Groovy Green

Why Your Dental Clinic Could Be Harming The Environment

ByGroovy Green Nov 17, 2020

In recent years, every business, and every profession, including dentists, has had to do a ‘green audit’ on itself, and think seriously about how the way it operates impacts the environment. Long gone are the days when the only industries that were thought to be harming the environment were the big polluters. Now, even the smallest one-person business operating from home should be thinking of its green credentials.

Of course, dentists have also had to look at how they operate, and this has been an ongoing progress, both at an industry level, and at those levels where an individual dental clinic considers its day to day practices.

Now it might be the case that how your dental practice operates has not been measured against how green it should be. After all, a visit to the dentist for most patients is not something they would associate with harming the environment.

However, whether it is in the reception area, waiting room, treatment room, or staff room there is almost certain to be something that can be changed, replaced, or improved to make your dental practice more environmentally friendly.

In fact, many studies have shown that the dentistry industry produces more than its fair share of chemicals and materials that are harmful to the environment, is responsible for a great deal of energy usage, and generates literally millions of items of waste that are thrown away, which could otherwise be recycled.

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How Can We Reduce Paper Usage in the Office?

ByGroovy Green Jul 28, 2020

In the modern world of digital devices and fast, secure messaging, there’s very little excuse for excessive paper use. Unfortunately, many small businesses continue to waste huge amounts of paper every day.

Fortunately, there are plenty of things that you can do to reduce paper usage in your office, thereby reducing your overall environmental impact. In the rest of this article, I’ve looked at a few of these methods. You might be surprised by just how basic some of them are, because I know I was!

Anyway, let’s jump straight into it.

Print Less

This should be relatively self-explanatory, but it’s amazing just how many companies continue to print huge numbers of documents when they absolutely aren’t necessary. Next time you’re thinking about printing, consider whether or not you really need to. Some alternatives include:

  • Sending out digital copies of presentations of meeting agendas, rather than handing out hard copies.
  • Emailing a document, rather than printing and delivering a hard copy.
  • Taking notes and saving them online, rather than printing and filing hard copies.

As you can imagine, reducing your printing volume will not only save paper – it could save your business a lot of money as well!

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How Do I Know When My Exhaust System Needs Repairing?

ByGroovy Green Mar 5, 2020

Of all your car’s numerous and complex components, the exhaust system is probably the most important. It’s crucial for filtering toxic exhaust fumes and ensuring that your vehicle isn’t overly polluting.

However, exhaust systems are often the first thing to break when your car starts wearing out. Cracks and holes can occur, which can cause the release of toxic gases to the surrounding environment.

This is a natural symptom of an overworked system, but it should be addressed by the driver as soon as possible. Exhaust leaks can cause the engine to work even harder, reducing fuel efficiency. Even worse, such leaks can cause inhalation of toxic fumes for anyone in the car. This can lead to serious health and safety issues for you and your passengers, not to mention the impacts on the planet.

The following signs indicate that it could be time to take your car to a mechanic for exhaust system repairs.

There’s a Decrease in Fuel Efficiency
An exhaust leak often means that fumes which are supposed to be expelled from the engine instead are left floating around inside. This will lead to the engine operating at temperatures hotter than normal and will reduce fuel efficiency.

More practically for drivers, less fuel from an exhaust system leak will mean more trips to the fuel station and more unnecessary dollars spent. If you notice a significant drop in your kilometers per liter, it can be a telling sign that your exhaust system is failing.

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Why Green Cleaning Might be Right for You

ByGroovy Green Jan 30, 2020

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 Services 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.

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What to Use Instead of Plastic?

ByGroovy Green Jan 9, 2020

In recent years, the world has done a complete 360-degree turn on plastic use. Instead of it 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 playing host at 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 own 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.

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Fun Themes to Try in Your Landscape Design

ByGroovy Green Sep 26, 2019

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 landscape expert 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.

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5 Eco-friendly Tips For Cleaning Your Glass Pool Fences

ByGroovy Green Feb 15, 2019

Sustainable living has become the latest trend – for a very good reason! Without a significant portion of the world’s population adopting at least some sort of eco-friendly, sustainable lifestyle, problems like climate change and toxic pollution will continue to grow in magnitude. Installing a glass pool fence has also become popular due to its relative sustainability and non-toxic composition.

