8
Nov, 2020

Environmental Aspects of Ecological Renovation

Summary

What is ecological renovation?

Ecological renovation in practice

Preparing your ecological renovation project

Ecological renovation makes it possible to improve comfort, reduce costs and take environmental issues into account, notably by avoiding the 2,000 kWh of primary energy per square meter of new construction due mainly to the structure’s construction. The ecological renovation preserves and enhances the local heritage and safeguards agricultural land by avoiding urbanization. But how can it be done? Where to start? What are the right questions to ask, the mistakes most often made? Where to find objective information? Read more below!

What is ecological renovation?

The ecological renovation consists of renovating one’s home while considering different and multiple environmental issues, as described below.

Climate change caused by the increased emission of greenhouse gases (CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, fluorinated gases, etc.) has very worrying environmental and social consequences.

The depletion of various resources available on earth today is also worrying. These resources are in limited quantity (primary energy source, raw materials). Their quality is threatened by our lifestyles: arable land whose fertility is compromised by intensive agriculture, water, and air whose quality depends on local pollution.

Human health and biodiversity are also an important issue to which ecological renovation must respond. The objective is to limit local, global, and distant pollution and health risks (oil spills or nuclear accidents, for example).

Energy renovation

For each of these issues, the consumption of non-renewable energy has a significant impact. An ecological renovation, therefore, requires, in particular, an energy renovation, and thus a drastic reduction in power for heating and cooling. Indeed, heating is, by far, an essential item at home.

Ecological renovation in practice

Bioclimatic architecture

Initially, the principles of bioclimatic architecture should be used as much as possible:

  • Think of a compact house (more living space for less surface area giving onto the outside).
  • Plan an opening to the south to benefit from free solar gain in winter.
  • Protect yourself from prevailing winds.
  • Use inertia and solar protection, and above all, optimize insulation.

Eco-materials

An ecological material is above all a material that meets a given need: insulation, water tightness, mechanical strength, water vapor permeability, for example. It must also be free of health risks: beware of toxic chemical compounds in paints.

Finally, an environmentally friendly material must have a reduced impact on the environment. It is preferable to use materials manufactured as close as possible to where they will be used (to avoid transport pollution) and coming from a recycling process (cellulose wadding, recycled textiles, etc.). However, transport pollution is inevitable when the material is of plant origin (wood fiber, hemp, flax) or animal origin (sheep’s wool).

Good to know: often, the original materials (oak frame, a stone wall, for example) have interesting properties and save material, energy, and water for the manufacture of new materials. This is one of the advantages of renovation over new construction.

Preparing your ecological renovation project

The right questions

Above all, it’s about asking the right questions, getting the correct answers, adapted to your home. For example:

  • What are my needs (living space, number of bedrooms)?
  • Does the building have humidity problems?
  • Is the architectural quality to be preserved?
  • What elements need to be changed: the condition of the roof, electricity, heating system?
  • What are the elements to keep?
  • What materials and energy sources can I find nearby?

Two structures can provide you with advice in your ecological renovation project: the EPA’s GreenCheck and the Society for Ecological Restoration. You will also need to involve competent professionals in architecture and energy performance.

8
Nov, 2020

Environmental and Economical Heating Towards Sustainable Development

Summary

– What is economical and ecological heating in the context of sustainable development?

– Types of environmental and economical heating for sustainable development.

– Tips to take advantage of this opportunity to reduce your heating bill.

Heat your home, not the outside! If you’re tracking heat loss in your home, start by asking yourself about its insulation. Doing renovation work will allow you to save energy while optimizing your comfort.

It is useless to change your old heating system for a more efficient one. Take, for example, economical electric heating, if your house is not well insulated: the heat input will not compensate for the losses, and it will cost you more.

What is economical and ecological heating?

Ecological and economical heating revolves around 3 issues:

– reducing energy consumption;

– using renewable energy;

– limiting greenhouse gas emissions.

The heating methods that can qualify for these criteria are continually evolving. The current economic context and societal concerns are favorable to them, which leads them to supplant conventional equipment without difficulty.

Note: Most ecological and economical heating systems are eligible for a tax credit.

