I saw a copper mine in Queensland that’s using air jigs instead of wet jigs for ore separation. The process engineer, Sarah, chuckled as she explained it to me. “It’s like a giant air hockey table,” she said. “The air flow separates the ore based on density. No water needed!”
One company that’s really pushing the boundaries with dry processing is Rio Tinto. They’ve developed a waterless ore processing method called “RT360” that uses air and gravity to sort ore. I had a chat with Lisa, one of the engineers who worked on the project. She grinned as she told me about it. “It’s not just about saving water,” she said. “It’s opening up possibilities to mine in areas where water is scarce or where wet processing isn’t feasible. It’s a game-changer.”
- Water-Efficient Equipment: Every Little Bit Helps
Now, let’s talk about the unsung heroes of water conservation – the equipment on the ground. From drill rigs to haul trucks, mining gear is getting a water-wise makeover.
I visited a gold mine in Victoria where they’ve replaced their old dust suppression systems with high-pressure misting cannons. It was like watching a bunch of giant Super Soakers in action, but instead of drenching everything in sight, they were creating a fine mist that settled the dust without wasting a drop.
The site’s environmental officer, Bluey, couldn’t stop grinning as he showed me the system. “These beauties use 70% less water than our old sprinklers,” he said. “And they do a better job too. The dust doesn’t stand a chance!”
But it’s not just about dust suppression. I saw a coal mine in Queensland that’s using vacuum filtration instead of centrifuges to dewater their coal. The process engineer, Mike, explained it to me. “It’s like a giant coffee filter,” he said. “But instead of giving you a cuppa, it gives you dry coal and clean water we can reuse. We’ve cut our water use by 50% in that part of the process.”
One company that’s really leading the charge in water-efficient equipment is Fortescue Metals Group. They’ve implemented a whole suite of water-saving technologies across their operations, from high-efficiency washers to water-recycling truck wash facilities. I had a yarn with Emma, one of their environmental scientists. She laughed as she told me about their latest innovation. “We’ve even got water-efficient toilets in the site offices now,” she said. “Every drop counts, even in the dunny!”
- Tailings Management: Turning Waste into Water Savings
Alright, let’s dive into something that used to be the bane of every mine manager’s existence – tailings management. These days, it’s becoming a hotbed of water-saving innovation.
I popped into a copper mine in South Australia where they’ve implemented a dry-stack tailings system. Instead of the traditional slurry ponds, they’re squeezing the water out of their tailings and stacking them up like a giant sandcastle. It was like watching the world’s biggest sand art competition!
The tailings manager, Shazza, was beaming with pride as she showed me around. “This system recovers 95% of the water from our tailings,” she said. “That’s millions of litres we can reuse in our operations. Plus, it’s safer and takes up less space than a traditional tailings dam.”
But it’s not just about dry stacking. I saw a gold mine in WA that’s using paste thickening to reduce the water content in their tailings. The process engineer, Tom, explained it to me. “It’s like making a really thick milkshake,” he said. “We thicken the tailings until they’re almost solid. Less water in the tailings means more water we can reuse.”
One company that’s really pushing the envelope with tailings management is Newcrest Mining. At their Cadia operation in NSW, they’re using a deep cone thickener system that recovers up to 85% of the water from tailings. I chatted with Sarah, one of the environmental scientists working on the project. She grinned as she told me about it. “It’s not just about water savings,” she said. “It’s making our whole operation more sustainable. Less water use means less impact on local water resources, which is good for everyone.”
- Stormwater Harvesting: Making the Most of Every Downpour
Now, let’s talk about something that’s as Aussie as a kangaroo in a ute – making the most of what little rain we get. Mining companies are getting seriously clever when it comes to harvesting stormwater.
I visited an open-cut coal mine in central Queensland where they’ve turned their entire site into one big rainwater collection system. Every slope, every road, every flat surface is designed to channel water into massive storage dams. It was like looking at a giant plumbing diagram come to life.
The site’s water manager, Jack, was grinning like a Cheshire cat as he showed me their setup. “Last wet season, we collected enough water to run our operations for six months,” he said. “It’s like money falling from the sky!”