However according to the experts at clearazglassfencing.com.au, glass pool fences need cleaning very regularly if they are to maintain their sparkly, trendy look. Cleaning glass is simple, but it can be hard to find the right eco-friendly methods to clean your pool fencing, especially if you’ve never really been taught different methods of environmentally friendly cleaning.

To help you clean your pool fences without releasing toxic chemicals and pollutants into the environment we’ve put together the following list of 5 tips:

  1. Use Warm Water & Natural Dish Washing Soap

As long as your glass pool fence isn’t too dirty, you should be able to clean them with a simple mixture of dish washing soap and warm water. Use a clean sponge and a simple shower squeegee to remove dust and grime without using and toxic chemicals.

  1. Use A Pressure Cleaner

If you’re glass is very dirty or hasn’t been washed for some time, then you should consider using a pressure cleaner to break up the bulk of the toughest dirt. Most glass pool fence panels are treated with some sort of nano protection, which means that they won’t be hurt by pressure cleaning. Blast your fence with the pressure cleaner and then move on to

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What Is Mulching & Why Is It Important?

ByGroovy Green Oct 26, 2018

Landscape design can be very fun and rewarding, especially if you’ve got a decent sized outdoor space to work with. There are a lot of different things that you have to consider when planning a new garden or outdoor space. These include what sort of plants you’re going to include, where you’re going to plant/install certain things, and how you’re going to keep your garden healthy.

In my opinion, mulching is one of the most important parts of designing and maintaining a healthy garden. Mulching has a huge range of benefits, and it’s generally used to make sure that you’re plants are living in a healthy, sustainable environment.

What Is Mulching?

Mulching refers to the action of placing mulch around the base of your plants. Mulch can be anything from composted organic matter to straw or wood chips. It has a range of functions, including keeping moisture in (See: Are you watering your garden right?), reducing the amount of weeds in an area and providing a slow, consistent flow of nutrients to your plants.

Why Should I Mulch My Garden?

Mulching has a huge range of benefits. In general, it will make your garden look better, will make your plants grow better and will reduce the amount of garden maintenance you need to perform. Some of the more specific benefits of mulching include:

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5 Reasons Why You Should Use Eco-Friendly Fire Safety Gear

ByGroovy Green Oct 10, 2018

Businesses throughout Australia are opting for eco-friendly fire protection options as opposed to more traditional methods that can cause significant environmental damage. Being environmentally friendly is a huge positive for pretty much any business in the modern world, as consumers are becoming more aware of their carbon footprint and overall impact on the planet.

There are many reasons why you should use eco-friendly fire safety gear and also have a plan for the safe disposal of fire extinguishers when developing a fire safety plan for your business. Our top five reasons include:

  1. Being Environmentally Friendly Can Help Attract New Customers

As noted above, people throughout the world are becoming more aware of their environmental impact. Being able to show that your business is doing what it can to be environmentally friendly can help you stand out as the obvious choice for many consumers. This will help you increase your income, profits, and will make your business more successful in general.

  1. You Will Be Less Likely To Be Exposed To Chemicals

In general, eco-friendly fire safety gear has a lot fewer negative health effects when compared to traditional toxic chemicals. Using is will help reduce the risk of either you or your employees being exposed to chemicals, reducing the potential for negative impacts on your health.

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Should You Use Natural Hair Care Products

ByGroovy Green Sep 5, 2018

More and more people are finally beginning to realise why it’s so essential to swap to natural hair care products. Aside from featuring organic and natural ingredients that are beneficial for your skin, hair, and body, they also don’t feature any harmful chemicals. Your everyday supermarket shampoo and conditioner still does.

Here’s what you may find lurking in your current hair care products. If that’s not enough to convince you of the benefit of a natural hair care regime, then nothing will.

Phthalates

Phthalates, in the scientific world, are known as endocrine disruptors. They mimic and interrupt hormone production, dramatically impacting men’s reproductive development. Yet, they continue to feature in a range of products. You can find them in your shampoo and conditioner to start with, but then you will notice them in laundry powder, deodorant, and almost anything with fragrance. While they can help to make things smell pretty, they are doing nothing to help your body.

Parabens

While studies into parabens are not conclusive, there is some evidence to suggest that the use of parabens may increase the risk of breast cancer and reproductive toxicity. What’s more, in a British study in 2004, parabens were identified in breast tumours.

However, with research in various stages to prove parabens aren’t entirely safe, they still feature in body lotion, make up, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, and even toothpaste. If you needed another reason to try natural hair care products, this might be it.

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