Types of environmental and economical heating for sustainable development

For households, heating remains one of the most energy-intensive jobs, hence the growing interest in technologies that allow for savings on heating bills and preserve our environment. Some equipment, such as boilers, stoves, and heat pumps, use renewable energies (wood, earth, air, sun) and are qualified as ecological.

Boiler

The boiler is a keystone of the heating system and can be environmentally friendly by advantageously using wood, which is the cheapest fuel and renewable energy with low CO2 emissions:

– wood granules (or pellets) feeds the heating circuit but can also provide domestic hot water;

– boiler and hot water loop can run on renewable energies such as geothermal, wood, and solar.

Note: The USA’s tax credit is $300 for purchasing a wood-fired boiler or a qualifying biomass-burning stove before December 31, 2020.

Heat pumps

The heat pump has its place in this enumeration, although it needs electrical energy to operate. However, its operation is very economical since it is based on energy extraction from the ground or the air and its return to the home via heat emitters (radiators or underfloor heating).

There are various heat pumps available:

– air-water heat pumps that can be adapted to existing systems, can also produce hot water and are reversible;

– air-to-air heat pumps that can only be used with electric heating systems and are more efficient in the cooling mode than in heating mode;

– ground-source heat pumps (horizontal or vertical capture) are the most expensive but the most efficient.

Stoves

The stoves are very efficient heaters that are still used in most cases as a complement to a central heating system. There are different types of stoves:

– the pellet stove: its autonomy is generally between 7 and 72 hours;

– the wood-burning stove, which is an economical and ecological heating system;

– the masonry heater, which is a high-efficiency wood stove.

Tips to reduce your heating bill

Here are some useful tips for saving heating energy:

– Reducing the temperature by 1°C saves 7% energy.

– Regularly clean the convector grilles to avoid dust accumulation that would reduce airflow.

– A closed chimney or stove flue (when these are not in use) prevents the house from being cooled with cold air.

– Remember to turn down the heating if you are away for more than 2 hours, but do not turn it off. Heating your home would require more energy than if you had left it at the same temperature.

– If you are away for more than 48 hours, you can switch to the “frost-free” position.

There you have it, these few tips for economical and ecological heating towards sustainable development can help you reduce your heating bill. Don’t forget to leave us your comments in the section below.

5 Sustainable Diet Ideas

The idea of simplicity when it comes to losing weight can be surprising because we get lost in the drama of our dieting history. The rules, restrictions and limitations of a crash diet abound when we are faced with those extra 20 pounds and desperately want to lose them. And I understand the reaction in crisis mode for having been there myself once too often.

But there is a mindset that is worth cultivating and that will help you every day, crisis or no crisis, to make simple changes that require almost no effort and yet are beneficial to the end result, your weight. After all, weight gain is a simple idea. More calories than necessary, the excess is stored as fat. It doesn’t get any more complicated than that and yet many women forget or neglect to apply the idea of Kiss in their daily life, especially with regard to diet.

How can you use the Kiss concept as a guide? Reduce your consumption, lose weight and rethink the way you eat and manage your diet?

1. Try to be flexible, be open to creativity and be prepared to replace high-impact foods and drinks with lighter substitutes that you can create yourself. When you decide to eat something that has a high impact, resist for a while and ask yourself how you can soften it, perhaps replace it or leave something out so you can control your own story. Remember that any action you choose to take for yourself that improves an outcome is proactive and sharpens your consciousness. There are many opportunities to apply Kiss every day. For example, there are many ways to apply Kiss every day:

2. In coffee, Frappuccino’s, Caffe Mocha’s, Latte’s, Smoothies, Alfredo’s, switch to fat-free milk and whipped cream. Take only one pump of flavoured syrup or, ideally, switch to sugar-free syrup. Instead of all those high-impact drinks that detract from the pure pleasure of great tasting coffee, why not go back to basics and add your own signature? Try a double espresso with layered fat-free froth all the way to the top. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the froth, a little low-fat or fat-free milk, stir and presto, a delicious low-calorie frothy drink with little effect. Experience and enjoy the pure taste of coffee when it is not buried under other things.