But it’s not just about collecting the water. These systems are designed to clean the runoff as it goes, so it can be used in operations without additional treatment. I saw a bauxite mine in the Northern Territory that’s using a series of reed beds and settling ponds to naturally filter their stormwater. The environmental officer, Emma, chuckled as she explained it to me. “It’s like having a giant Brita filter for the whole mine,” she said. “Mother Nature does all the hard work for us.”
One company that’s really making waves with stormwater harvesting is South32. At their Worsley Alumina operation in WA, they’ve implemented a comprehensive water management system that includes extensive stormwater harvesting. I had a yarn with Tom, one of the engineers on the project. He beamed as he told me about their latest innovation. “We’ve even got sensors that predict rainfall and automatically adjust our collection systems,” he said. “It’s like having a crystal ball for water management!”
Wrapping It Up
So there you have it, folks – a whirlwind tour of how water conservation strategies are transforming Australian mine sites. From high-tech water treatment plants to smart management systems, from dry processing techniques to innovative tailings management, our miners are turning the tide on water waste.
Now, I won’t beat around the bush – this transition hasn’t been easy. It’s taken years of research, hefty investments, and more than a few failed experiments. But the results speak for themselves. Mines that once guzzled water like a camel at an oasis are now sipping it like fine wine.
And let’s not forget the bigger picture. In a country as dry as ours, every drop saved in a mine is a drop that can be used elsewhere. It’s about being good neighbors, good stewards of the land, and just plain smart about how we use our resources.
I’ve been kicking around mine sites since before some of you were in nappies, and I’ve got to say – the changes I’ve seen in water management are nothing short of remarkable. It’s like watching a mob of kangaroos learn to swim… and then build a water park!
So next time someone tries to tell you that mining and water conservation don’t mix, you can tell them they’re a few stubbies short of a six-pack. The water conservation revolution in Australian mining is real, it’s happening now, and it’s reshaping our industry for the better.
And who knows? With the rate things are going, the mines of the future might be so water-efficient, you could run them in the middle of the Simpson Desert. Well, maybe that’s stretching it a bit – but in this Great Southern Land of ours, where the drought and flooding rains have shaped our history, our miners are writing a new chapter in water wisdom. And that’s something we can all raise a glass to… of recycled mine water, of course!
Fun Themes to Try in Your Landscape Design
If you’ve been thumbing through the pages of a home and landscape design magazine, you’ll quickly learn that there can be a lot more to the process than you might have first thought. While you can have a few ideas and designs in mind, the best landscape design is one with a theme. But what theme is going to work for you? Here are a few fun options to show your landscape expert before you begin.
An English Country Cottage
While many parts of Australia are far too hot to really pull off an English cottage look, some boast the perfect conditions. Talk to your local landscaping experts about the best flowers to offer premium ground cover and colour.
It also helps if you have the basis for that cottage appeal, such as a country-style home, rolling lawns, and shady trees. Your landscaper can then work their magic with a pond or waterfall renovation and dozens of beautiful cottage flowers to complete the look.
Cool, Calm, and Collected
If you want your garden to be a reflection of your ‘cool, calm, and collected’ personality, then maybe a touch of European in your landscape design is the answer. Europeans love their hedges to be meticulously pruned and maintained with straight lines and dense bush.
European yards also have spacious courtyards with minimal hassle or fuss, a feature fountain, and resting areas. Talk to your local landscaper to see what they can do for you.
How to Get the Most Eco Friendly Air Con
These days with the constant use of air conditioning and heating, we may want to make sure we use the air con in an eco-friendly way. This not only helps to save our precious resources; it also saves on running costs and will preserve the life of your air conditioning unit. Most people consider keeping the filters clean sufficient, but there is much more you can do to help the planet that requires little effort.
- If you are getting a split system, ensure it’s an inverter. These have variable speeds, so rather than switching the compressor on and off constantly; they reduce its speed automatically to match demand. This results in less power use and less wear the tear on the compressor.
