This week, thousands of cities across the globe will dim their lights at 8.30pm for an hour, joining in the world’s largest voluntary environmental action: Earth Hour.

Scheduled for the last Saturday of every March – closely coinciding with the equinox to ensure that most cities are in darkness as it rolls out around the Earth.

The growing importance of this global environmental action is reinforced by the unprecedented challenges our planet faces.

Our growing population is consuming at a rate that requires much more than one planet can provide. We are not living sustainably. While our carbon footprint grows, biodiversity is shrinking while our hunger for natural resources expands. Living beyond our planet’s means is putting increased pressure on food security, water security and climate security.

Earth Hour’s growth from 2 million people in Sydney, the city in which it all started, in 2007, to hundreds of millions in more than 5000 cities across more than 130 countries and territories shows that individuals across the globe recognise the challenges our planet is facing.

This year Earth Hour organisers hope to see this initiative grow further, with new countries taking part and landmarks from Las Vegas, Times Square, the Brandenburg Gate and the Eiffel Tower to the Burj Khalifa and even the International Space Station committing to switch off for the planet.

But the real value of Earth Hour does not lie in its sheer scale. The real value is in individual, grassroots actions. When you consider the potential of hundreds of millions of people all making small changes, it gives us hope for the future of our planet.

Earth Hour is about much more than an hour of darkness, it is about people showing their commitment to sustainability and environmental action. It is about individuals moving beyond NGOs, governments and businesses to express their personal commitment to living more sustainably.

So just remember – do your bit this week for the planet and switch off.  For further information have a look at www.earthhour.org

Source: www.smh.com.au

Source: www.yonderr.com.au

With about 40 per cent of food wasted in Australia, we wondered what would happen to that number if we were forced to pay for every piece of food we threw away?  In South Korea, throwing away food means paying more for waste collection, and more waste means more carbon emissions.

South Korea has had a pay-as-you-go system for years, and will soon implement an aggressive disposal management system that will charge businesses and residents for the exact amount of food waste they throw away.

There are lots of reasons why 40 per cent of food is wasted in Australia. Some of the reasons are: large portion sizes at restaurants, regulations that make it difficult for retailers to donate fresh food to charities, and confusing “sell by” or “best before” dates that lead to too much food going from shelf to garbage bin. This issue is similar in the US and the UK where the food waste is also 40 per cent.

Korea’s rate of overall food waste is comparable to Australia. For fans of Korean food, the joys of such a meal are also what contribute to the country’s excessive disposal of food. All those tiny side dishes (pan-chan) from kim chee to glass noodles to fresh greens – not to mention the leftovers from a large restaurant meal of meat dishes like galbi and bulgogi – add to the headaches Korea experiences with waste management.

Overall, Korea has an efficient waste diversion system. Residents and businesses must buy specially labelled garbage bags that are available for purchase everywhere. The less you throw away, the less you spend. Nevertheless, food waste has increased dramatically in Korea as the country has experienced a long economic boom, and therefore the government is taking much stronger measures.

During 2012, the 50 million Koreans will create up to 170,000 tons of food waste daily, or about 350 grams (over 12 ounces) per person per day. The costs are high: The Korean government has estimated that the annual loss of economic value exceeds $1.5 billion. The annual disposal cost for food waste alone in Korea is more than $600 million a year and rising.

For years, food waste was treated at sewage plants, which then discharged the resulting grey water out into the sea. And that grey water is not in the country’s long term interests for a country and cuisine that boasts plentiful seafood and seaweed – not to mention the coastline surrounding the country. So, a huge shift is in order beginning in 2013.

Public service announcements have long exhorted Koreans to be more conscious about recycling and waste diversion, but in a country with little landfill space, the Korean government has decided to take more drastic measures. And with the old ways of treating waste disappearing a little over a year from now, Korea’s education ministry is tasked to push for a minimum 20 per cent reduction in food waste. Technology will have a strong role.

SK Telecom, Korea’s largest wireless carrier, has designed food waste bins with equipment that will weigh food waste to the nearest gram. Using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, the bins will then calculate the disposal fee based on the exact weight, which will then be debited from the user’s public transportation card or will be processed for payment on a linked credit card.