3. In fast-food restaurants: You can still order a fun meal, but with a slightly lighter impact. Here are some suggestions for saving calories.
Replace fried, crispy, extra-crispy chicken with grilled chicken. Grilled is delicious and saves calories, fat and sodium. Chicken meal with corn, mashed potatoes and sauce with cookies is just as delicious when grilled and the sauce is removed from the potatoes. You won’t even notice it, and every little bit of calories saved helps. That means not using butter on the corn or cookie. You don’t need it because KFC has the best, sweetest corn and their plain cookie is exceptional. These are simple adjustments you can make that don’t affect the way you experience your meal. The taste remains great and eating is fun, with less impact on your bottom line and calories.
Don’t forget the exercise you can do in any restaurant, fast food restaurant or at home – grilled, baked or broiled to replace fried food.

4. Sweets. Replace high sugar desserts with fresh fruit salad or angel food cake topped with fruit. This saves calories and sugar and gives your body the natural fibre of fruit. Plain yogurt, cinnamon, raisins and banana slices are suitable for any combination, or vanilla yogurt with angel food cake topped with fruit. The amount of sugar in food today is surprising and surprising, because you’ll appreciate it all the more if you pay attention to food labels. The equation to remember is that 4 grams of sugar is equivalent to one teaspoon of sugar.

5. Flavour Enhancements: Ask for sandwich dressings, special sauces, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, salad dressings, honey, butter, syrups, sauces, cheese and cream sauces by any name, including Alfredo sauce on fettuccini, Benedictine sauce on eggs, as a side dish. Do you think restaurants or fast food chains have any idea or even care if they have added hundreds of foods high in fat, cholesterol, sugar, calories and sodium to your meal? No.

 

These are small steps you can take every day. Add your own because you don’t have to do without them, you just have to do it smarter. Just try it.

Sustainable Grocery Stores – the Change in the World of Grocery

The world is changing, and, at the same time, people are increasingly aware of the importance of purchasing and the environment. 80% of consumers would prefer to reduce their environmental impact and find a way to improve their contribution to the fight for a better planet. There are many things we can do and choices we can make to reduce our impact on the environment. Well, we’re not alone in making this change; grocery stores also play an essential role in their supply chain and their interaction with consumers, so their impact on the planet is less. This company is beginning to adopt sustainable practices, where reusable water bottles are available instead of disposable ones, and eating vegetables reduces the carbon footprint.

1. Buy in bulk with reusable bags – You may have noticed that many vending machines and containers are filled with food. So instead of buying pre-packaged food, you package your food as much as you want. They even offer reusable bags for purchasing these items in bulk. Grocery stores should sell all food because they would eliminate the need for a plethora of plastic and cardboard packaging. Imagine all the cereal boxes and fruit containers that would no longer be needed. The cashiers would weigh the items you buy and charge you according to their weight.

2. Offer reusable fruit and vegetable cartons – Even if a raspberry container is small, plastic waste accumulates. Rather than continually throwing away or recycling these containers, stores should offer reusable plastic or glass cartons that customers can take with them. This also allows consumers to choose the amount of product they want instead of buying a particular size container. This will eliminate food waste. The cashier will weigh the products, and customers will only be charged for what they eat. To motivate customers to bring in their reusable cartons, stores should charge customers for each disposable container needed.

3. Charging customers for the use of disposable bags – Several states have proposed laws that would charge customers for the benefit of plastic bags. The purpose of these laws is to motivate customers to bring their reusable bags to the grocery store. The U.S. uses approximately 100 billion plastic bags per year, each taking up to 1,000 years to decompose in landfills. Replace the small plastic grocery bags, which are easy to tear, with larger, more durable reusable bags. Plastic waste will undoubtedly be reduced.

4. Sell only organic food – Grocery stores should try to sell only organic food. Conventional agriculture uses many pesticides, which then seep into the soil and kill the Earth and everything that lives. Your dollar is your vote. The more organic food you buy, the more popular and profitable organic farming will become. As consumer demand increases, more farmers will choose to grow organic food, and more companies will want to invest in organic farming.