- Evaporative air conditioning are one of the most eco-friendly cooling options. They utilize a natural process and lack harmful artificial refrigerants. Additionally, they constantly circulate entirely fresh, cooled air within your home.
- Before purchasing an air con, ensure it is the right size. If you get one too big for the area to be cooled, it will constantly turn on and off, which costs more to run. If it is too small, you won’t be as cool, and the unit will always work harder to cool the area. This will make it wear out much more quickly.
- A licensed electrician and authorised air conditioner installer will know how to estimate your heat load and tell you what size unit would be best.
- Look at the energy rating labels on the air con before you choose what to get. The blue band is for cool air, and the red band is for heat. In some cases, there is another short band above the bottom one that also contains stars. If they are solid in this area, air con is super efficient. 7 to 10 stars is good for efficiency and so sustainability.
10 Innovative Uses Of Solar Energy In Your Home
Solar energy, including solar panels, has become a hot topic for good reasons. Not only is it a renewable energy source, but it also helps homeowners save money on their energy bills. With the rise of innovative technology and smart home automation, homeowners can use the solar energy they have saved from investing in a solar energy system from a professional solar panel company. In this blog post, we explore ten innovative uses of solar energy at home that can help save money and reduce your carbon footprint.
Solar Panels: This is the best-known and most popular choice for homeowners using solar energy to power their homes. They convert sunlight into electricity, which is then used to power your home. Solar panels are an excellent investment for homeowners who live in areas with plenty of sunlight, as they can help you save considerable money on your electricity bills over time.
Solar Water Heaters: Solar water heaters use the sun’s energy to heat water for your home. They are ideal for families that use a lot of hot water, as they can help reduce heating costs.
Solar-Powered Lights: Solar-powered lights are inexpensive and an excellent option for those who want to light up their outdoor spaces without using electricity from the grid. They work by absorbing sunlight during the day and then using that energy to power the lights at night.
5 Great Outdoor Lighting Ideas For Your Concrete Swimming Pool
One of the great things about having a concrete pool on your property is that you have an almost unlimited choice of how to design it and the surrounding area with your pool designers. Not only does it add value to your property but the way in which the aesthetics of your property can be enhanced by a concrete pool is incredible.
An option for enhancing it further is with the use of outdoor lighting, which can turn what might look like a pleasant and attractive pool area during the day, into a stunningly beautiful location at night. To get the wheels turning in your mind in terms of ideas, here are 5 of our favourite options for outdoor lighting for pools.
Underwater Lights
This is one of our favourites as nothing makes a pool more appealing for a swim at night than the lights that are underwater. Not only can they make a pool look stunning, especially if they are coloured lights, but they perform a more practical function in terms of making the pool safer. With the water lit from underneath it is easier to see that someone is in the pool especially if the surrounding light is not particularly bright.
Spotlights
These are great when you want specific features in and around the outside of your property to be highlighted at night. You may have a tree, certain flowers, or it could be some items of the garden and poolside furniture that you want to shine a light on. If you install some adjustable spotlights they can be positioned to shine on the pool when it is being used, and again the use of coloured lighting will enhance the atmosphere.
Why Green Cleaning Might be Right for You
We’re all guilty of making poor purchasing decisions because we’re short on time. We buy takeaways when there’s no time for dinner, and we take the car instead of walking to get where we need to be a little quicker. We also might choose a toxic oven cleaner over a green, sustainable cleaning product because we believe it will work in far less time than one we make ourselves.
No one’s perfect, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a few subtle changes that can have surprising benefits. Read on to learn why green cleaning might be for you.
There are Fewer Chemicals in Your Home
According to office cleaning experts, welcoming more sustainable and eco-friendly cleaning products into your home ultimately means that you will have fewer chemicals in your home – and that has to be a good thing. You don’t have to worry about getting chemicals on your skin, breathing them in, or even touching them. You’ll be amazed at the peace of mind that can offer, which is one of many reasons why green cleaning might be for you.
Better for Your Health
Not breathing in chemicals while you clean your home is a pretty decent reason why green cleaning might be for you. Studies have shown that the asthma risk in your household can increase if you use a household cleaning spray a minimum of once per week. Green products can ultimately even out or decrease that risk.