The process is relatively simple. The user taps the bin’s card reader with his or her assigned card. The disposal lid opens immediately, and allows the user to toss in the table scraps from last night’s dinner. The cover closes, weighs the food waste, and informs the user immediately of the total weight and subsequent fee. The responsibility for collection, transport and treatment of food waste then falls on the company contracted to empty
those bins.

This next step in food waste is remarkable considering how strongly Koreans have embraced recycling. Koreans have to buy four different types of garbage bags depending on the waste they buy and neighbours will rat out neighbours if anyone is straying from following the rules. Stacks of cardboard on street corners eagerly wait pickup every morning, and reminders in Korean that say “Don’t waste wastes!” are emblazoned on garbage bins.

Source: www.earth911.com

Story by Judith Bence, source: www.yonderr.com.au

Recycling your old electronics can be daunting and people often come up with convenient excuses to just throw out old equipment or leave them lying on the side of the road without any regard to the environmental impact and the impact on carbon emissions.

Firstly, you can simply recycle your e-waste. Gather up all your old electronics and take them somewhere to be recycled. Avoid council dumpsites and consider calling a business that specialises in e-waste recycling.

Secondly, give some serious thought to donating any old electronics you no longer use but are still usable and in good nick. You would be surprised by the amount of organisations that accept second-hand computers or equipment and find homes for these computers and electronics that allow communities’ to thrive and learn from what you no longer need. This is the type of recycling that benefits the environment and your community!

You may even find individuals who just love gizmos and gadgets to pull apart and experiment with, so don’t hold back with choosing what old electronics you want to give away.

Thirdly, if you’re motivated by monetary as well as environmental rewards, consider reselling your old computer gear. Before I go any further into this I’m going to point out that trying to sell equipment that isn’t up to scratch can be hard, plus if anything’s faulty you just cause yourself more hassle in  the long run.

That being said, good places to start your search for potential customers are eBay and other organisations that allow you to resell your old equipment. You’ll find there are businesses interested in purchasing your old laptop or pc gear as well, which tends to be a fast and simple exchange that’s convenient for both parties.

Also, consider holding onto your pc and electronics for a little while longer if you’re only considering disposing of them for the latest shiny new tech. You may find later on that you’re perfectly happy with what you’ve got for the time being and that you saved yourself some serious cash by not upgrading to the next model.

Finally, ask your friends and family if anyone is interested in scrounging through your box of wires and keyboards for anything they may want. This can be a great way to get some more use out of things that could have been otherwise wasted. Posting on Facebook for any interested individuals is a great place to look, or just send out a mass-text (whatever feels right).

Remember that computers and electronics are some of the more harmful products out there that damage our environment. So give some of these ideas some thought next time you’re upgrading your electronic gadget and think about reducing your carbon footprint and helping to save the planet.

Source: http://intandem.ca/blog/5-ways-to-dispose-of-your-electronics-responsibly

Story source and to find out more information, please visit www.yonderr.com.au

A Newspoll survey conducted late last year showed many Australians plan to keep rising energy prices in check by closing curtains, washing clothes in cold water and taking shorter showers – but how much does any of that actually affect the average power bill? Apparently, quite a bit.

By matching the five most popular energy-saving strategies with some ballpark dollar savings based on the National Australian-Built Environment Rating System (NABERS), it was found the average three-person household can save hundreds of dollars a year.

Put simply – simple changes can lead to big savings on your power bill.

Of course, all of this varies depending on which state you live in, how you use power, and exactly how you implement each strategy in your home. But whichever way you look at it, there are plenty of opportunities to reduce your utility bill with just a few behavioural changes.

1. Closing curtains/blinds: $55 p.a.

Windows are a home’s biggest sources of heat in summer (and cold in winter) so the 89 per cent of Newspoll respondents who plan to close blinds and curtains can expect to save around $55 this year according to the NSW Government’s Save Power website.