5. Buying “ugly” fruit – Many farmers know that people won’t buy products that don’t look perfect. That’s why tons of high-quality products are never picked, and even when they are, they are not purchased or consumed simply because of their appearance. By buying tasty fruit that doesn’t look as appetizing, you’re eliminating food waste and sending the message that it’s okay to eat less attractive fruits and vegetables. These solutions are not incredibly challenging to implement. If you want to see positive changes to ensure a long future for the Earth, you can make a few simple lifestyle changes. As a consumer, you should buy in bulk, use reusable grocery bags, buy more organic food, and avoid purchasing ugly products.

 

So the next time, you are shopping do know that the bio-products are the best when it comes to the environment. This is your support for the environment!

30
Oct, 2020

Avocados: Superfoods or Environmental Destruction?

Stuffed with prawns, guacamole sauce, smoothie, or salad for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, avocado has begun to form part of the diet of a large part of the world’s population in recent years. According to the UN Comtrade Database, the US is the largest avocado importer. The country’s quantity has almost tripled in recent years, from 345 million kg in 2010 to nearly 928 million in 2017. This “avocado fever” has also reached Europe, where in the last seven years, it has been more than doubled the region’s import levels.

And Why Has This Exotic Fruit Become So Famous?

Is Avocado a Fruit or a Vegetable?

Undoubtedly, due to its numerous nutritional properties: it is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (Oleic acid), magnesium, potassium, vitamins C, E (a powerful antioxidant), and B6. Also, various studies have indicated that avocado consumption reduces the levels of total cholesterol and its LDL-Cholesterol fraction (‘bad’ cholesterol) and triglycerides in the blood. It is not all gold that glitters; this superfood is causing many benefits for consumers as disasters in the major producing countries’ ecological systems. Among these, Mexico is the undisputed protagonist, with a historical production in 2017 of almost two million tons, also standing out as the first exporting country.

But What Is Behind This Exquisite and Much-Loved Fruit?

Angry Avocado For Graphic Tee - Cartoon Clipart (#3209676) - PinClipart

Avocado needs a high amount of water. The Water Footprint Network states: “It takes 2,000 liters of water to produce a kilo of avocado – four times more than the amount needed to produce a kilo of oranges and ten times more than the amount to produce a kilo of tomato.”

The answer seems easy when you look at the facts: avocado cultivation causes deforestation, endangers wildlife, finances drug cartels, and contributes to the water crisis in many parts of the South, where it is mainly produced. So, yes: since these are the side effects of our healthy food today, how should we react ethically? Should we stop eating our favorite food altogether? That’s perhaps a little more difficult to understand? For now, it is not necessarily the most ethical solution. Let’s find out why.

The Avocado Crisis

Avocado: the 'green gold' causing environment havoc | World Economic Forum

The cultivation of this fruit is causing severe environmental problems in the major producing countries. In Mexico (mainly in Michoacán), many farmers have burned large forest areas to convert to avocado monoculture. Also, the high water retention for avocado cultivation reduces the amount of water available for the region’s animals and inhabitants.

The British media The Guardian has investigated the situation of the inhabitants of the province of Petorca (Chile) in its article “Chilean villagers claim British appetite for avocados is draining region dry.” In this region, the British newspaper states that “many avocado plantations install illegal pipes and wells to divert water from rivers to irrigate their crops. As a result, residents claim that rivers have dried up and that the groundwater level has dropped, causing a deep regional drought. For this reason, residents are now forced to use contaminated water delivered by pickup trucks.

A study commissioned in 2014 on dispensed water showed that levels of coliforms – the bacteria found in feces – were far above the legal limit. Veronica Vilches, a Chilean activist, interviewed by The Guardian, commented that “to send good avocados to Europeans, we are drinking water with poop.”

How to Solve This Problem?

This superfood may seem way too much of a challenge to many. Nor does a complete boycott of a product whose export has turned into a burgeoning economic activity worth billions of dollars for some countries seems the most appropriate solution.

So, What to Do?

Embrace sustainable avocado packaging on National Avocado Day

The next time you go to the supermarket, you could start looking at the origin of the products you buy and which ones have obtained social, environmental, or economic sustainability certifications. There are already many types of certifications (Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade (Fair Trade), UTZ Certified, just to name a few) – you just need to identify which ones are your favorites!