What to Use Instead of Plastic?
In recent years, the world has completely 180-degree turned on plastic use. Instead of being the most versatile and convenient option around, according to its users, it has become the most burdensome for the planet and a thorn for sustainability.
Because most of this generation has grown up with plastic products, it can be hard to flick that switch off right away to focus on sustainable, eco-friendly materials. Some people may not even know what they can use instead. So, what can replace plastic in your everyday life? Read on to find out.
Single-Use Servingware
When you are hosting a barbecue or community event, it can be hard to find serving ware that’s both convenient and safe for the environment. While you could encourage people to bring their plates and cutlery, it’s just not practical. Sometimes, plastic seems like the only way. But it’s not.
Instead of plastic cutlery and plates, which will end up in the rubbish bin within minutes of its one-time use, you can use wood or bamboo. There is now a myriad of different eco-friendly serving ware options. While they, too, can be single-use, they break down in the environment and release nutrients into the soil. You can’t say the same about plastic.
6 Sustainable Packaging Mistakes Made by Many Businesses
Most businesses understand that when they send freight, the more sustainable the packaging, the less it will cost them both for the transport company costs and the costs of purchasing the packaging. Many types of packaging have a reason for their use and existence. Companies try to keep their goods in top shape and packaging can help with this.
However, most people are aware that it is often a marketing ploy alone that dictates the type of packaging.
- One ‘mistake’ that most companies make on purpose is using a bottle or package that is much larger than needed for what it contains. We’ve all seen vitamin and other pills in large bottles that are only filled to two thirds capacity. The reason for this is to make the product more visible on the shelf and to make the customer think they are getting a lot for the cost of the product.
- Things like cereal come in two packets. One to keep it fresh and the other to prevent the contents being crushed in transit and handling. While the amount in the packet goes nowhere near to filling it, companies cite the contents ‘may’ have become more compacted during transport. In fact, they too, want their product to take up a large amount of shelf space in the shop so it is highly visible – and they also like it if the customer believes they are getting more than is actually in the packet.
4 Easy Ways to Incorporate Sustainability in Building
No matter whether you are a sole trader, a larger building company there are good reasons to add sustainability practices to your business strategies – and easy ways to do it. Being environmentally friendly has become fashionable and for good reason. It not only saves you on costs, but it can give your business an edge over the competition if you offer people sustainable building advice.
Here are 5 easy ways to implement sustainability –
- When ordering building supplies, if you don’t deal in bulk supplies take care to order only what is needed, in timber especially. If you do happen to run out you can save by profiting from other builders who order too much and end up dumping it in landfill or giving it to the recycling centre where they could make recycled furniture or save them time and the effort of on-selling it. There is a great deal of new timber that finds its way into landfill, which is a shocking waste of a resource that takes years to be ready for cutting.
- Suggest your clients salvage such things as windows, doors, tiles and other materials from the recycling plant. They – and you – can save quite a bit doing this where you couldn’t really do it on their behalf unless they asked you to. They would need to choose the patterns and colours of the tiles, anyway.
How To Be Eco Friendly In The Office
These days, with just a little bit of effort, everything we do can be eco friendly to some extent, whether it is at home, or at a home or work office. You may have set up business as a digital marketing agency such as Slinky Digital and work on your computer all day long. If everyone does something to reduce their carbon footprint, the result will be incredible and our precious resources will last a lot longer.
If you have a computer, you will most likely also have a printer. Not all printers are efficient, but laser printers can be said to be better than inkjet printers because the ink will not smudge if it gets wet. So when you print out a sheet, you won’t have to reprint it due to any smudges, thus saving ink. And you can usually print more with one toner cartridge than one container of ink.
Another way to ensure your printer is eco friendly is to purchase one that spits out those pages quickly. All printers use power while they are printing; if a printer takes 30 or even 10 seconds to print one page of type, it will take a lot longer and so use more power than one that can print a page in 1 or 2 seconds. So it’s important to look at the specifications of a printer before you purchase it.
