11
Apr, 2023
9 Everyday Objects to Stop Throwing Away

9 Everyday Objects to Stop Throwing Away

Pollution and the depletion of natural resources are largely linked to our consumption habits. It is important to fight against the waste of the things we use to reduce our environmental impact while also saving money. Waste leads to overconsumption, which is responsible for pollution and the expenditure of raw materials and energy that are harmful to the environment. Reducing waste as much as possible by reusing, repairing, and recycling is essential to break this vicious circle. Here is a list of 9 products and objects that we should no longer throw away but reuse.

1. Fruit and vegetable peelings

About 30% of our waste is biowaste that can be composted and used to make the soil more fertile and plants more resistant.

When biowaste is not sorted and goes into the garbage, it is taken to landfills and incinerated. Since it is not combustible, it generates greenhouse gases such as biogenic CO2.

Therefore, you can stop biowaste and make your own compost in vermicompost.

2. Citrus peelings

Oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, lemons: citrus peels, ideally organic or well-rinsed to eliminate pesticide residues, can be very useful. They contain citric acid and are, therefore, a natural scale remover. You can fill your sink or basin with hot water and place glasses with citrus peels. Ten minutes and a good rinse later, the white marks will be gone.

These peels are useful to obtain zests to use in cooking or to make an ecological multi-purpose cleaner by letting citrus peels and white vinegar macerate for two weeks in an airtight container, which you will then mix with a little water: you will obtain an effective and fragrant product. 

3. Worn clothing

Rather than throwing away your clothes with holes or stains, you can give them a second life, even if you’re not a sewing expert. For example, you can easily turn a cotton T-shirt into a shopping bag or spun tights into tawashi, those little washable and reusable sponges.

Your damaged clothes can also be used to make bee wraps, sustainable food packaging coated with beeswax, cloth dish towels, tissues or paper towels, eyeglass bags, and toiletry bags… The possibilities are numerous.

4. Broken electronics or appliances

Many people prefer to buy new when their appliances break down, convinced that repairing them will cost more than buying them back.

However, there is now a whole network of DIY where you can, with the help of volunteers, learn to identify breakdowns and repair your appliances yourself. This way, you save a lot of money and contribute to the fight against overconsumption, pollution, and the depletion of natural resources.

5. Solid soap scraps

9 Everyday Objects to Stop Throwing Away

The last few grams of a block of soap or solid shampoo are sometimes difficult to handle. Therefore, throwing them away and replacing them with a new product is tempting. However, these scraps are very easy to reuse. All you need is a pan and a mold.

Once you’ve collected enough soap or solid shampoo scraps, gather them in a pan and heat them over low heat. Mix to a smooth paste, pour into a mold, let cool, and unmold: you are the proud owner of a new soap or shampoo! 

Another tip: you can slip a soap scrap into a split sponge. Simply run the sponge under water, and it will foam up.

6. Glass jars and bottles

Glass yogurt, jam or canning jars, soup or lemonade bottles: keep these containers to store your homemade household products, spices, and other bulk-bought foods.

If you’re handy, turn these jars into a soap dispenser or mug, sprout seeds, or pour your homemade candles.

7. Overripe fruits

Many fruits can be used to make a natural face or hair mask. If you forgot some fruits in your basket and they are too ripe to eat raw, use them to take care of yourself! You can make a mask with a banana, a teaspoon of honey or avocado, two tablespoons of olive oil, half a cucumber and yogurt, a quarter of an apple, and a drizzle of lemon juice, or the juice of half a grapefruit and a tablespoon of white clay.

8. Eggshells

Eggshells are usually thrown away without further consideration. However, they can be crushed and scattered around the garden to repel slugs or ground into a powder and placed in the bottom of a scouring dish if you wash your dishes with a tawashi.

You can also use them as a container to germinate seeds put them in the compost, or put them in small nets hung on peach trees to repel fungi responsible for disease.

9. Newspaper

When you finish reading your newspaper, please don’t throw it away. Newspaper crumpled into a ball and dampened is very effective for cleaning windows and mirrors. Place it at the bottom of your refrigerator’s crisper, and it will absorb bad odors.