30
Oct, 2020

9 Tips for a Waste-Free Party

Your birthday or someone very special is coming, and you’re going to throw a party? Yay! But have you thought about how to minimize waste in the organization of the event? You can plan a super party without garbage and debris! Check out the tips here!

1) Forget the Balloons!

Use colored ribbons that can be reused over the years. They are beautiful and give a lot of life to the environment. A decoration made with handmade or reusable items gives a special touch to the party.

ribbons decoration ceiling - Google Search | Wedding table decorations pink, Ceiling design, Ceiling decor

2) Do Not Exaggerate the Feast

Calculate the number of people coming and the amount of food needed. When in doubt, it is better to estimate a little down than a pile-up because the leftovers are often lost in the end and result in waste. Don’t forget that many children start eating a dish, but don’t finish it. The good idea is to make small amounts of varied dishes. Finally, if you have to buy ingredients in supermarkets, choose ingredients with recyclable packaging and preferably with the I-recycling seal.

3) Choose Reusable Cups, Plates, and Cutlery

Ask family and friends to lend you some extras if necessary. This way, you save money and don’t generate a pile of garbage at the party’s end. When it comes to napkins, fabric napkins are always the best option! A small and seemingly insignificant object, like a napkin, can have a considerable impact on the environment. For instance, if 50% of the American population used one paper napkin three times a day per meal, over one year only, 164,250,000 (yes billion) napkins would be used!

4) Reuse Candles From Previous Parties

The candles on a cake are the center of attention for a few seconds. After they are lit, they still have a lot of life left in them. Reuse them on other occasions!

5) Make Confetti From Leaves

Did you know that confetti is a super polluter? Confetti is often made of paper, but it is also regularly made of plastic. This plastic can end up in the environment after being discarded. A sustainable and festive alternative is to make confetti from leaves yourself. Collect a pile of sturdy leaves and start (with the children) with a punch. Don’t forget the Christmas lights. This ensures a festive and welcoming atmosphere, even if it’s not Christmas.

6) Ask Guests to Reduce the Packaging and the Cards They Buy

The amount of waste the guests produce is surprising. To wrap a gift, only a sheet and a bow, preferably cellophane (since it is recyclable), are enough.

7) Avoid Outdoor Parties

Yes, there won’t be any waste for you, but the amount of waste generated by an out-of-home party is massive. If for some reason you want to do it anyway, a picnic in a park is better. It’s a fun option, and with good planning, it can also be waste-free!

8)Buy or Make Games That Can Be Reused

Reuse toys, milk cartons, boxes, and other things to make games and treasure hunts. The kids will love it! Moreover, you can save them from being used in a new game next year!

9) Don’t Waste Time and Money on Souvenir Bags

Most “souvenirs” are plastic garbage that ends up in a landfill, such as candy, lollipops, and chocolates. Instead, give your guests a piece of cake to take home with them. If you want something more elaborate, give seed and a vase for your guests to plant at home. It will be much more original!

With these tips, you can keep festive waste to a minimum and have more fun!

27
Oct, 2020

Sustainable Eating – What Is It About?

Sustainable food is not new, and you must have heard it many times before. It may sound difficult, but in reality it isn’t! Sustainable food is simply good, healthy food that is made without dangerous pesticides, chemicals, unnecessary antibiotics and growth stimulating supplements. In short, it’s about paying attention to what you put into your body and how the food you buy affects the environment. Many grocery stores are filled with organic food, and all aisles are dedicated to healthy eating. Sustainable food uses production techniques designed to protect the environment, public health, communities and animals.

This is the time of year when everyone starts thinking about all the food we give our bodies. As the holiday season approaches, some of us may be stressed and worried about what to eat or not to eat and find new ways to enjoy ourselves without feeling guilty. It is possible to adopt or stick to a sustainable eating lifestyle during the vacations and even afterwards.

Let’s take a look at what a sustainable plan can involve:

Adopting a sustainable food lifestyle means producing more food at home and giving up packaged food so as not to create excessive waste and end up filling up landfills. Yes, if there are a lot of people, but by taking a little time, you can do your part to make a significant impact on the environment for years to come.