So look at the pages per minute the printer will do, but also look at what other features it has that you may need. Having a printer that can hold 250 pages is a lot more convenient than one which can only hold 10 pages.
How to Have an Environmentally Friendly Holiday
According to villa booking experts Easy Bali Villas when you book one of the many villas in Bali for your holiday, you may not think about being environmentally friendly, but sustainable living should be done in every country, not just the one you live in. Many people don’t consider it necessary to practice sustainability when they go overseas, but it is still just as important and can save you money as well.
So just how can you be environmentally friendly while on holidays? There are plenty of opportunities.
- Don’t scatter your rubbish around. Instead, look for a bin, even if it is out of your way. If there are none in sight, keep your rubbish and dispose of it in a bin at your accommodation.
- If you are purchasing gifts to take home, make them environmentally friendly choices. They should have been make in a sustainable way and be useful, rather than junk that will end up in the bin.
- Purchase goods made locally and this includes food. Local products have not had to be shipped to Bali, so they have a smaller carbon footprint. Besides, Bali has some of the best food ever.
- Don’t use expensive, glossy wrapping paper for your gifts as much ends up in landfill. Instead, place the gift in a nice bag that can be reused and recycled.
- Purchase only one gift per person. Let’s face it, our kids get many presents; they don’t need to be inundated with more just because you took them on holiday. Consider the holiday itself as their gift.
- Rather than buying a heap of cards to send back home, send digital ones. If you don’t want to go digital, use cards made with recycled paper.
How to be Eco Friendly with Home Renovations
When you are planning a home renovation it is very exciting, especially if it is for your own home. It is wonderful to see the change as the home renovation progresses and know that it will really enhance your lifestyle. You can be eco- friendly with home renovations during the equipment hire phase as well as in choosing building materials and finishes.
Choosing the right equipment for the job is essential and will save time as well as help to reduce the impact the renovation has on the environment around you. Plant hire need not be difficult; the hiring company will help you choose the best machine for the job.
You will also need to choose building materials that are eco-friendly. Bamboo is a good choice for kitchen cupboards and other built-ins. Bamboo grows quickly so it a renewable resource. You could also think about using recycled materials. There are many recycling places especially for builders and carpenters. You can find windows, doors, bath tubs, kitchen sinks and cupboards, flooring and left over cut timber from other home building projects. Why waste all that, especially when it will save money as well as the environment.
How an Enhanced Lifestyle is Part of Sustainability
Sustainability is not just about saving the environment. Most people would agree that it includes enhancing your lifestyle in a way that is in line with sustainable practices. For instance, adding patios in Perth, pergolas or carports can enhance the lifestyles of many people; choosing the materials that are eco-friendly and sustainable then enhances and saves the environment.
There are other ways in which a patio or a pergola can be considered eco-friendly.
- When you spend time outside, say for alfresco dining, you can enjoy the cool of the evening without having to run the air conditioner. This saves on your costs as well as saving the earth’s resources. You may think that it would only be a small saving, but if many people do it, that small amount grows exponentially.
- Having a patio against the side of the home will also shade it and keep it cooler, reducing the need for the air conditioner to be on, so again, the environment and your budget are both winners.
- Here’s another way a patio or pergola can be eco-friendly. Having children’s birthday parties in them will save a great deal of wear and tear on your carpets. Eventually, this will filter back to a few less carpets being needed, so all the power that is used to make them will be reduced. This too, may seem like a saving too minimal to count, but when taken over the whole of the country it can really mount up.
Sustainability When Packaging Your Freight
When sending freight it is important to pack it in such a way as to prevent movement and breakage. While your transport or logistics company may have rules and regulations for packaging, they may not consider sustainability to be important. But depending on the kind of freight you have, you can use environmentally friendly packaging quite easily if you put your mind to it. There are several ways of doing so.
- Re-use old packaging from freight you’ve received in the past. It is not difficult to keep and re-use things such as boxes and bubble wrap. Most boxes can be flattened without any harm so it doesn’t take too much room to store them.