Effective window insulation includes:

- Shading windows and skylights during the day as much as possible

- Lined curtains and close-fitting Holland and/or Roman blinds instead of vertical blinds, conventional or timber Venetians

- External blinds or awnings on north, east and west windows

- Keeping doors and windows closed during the day as much as possible

- When the temperature drops at night, opening doors and windows up.

With window glazing, you can save even more. If the cost of double-glazing looks a bit steep, consider secondary glazing (fitting a membrane to the window) instead.

Of course, it helps if you’ve got effective house insulation. Energy retailer AGL estimates efficient insulation can bring the temperature down by up to 7 degrees in summer, and increase it by 10 degrees in winter, slicing more than $100 off your power bill every year.

2. Washing clothes in cold water, drying on line/rack: $380 p.a.

AGL says that cold water has been ‘scientifically proven’ to be just as effective as hot water when it comes to washing clothes, and Save Power calculates the cost saving at $30 or more per year.

You can save another $30 per year if your machine is a front-loader with a 5-star energy rating.

But the real savings kick in when you cut back on clothes dryers. These energy thieves can use more power over the course of a year than a reasonably energy-efficient fridge, and cutting them out can save a whopping $350. Dry outside or on a rack instead – apart from being budget-friendly, it’s a whole lot kinder to your clothes too.

If you do need to use the dryer, AGL recommends setting it to warm rather than hot – it takes a little longer but uses less energy.

Bear in mind the cold water rule doesn’t apply to dishwashers – hot water is more efficient when it comes to dishes.

3. Being quick in and out of the fridge: $25 p.a.

Running your fridge efficiently can save about $25 per year. That means making sure it’s set to the right temperature (fridge at 4°C, freezer at -18°C), has decent sealing and is kept closed as much as possible.

Fridges use more power when they’re empty than when they’re full so if you’ve got a second fridge, turn it off and leave the door ajar when you don’t need it. Giving it a rest for six months of the year could take another $130 off your bill.

And if it’s time to upgrade, you’ll find an energy-efficient model pays itself off before long by reducing power bills by about $145 per year.

4. Taking shorter showers: $105 p.a.

Shaving three minutes off shower times can save a three-person household about $105 a year – or much more if your house is still running an electric water heater.

“Electric water heaters account for around 25 per cent of a household’s energy use,” says Stephen Cranch from Solahart, an Australian solar water heater manufacturer.

“Switching to a solar water heater will reduce water heating energy consumption by 50-90 per cent,” he says – he says, and according to Save Power, reduce your annual power bill by about $150.

Plus, the Federal Government is planning to phase out electric water heaters from 2012, so rebates are also available for households needing to upgrade.

5. Switching appliances off at the power socket: $125 p.a.

It’s estimated that standby power contributes about 10 per cent of every power bill, so switching things off at the wall can save $125 or more a year.

And it’s not just computers and appliances. Even chargers use power when they’re not connected to our phones, iPads, razors and toothbrushes, and the digital clock on our microwaves can cost more to run than the cooking function itself.

But awareness goes a long way. All up, you can reduce your bills by close to $700 without sacrificing comfort or refitting your home.

Source: www.smh.com.au, www.yonderr.com.au

We’ve been so worried about plastic shopping bags, but what about the plastic we use to wrap our lunches?

As a Mum there are some things I am not imaginative enough to work out. What do you suggest as substitutes for freezer wrap to put meat or cakes etc in, and for lunch?

Like their shopping bag counterparts, plastic products such as freezer bags and cling film are not environment-friendly.

While technically it’s possible to recycle plastic bags, the reality is not simple.

Linda Edwards from the National Packaging Covenant explains: “No Australian plastic is biodegradable. Traditionally in Australia it’s been very difficult to recycle because of the sorting and collection system needed. Also there is a lack of plants able to reprocess it.”

Fortunately, there are alternative, environment-friendly options.

Substitutes such as 4MyEarth Wraps (www.4myearth.com.au) are a good choice for keeping sandwiches fresh. These reusable wraps are machine washable, and they not only wrap sandwiches but also act as a placemat to eat them off! The wraps come in sandwich and snack sizes.