Grow something. It could be herbs in a pot, tomatoes on a patio, or a small plot in your yard. There’s not much you can do to better appreciate what it takes to create food than to grow your own. You understand the multitude of factors involved in plant growth, the attention required to successfully grow food, and the precariousness of the process. This knowledge will likely influence how you buy, use and dispose of food.

Shop locally. Shopping locally is a fun way to support your community. It keeps your dollars in the community you live in and promotes a healthy and diverse environment. When you buy locally grown food, you reduce the amount of fuel needed to ship it to your market.

Start conversations about food. Talk to farmers at your market, grocery store staff and restaurateurs, or the growing number of people who pay attention to how food ends up on their plates. You can discover new tips, learn about new resources and find other local, sustainable food producers and suppliers.

Eat seasonally. Blueberries don’t grow in Montana in January, but you can always buy “fresh” blueberries at that time. That means they probably come from far away. Whenever possible, focus on foods that are available in the season you live in, and you’ll promote sustainability.

Tap your tap. Liquids are among the heaviest items to ship in the country, and it takes a lot of fossil fuel to transport them. Instead of buying bottled beverages, use a refillable bottle and fill it with tap or filter water.

Refresh your shopping list. Think about bulk foods, less processed foods and more plant-based meals. This means less packaging and waste and less energy and water used to produce certain foods.

Vote with your wallet and fork. There is no better way to influence the direction of our food system and what grocers, restaurateurs and food companies produce and sell than to influence their bottom line. Ask your food suppliers to support local farmers, local producers and sustainable agriculture. Show your support through your purchasing decisions.

Go local

Whether it’s meat, fish, dairy, fruit, or vegetables, purchasing directly from local butchers and farm shops is a great way to eat sustainably. Not only does it encourage local food production and boost the economy, but it reduces your carbon footprint as the food you’re buying won’t have travelled hundreds or thousands of miles. Local food shops and farmers markets usually operate on a much smaller scale than supermarket chains, meaning lower impact and less waste, too. The health benefits of going local include fruit and veg that is at its freshest – meaning that they’re likely still packed with nutrients when they land on your plate.

27
Oct, 2020

6 Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Ideas to Save the Planet

You have always been concerned about the planet and the destructive impact of human activities on our its well-being. It’s been a few months now since you started to adopt a sustainable lifestyle. And little by little, you aim to be living completely waste-free. However, there is a small problem: the holiday season is just around the corner, and in less than two months, it will be the most magical time of the year but also the moment when we, as individuals, contribute the most to the destruction of our planet with our gifts and wrapping paper that we buy in tremendous quantities.

Nevertheless, there is no need to perpetuate this tradition of using unsustainable wrapping paper. Set a new rule instead and let your creativity run wild: use only recycled and recovered items to wrap your Christmas gifts. It will also make the season much more fun. Not sure how to proceed? Here are a few original ideas to get you started:

Paper Rolls

We all have them, and they probably always go in the trash. But not this season! Paper rolls can be the perfect alternative to standard wrapping paper, especially if you plan to give something small but precious. You can achieve remarkable results in just a few easy steps by turning a paper roll into a pillow box. Don’t limit yourself with decorations, which include painting it, adding ribbons and glitter to it. Then fold one end inward, put the gift inside, and do the same with the other extremity.

Sheets of an Old Exercise Book

If you have teenagers, you probably have lots of old exercise books with unused pages around the house. You can tear off these sheets to make an original package. They will make a perfect alternative to the commercial wrapping paper, plus you can also easily create small gift rolls. Of course, you can add a dash of fun with some pentels or colorful pencils.

Newspapers

Many of us like to keep up to date with current events, and an excellent traditional way to do this is to buy newspapers. However, when we finish reading, we often just throw them in the corner and forget about them, but now it’s finally time to use them! Recycling old newspapers in a beautiful gift packaging is a great way to save money and preserve the planet. It also makes wrapping more fun. You can draw pretty flowers or plants on it or simply add a little preppy rosette with a bright red ribbon for even more excitement.