- Find larger crates that have been used by watching the classifieds where people who have recently moved may advertise them.
- Visit a recycling centre to see what’s on offer for packaging up your goods. You’ll find many handy packaging goods there.
- If you receive goods on pallets that have been surrounded by plastic wrapping, it might be worth unwrapping them carefully to re-use it. The downside is that it will take more time, but not everyone is in a rush to get things done.
- Use crumpled paper to safely pack small items. Ask friends and family to save their newspapers for you.
10 Tips to Moving in an Environmentally Friendly Way
People move house for many different reasons and some have many moves over their lifetime. It seems they no sooner get settled and they have to contact a furniture removals company like Brilliance Removalists Perth. Then they start with the whole deal of packing up their goods and taking them to another new home. This may be inconvenient, but at least moving can be done in an environmentally friendly way. Here are 10 tips to show you how.
- Use some of your linen or out of season clothes for wrapping breakables and for padding in and around the boxes. This will save on the cost and usage of bubble wrap and prevent yet more plastic going into landfill.
- If you move a lot, flatten and store your cardboard cartons to use next time. They don’t take much room when stored flat.
- Many retail stores receive their products in strong cartons, which are then sent to the recyclers. You can divert some of them for your own use. Try electrical goods stores and pharmacies to get free moving boxes.
- If you don’t move much, offer those cartons to someone else who will soon be moving.
- Some of the boxes can be used to store toys, blankets, tools and other items.
- Sell or give larger tea chest boxes away if you don’t want them. A free ad. on gumtree will often find them a home.
- Moving is often accompanied by cleaning. Don’t spend money on toxic cleaning products; make your own. Got mould or mildew? A ¼ of a teaspoon each of lavender oil and tea tree oil with 2 cups of water. Spray it onto the mould and don’t wipe it off. It will destroy the mould. Windows can be cleaned with equal parts of white vinegar and water.
How Landscape Design Can be Environmentally Friendly
According to Landscaping Sydney, professional landscaping your property can pay dividends, especially if it is done by a professional. Not only will it increase the sales potential and value of your home, if done properly, landscape design can save a great deal on the costs of water, fertilizer and losing plants. How?
A professional can ensure your plants are suited to the area and that they are in a position in the garden that suits them best. Placing shade-lovers in a dry, sunny position and sun lovers in the shade is a recipe for plant loss. And it happens more often than you may imagine simply because we purchase plants that appeal to us in looks, not to suit the garden we have. Choosing the right plants in vital.
Some of us also tend to stick plants in the garden wherever there is a spare space and we don’t think about their watering needs. Some plants will rot away if they get too much water while others thrive on it. Put the two close together and one of them is not going to survive. The same applies when it comes to fertilisers. Some plants prefer one type while other plants don’t like any or not so much.
Australian natives especially, don’t thrive if they have a lot of fertiliser, so if they are planted with anything that is known as a gross feeder – that is, it likes a lot of fertiliser – then one of the two is not going to thrive and indeed, is likely to die off completely.
Landscape design can also be environmentally friendly when the whole property is designed to retain natural rainwater by placing garden beds in a location to catch the run-off, by terracing and by planting water lovers in damp spots. Automated watering systems that have sensors to indicate when watering is needed can save on the use and cost of water.
How Sustainable is Colorbond Roofing?
If you are re-roofing your home, you will want to choose a sustainable option. A roof is one of the most important parts of the home; without it you cannot even live there. But if choosing Colorbond roofing you will want to know that it ticks all the important boxes.
- Durability
- Strength
- Low Maintenance
- Aesthetic
- Suits a wide variety of cladding
- Offers a good number of colour options
- Will blend into the environment or stand out as you require
- Is quick and easy to erect, thus saving costs in time
- Is affordable
Colorbond ticks all those boxes and more besides. It is one roof that is approved for use in bushfire prone areas. This is not only because it is flame retardant, but because it offers very few niches for burning embers to get stuck in. Each sheet is quite long and the overlap has no niche under it, like you find on most tile roofs. So, hot embers from an approaching bush fire simply blow off, rather than lodging on the roof and catching it alight.