In case of rain, it can be rolled in a pair of shoes to dry them. You can also put a layer of it at the bottom of your cat’s litter box so that the box doesn’t get dirty, or use it as mulch in your vegetable garden to prevent the growth of weeds.

So help the planet by lightening your budget and being more inventive in reusing instead of throwing away!

 

26
Jan, 2022
Green Building: Working Towards Sustainable Buildings

Green Building: Working Towards Sustainable Buildings

Buildings account for more than 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, buildings can be considered one of the primary causes of global warming. So, what is to be done?

Everyone nowadays is talking about going green. True, in order to solve the problem of global warming, we will need to incorporate environmentally friendly elements into every field at some point.

So, why not begin with green buildings?

Define Green Building

Define Green Building

This concept, also known as sustainable building or green construction, entails using more resource-efficient and environmentally friendly processes and building structures. Green construction can be traced back to America and their desire for more sustainable and energy-efficient building practices.

Green building is primarily concerned with reducing or eliminating negative environmental impacts while creating positive ones. It is about building practices that promote a natural and healthy environment. It also includes processes that do not interfere with the earth’s natural resources, such as land and water. This holistic practice resembles the traditional building design concerns of durability, comfort, and economy in some ways. The green building principle takes into account the three dimensions of long-term development: economic, social, and environmental.

Aims and Objectives of Green Building

Aims and Objectives of Green Building

 

The vision of the green building concept is to stand in or near a building and smell fresh air while feeling the earth’s elements!

  • Conserve resources such as water, land, and energy by reducing consumption and increasing reuse.
  • Reduce your carbon footprint and fight global warming.
  • Cut back on waste.
  • Protect the environment while increasing productivity.

Main Features and Technologies of Green Building

Main Features and Technologies of Green Building

  1. Life Cycle Assessment

Life cycle assessment is a reliable analysis for assessing the environmental impacts that commercial buildings can have. It aids in the identification of environmental, social, and economic issues associated with building construction. It takes into account nearly every aspect, from raw material extraction to construction, repairs, maintenance, and disposal. For example, when evaluating a new building project, the methodology will consider its resource use, waste products, and any impacts on air or water quality.

Despite being one of the most effective methods for assessing the environmental impacts of building constructions, life cycle assessment has yet to be declared an efficient requirement of green building systems.

  1. Green Building Design

An environmentally sustainable design, also known as eco-design, entails designing buildings in accordance with sustainability principles. The design phase is one of the most important aspects of any construction project.

Buildings are now designed as environmentally optimal structures based on the green building concept, with an emphasis on efficient heating and cooling systems, the use of renewable energy sources such as solar panels and solar water heaters, recycling or reusing building materials, and so on.

Many buildings have successfully integrated natural and “go green” principles. One Central Park, for example, is an award-winning building in Australia. The landscape design of the building was planned in collaboration with Patrick Blanc, a French botanist. One Central Park’s notable features include vertical hanging gardens, an internal water recycling plant, and a central-trigeneration plant that generates low-carbon electricity for the building. Another well-known green building is Australia’s UTS Faculty of Science, a modern structure with a unique environment.

Although sustainable building design is a good step toward a healthier environment, no two buildings are alike and thus cannot all be streamlined.

  1. Waste Reduction Strategy

A key feature of green architecture is that waste of energy, water, and materials should be minimized during the construction stage. There are several options for incorporating green building principles and reducing waste, such as providing compost bins and using biodegradable materials.

The Neutral Alliance, a collaboration of the government, some NGOs, and the forestry industry that created the website dontwastewood.com, is an excellent example. This website, which aims to reduce the number of wood products that end up in landfills, contains a wealth of information on wood recycling.

  1. Optimum Use of Materials

A wide range of ‘green’ building materials is readily available on the market. Because bamboo, dimension stone, recycled metal, and stone are non-toxic and reusable, they can be widely used in building construction. Furthermore, the United States Environmental Protection Agency advised the use of coal combustion products and foundry sand.

So, what do you think about green buildings?