Old Sleeves

Are you looking for a pleasant and creative way to wrap a bottle of wine? The sleeve of an old man’s shirt will do the trick! No, it’s not a joke! Cut off one of the sleeves and sew its bottom. Place the bottle inside and fix the sleeve cuff and tie it with a ribbon or an organic thread with a small card.

Cereal Boxes

You’ll never have to purchase gift bags! For large gifts, you can turn a cereal box into a bag. Cut out the top part of the box and glue it inside the box to reinforce the bottom. Then punch two holes in both sides of the box and put a wrapping ribbon through the openings and tie it. You can, of course, decorate the package as you wish.

Unused Scarves

Have you heard the famous phrase “to kill two birds with one stone”? This is exactly what you’ll do with this alternative! Not only will you recycle but you will also let the one receiver reuse the scarf, which is even more sustainable. By following the Furoshiki Japanese art, you can get marvelous ideas to create some unique packages.

Once you’ve used these great gift wrapping ideas to make your holidays more eco-friendly, make a habit of using them for all your gift-giving opportunities. You’ll save money on materials but also reduce your carbon footprint and be more sustainable. Don’t forget to leave in the comments how your creative wrapping turned out.

19
Oct, 2020

Disposal of Scrap: A Contribution to the Environment

When your car is no longer a useful tool, looks old and is no longer worthy of being in your garage, it can look like a piece of junk! But before handing your car over to a scrap yard for disposal, take a moment to consider the benefits of trading it in for a scrap heap with a car recycling service – these companies offer many advantages to their customers when it comes to end-of-life cars! They benefit from underutilized land that is used as a landfill and recycles vehicles in designated areas. With so many companies irresponsibly towing cars to scrap yards and placing excess waste and scrap materials on the banks of riverside landfills, the environment and all surrounding natural resources are negatively impacted.

Get Quick Money for Your Car at a Junkyard

Pin on Versta je mij wel goed? Versta ik jou wel goed?

When selling your car to a junkyard, only benefits await you, and one of them is to receive hundreds of dollars, so there is no reason to deliver a vehicle to a landfill that will not bring you any profit. Junkyards are dedicated to acquiring all types of vehicles, from private to old and imported and everything within their environment.

Avoid Landfills to Reduce Pollution

Car Abandoned Rusted - Free photo on Pixabay

Junkyards play a vital role since they reduce landfills by making the most recyclable material from unwanted vehicles. By reducing the use of landfills, we are minimizing the environmental impact through the recycling of cars. This benefit is that none of the engine debris makes its way into the water or the ground. Additionally, possible disasters are avoided because there is no excess fuel, frequent wildfires in landfills resulting from improper handling of this type of flammable material.

Earn Money While Protecting the Environment

As you can see, the sale of the used car to the dismantling center for vehicles turned into scrap is the most sensible alternative; in addition to allowing you to earn cash, it guarantees you free towing as long as you take care of the environment.

Make sure the people on the trailer won’t move the car to a landfill. Of course, contact an authorized treatment center that is responsible and qualified, with the aim that the people in charge treat the polluting substances of the cars such as oil, brake league, etc... in the most convenient way and do not leave them lying anywhere. Ensure that they work according to the law in a decontaminated environment free of dangerous or polluting substances. That is to say, the proper and adequate treatment of the waste is provided.

A Thousand Uses for Scrap: Unlimited Imagination!

Behind the Scenes of Scrap Yards: IAEA Launches Online Tools on the Control of Radioactive Material Inadvertently Incorporated into Scrap Metal | IAEA

Vehicle recycling is a quick way to see your car reborn. It is how your vehicle will emerge from the ashes to become part of other products since all vehicle brands use recycled metal for their manufacture. With automobile materials, the imagination has no end. Many use these pieces to make objects and decorate the environment with marked originality and build decorative elements with auto parts, something like using the roof of a vehicle to make a table.

Annually, the recycling of tons of material from vehicles turned into scrap provides thousands of new products. Many of them frequently used, such as glass, can become objects of various uses such as glasses, glasses, etc. Most scrap materials are recyclable, including metal, glass, plastic, tires, fluids such as motor oil and refrigerants, which are widely used in the recycling industry.