Biome Smart Terrarium for Gadget-Loving Green Thumbs
A sign of the times – but one that may be welcome from the digitally connected among us – is this smart terrarium concept by designer Samuel Wilkinson.
Called the “Biome”, the beautiful flora terrarium is controlled exclusively (climate, water level and nutrients) via your iPad or other smartphone device. Wilkinson told MocoLogo that the idea “promotes ‘digital downtime’ by finding an alternative use for smartphones and encouraging their owners to consider a slower life. The control and nurturing of a real mini eco-system takes patience and care, contrasting with the immediacy of messaging or tweeting that is so characteristic of the smartphone generation.”
Biome was developed for a recent exhibition titled “Slow Tech – Designs for Digital Downtime”. There’s no word yet on if the Biome or its companion app will ever see the light of day as a real product
Windowfarm Kit The Latest Wonder in Micro Gardening
Like something straight out of scifi, this hydroponic “Windowfarm” kit is the latest solution for urban dwellers looking to grow their own food in a limited space.
It comes to us from a crowd-sourced community of 22,000 windowfarmers around the world; utilizing an approach called R&D-I-Y, or Research & Develop It Yourself. Since 2009, this collective has been working towards perfecting a micro-hydroponic kit that can grow just about any vegetable if you’ve got direct sunlight.
Their latest version has a new design, environmentally-friendly cups and wires, and an awesome reduced price (down from an original $249) of $99. To manufacture the kits, they’ve taken the Kickstarter route and, with 13 days left, have already surpassed their goal of $50,000. If you’re not keen to start your own plants, you can pick up a pack of baby plants for $49, which include 8 varieties like “Genovese Basil, a peppery watercress, perfect-caesar romaine, red leaf lettuce, tangy red-veined sorrel.”
For those that are thinking, “I could make this!” – they’ve got you covered there as well with instructions online for a “Standard 3-bottle Airlift Windowfarm” or a “Hanging 2-Column” variety. Sounds like a pretty decent holiday gift for anyone you know that’s tight on space but keen to grown their own food.
Izaak Walton League Enlists the Help of Goats
Faced with invasion by alien plants, the Izaak Walton League calls upon the goat justice league (well, not the real goat justice league…) to help save them from being overrun at their 33 acre property in Gaithersburg, MD. This selective grazing technique will be employed to control the populations of Japanese honeysuckle, Garlic Mustard, Autumn Olive, and Oriental Bittersweet.
From their website:
Eliminating invasive plants – permanently – improves wildlife habitat as well as human habitat. But traditional methods of doing this over large areas involve repeated application of chemicals that could leach into our waterways. A new program is fighting nature with nature.
Eco-Goats brings a herd of goats to large properties infested with invasive species. The goats are contained within an electric fence to tackle invasive plants one acre at a time. Goats eat the invasive plants down to the ground, and goat handlers either dig up stumps or kill them with very targeted use of an herbicide.
We wish them luck, and are curious to see how this selective grazing turns out!
The goat army prepares for battle with aliens
Urban Farming, The New Way to Handle Unemployment?
Depending on which figures you choose to use, unemployment in America is approaching 20%, a figure that is quite remarkable. Fully 1/5 of the people in America who could be working are not currently working. I think urban farming could be this generation’s way to handle unemployment, sort of like a 2011 version of the CCC.
When you are willing to trade your labor for less space and less machinery you can create an amazing income from a small land base. SPIN farming is a method developed by a farming couple in Canada when they realized that they could make more money by growing intensively on less land if they grew the right crops at the right times.
They have a farm income calculator on their site that suggests that a farmer with 1/2 an acre can generate $24,000 in gross sales on the low end up to $72,000 on the high end. I think this is doable as well, but it does require a bit more marketing and growing of high value crops. We use a CSA model for our urban farm and I don’t think that will get us to those dollar figures because a CSA model is similar to a bulk food model vs. a model where you would grow exclusively high value crops like exotic green, radishes or beets for restaurants.
Rosalie Bay Resort Features Dominica’s First Wind Turbine
Resorts around the world continue to impress me with their commitment to sustainable practices — but Rosalie Bay Resort on the island of Dominica in the Caribbean is truly a standout.
Five years in the making, the 22-acre getaway was built on principles of conservation and preservation, surrounded by an undisturbed natural setting of mountains, lush forests, and gardens. In addition to solar panels, the resort also features a Norwin Turbine 225 kW — which provides some 70% of the power used by the 28 beautiful rooms in nine cottages. With these renewables in place, Rosalie is effectively self-sustaining; an epic achievement that’s yet still rare in today’s world of “green resorts”.
“Nature should be preserved and shared,” said Dr. Ken Watson, general manager. “Rosalie Bay Resort was designed to be environmentally sustainable while showcasing one of the most beautiful natural settings in the Caribbean. Many resorts claim to be green, but we’ve made a legitimate commitment with the wind turbine being the centerpiece of our pledge.”
My review of the NREL Western Wind and Solar Integration Study
The NREL/GE Energy WWSIS study appears to be built on several questionable assumptions, each allowing the modeled system (of up to 30% wind/5% solar in the West Connect within the great Western Interconnect) to withstand the inherent difficulties of large scale renewable integration. The primary issue, consistent with my dissertation research, is that the authors assume that we can afford to massively overbuild the capacity of the system, adding the large percentages of renewable generation on top of newly built and existing plants. This allows one to be able to ignore the hourly or sub-hourly periods with extremely low output from renewables, as well as the days or weeks at a time during the summer when wind production is well below yearly average output levels. An ample reserve is at the ready to step in when renewables perform poorly. Secondly and equally important, the authors assume that coal plants, which have traditionally run in a base load capacity, will be able to be operated very flexibly – on par with combined cycle gas plants.
Green Poetry: “Streams of Consciousness”
The biggest environmental challenge we face is educating people
Our globe is a big community
We interact
We affect our surroundings
Without knowledge there is consequence
Specialization is prominent
But familiarity with all systems is essential
To know a tree dies but not why
Could be a plague
We care about trivial things at times
What is on TV?
No, where will my next sip of water come from?
Once we understand
We can adapt
Systems can be in balance
A quiet lake, a deep ocean, and a steep mountain
What can we learn about life?
Careful observation and ongoing education
One day, our world will be of one mind
——————–
Ed Note: Thanks Jessica for being the first from SUNY-ESF to submit a post. Interested in posting at Groovy Green? Use the “Contact” tab above.
Coming Next Week – College Bloggers
Students from SUNY-ESF will be taking over Groovy Green next week. Get the perspective of the future environmental leaders of America (and places beyond).
Come back and see us next week, starting Thursday 11/18/10 and see what they have to say.
Can a “One-legged” Man Stay Green?
I’ve had the humbling experience of undergoing ankle surgery about 2 months ago. As a father of a near-two year old, and a husband, it has been extremely difficult to shift from the role of a provider and equal member of the household to a person initially very dependent on others.
My family and friends have been very supportive, and where we still needed some help, we were able to find babysitters, someone to help clean, and someone to do the annual fall clean-up.
I’ve progressed over the last month from a doped-up, leg-elevated, impression in my couch to a semi-functioning member of my family and society. I’m back to work, and trying to catch up on my PhD studies. Still, its a big challenge to hop from place to place, and occasionally catch a ride in a wheelchair during longer outings. Let’s just say that I’ve had plenty of time to think.
Cleveland’s RFID-enabled Recycle Bins Report When You’re Not Using Them
Cleveland’s City Council recently passed a $2.5 million measure to bring RFID-equipped recycling bins to 25,000 homes over the course of the next year. Hey, nothing like encouraging a little green behavior. But this one carries a catch:
The chips will allow city workers to monitor how often residents roll carts to the curb for collection. If a chip show a recyclable cart hasn’t been brought to the curb in weeks, a trash supervisor will sort through the trash for recyclables.
Trash carts containing more than 10 percent recyclable material could lead to a $100 fine, according to Waste Collection Commissioner Ronnie Owens.
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