How Is the Recycling Process?

The first step is the dismantling of the car, which is entirely skeletonized. Subsequently, the materials are processed according to each material’s amount and value. Then it is passed to a cutter that pulverizes it into small metal pieces and is sold to manufacturing companies who use it as a raw material. China is the leading commercial client of the United States in terms of acquiring this type of element and generally uses it to construct buildings and infrastructure. Fortunately, the level of awareness of scrap car owners has increased considerably in recent years. Their achievements are increasingly evident in the number of people who take advantage of junk money promotions.

People decide to sell their abandoned and deteriorated cars to recycling companies, contributing to a notable improvement in the cleaning and sanitation of houses and avenues. Don’t be discouraged if your vehicle has already reached its useful life! It is not about seeing and letting the scrap die, but about recycling it. If your old car has already exceeded its lifespan, it doesn’t mean it’s over! You can still cut it in a junkyard that buys you the car in parts, but if your vehicle is no longer going to fulfill its mobility function, what are you waiting to recycle it? Get in touch with Scrap Metal for all your scrap metal removal in Miami!

19
Oct, 2020

How Do You Recognize an Eco-Constructor?

Eco-construction is in fashion whether it is through the wooden house, the timber-frame house, or bio-climatic architecture. When you build your own house, self-construction often rhymes with Eco-construction, but there are also professionals who can advise you in this sense: Eco-constructors.

Is your contractor an Eco-builder in construction or renovation?

The notion of ecology in construction and/or renovation aims at maximum performance in the various fields impacting the environment during the design, construction, and occupation of a property. Thus, Eco-construction has multiple goals to achieve in relation to:

– the environment: preservation of energy and water resources, the fight against climate change, environmental and health quality of construction products, waste reduction;

– to people: reduction of pollution-induced by housing, health, and comfort of the occupants by preserving IAQ (indoor air quality), thermal and sound insulation, etc.

An Eco-builder is therefore an individual or a professional with the desire to achieve these goals at each stage of the construction and then use of a building, in order to obtain a building with the least negative impact on the environment while preserving the health and comfort of its occupants.

If any individual who is a self-builder of his house is able at all levels to apply its principles of Eco-construction, professionals must, to be qualified as Eco-constructors, apply reference frames and standards.

Principles of Eco-construction by professionals

In order to be able to design, build, renovate, fit-out and equip an Eco-built building, the whole of a sustainable approach is to apply principles and methods to different actors, professionals, and trades during the construction process:

The study of the project

Integration of the building in its environment: location, bio-climatic architecture taking into account the reduction of heating and cooling needs by optimizing free inputs (solar, geothermal, rainwater, etc.).

Its design

Reduction of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions while favoring resources in the choice of construction materials and exploiting renewable energies (rainwater recovery, energy production by the building, ventilation management, etc.).

Its realization

Reduction of nuisances from the construction site and then from the building in operation: limitation of atmospheric emissions, sorting, and recovery of waste, reduction of noise levels.

How to recognize an Eco-constructor?

If at present there is no professional certification of Eco-builder yet, we can qualify the various major actors of construction having satisfied one of the 3 following certifications as Eco-construction aware:

– BREEAM;

– HQE;

– LEED.

It is therefore first of all through their commitment to respect the environment during the study (architects, design offices, etc.), design (design offices, energy specialists, renewable energy professionals, heating engineers, etc.) and construction (builders, masons, electricians, plumbers, heating engineers, etc.) of the building that Eco-constructors can be selected. It is good that each of these professionals can attest to at least one achievement having obtained one of the certifications of sustainable building, and if possible the HQE certification.

In fact, an Eco-builder is not more expensive than a conventional builder, but the materials, techniques, etc. may represent an additional cost.

Good to know: the professional license “Project management in Eco-construction and Eco-materials” aims to train autonomous senior technicians in project management and construction and manufacturing management in the field of Eco-construction and Eco-materials with direct professional integration at the end of the license year.

Hope the above helps you out in finding the right Eco-builder for your Eco-project. Should you be looking for more info, please do not hesitate to write down your comments in the section below. We will find out as much information as possible and get back to you within hours.