A sandwich-sized hard plastic container would also do the trick.

When storing food in your fridge or freezer, consider investing in plastic containers rather than plastic bags – containers are endlessly reusable so you don’t need to discard the plastic every time you take something out of the freezer.

Multiple use freezer bags can be found in your local supermarket, although these have to be thrown out eventually.

Look out for biodegradable freezer bags that have recently come onto the market. They’re made of cornstarch, a renewable resource.

But if you can’t give up the cling wrap, remember that you probably don’t need to use very much – it only needs to cover the food, not mummy-wrap it!

Story source: www.yonderr.com.au

If you’re a parent, you likely have several giant bins filled to the brim with toys for your little ones. And with Christmas (ho ho ho!) over you’re likely to have gotten toys in all shapes and sizes.  And while I’m no bah humbug, the relative size of our children’s toy boxes has become incredibly large given their small stature, and the environmental problems are equally ill-proportioned:

• Mountains of trash: Of the 40 million toys thrown away annually, 13 million are put into the rubbish according to green living website www.ecolife.com.
• Difficult recycling: Because toys are made from many different materials – plastics, metal, glass, computer components, and more – they are incredibly difficult to recycle and in many cases are not accepted by recycling facilities.

Once Christmas is over, we try to keep the toys under control (as well as our carbon footprint) by having a post-Christmas clean-up and getting rid of toys that haven’t been used or the children have simply grown out of.

Donating used toys to a good cause can be one of the most effective ways to recycle toys. Not only does this prevent garbage from being sent to landfills, it provides a second life for your used toys, which means the materials will go on functioning for many months or years to come. The sky’s the limit when it comes to donating used toys – use your imagination to find a person or charity who could use your second hand toys:

• Children’s charities
• Children’s hospitals
• Churches
• Day cares
• Family members
• Friends
• Neighbours
• Playgroups
• Thrift shops like those through St Vincent de Paul or the Salvation Army

Not all toys can be donated to charities for various health and ethical reasons. To ensure that your toys have the best chance of being given away rather than trashed, consider these toy donation guidelines:

• Toys should be nontoxic
• Ensure that the toys are clean and are not missing parts
• Broken toys are unlikely to be accepted, especially if they pose a choking hazard
• Avoid toys with a religious theme unless you’re donating to a faith-based charity
• Toys that require batteries are not as suitable for donation as they will require the parents of the child to purchase batteries (which may be out of their budget)
• Toys made from things like fabric, cardboard, paper, and other absorbable materials are often rejected as they are difficult to clean and disinfect

In addition to donating used toys, there are many ways you can recycle toys so that they don’t end up in the landfill:

• Contribute to a toy library: Some communities have toy libraries that are like book libraries – you can check toys in and out so that your child is never bored with their personal stash. Each toy library is unique to the local community, so the best way to find one in your area is to do a search online for your city/town name + “toy library.”
• Sell or trade: Sometimes a toy is too valuable to simply give away, in which case you could try to sell it.
• Recycling centers: Some communities have set up recycling programs for large plastic toys and metals toys as well, though you will need to call ahead to determine your recycling centre’s toy recycling policy.
• Deconstruction: If your recycling centre will not take your toys as is, sometimes you can dismantle them yourself to recycle the various components, such as the paper, cardboard, metal, and plastic which can then be put with other recyclables of the same kind. Cardboard and paper components can also be composted.

If you have any good ideas for what can be done with second hand toys we’d love to hear from you.

Source:  www.ecolife.com

Read more on how to be green at www.yonderr.com.au

While swimming is a great form of exercise, the downside is that pools require vast amounts of water. Just to fill the average backyard pool takes 50,000 litres – and that’s roughly one third of the water used by an average person in a year.

Even more water is needed for regular top-ups. All up, a home with a pool uses 10 per cent more water than a home without a pool.

But surprisingly, water isn’t the only conservation concern – swimming pools are energy intensive too. According to the NSW Government, running a pool pump will increase your household energy use (and your carbon footprint) by 17 per cent and that’s not including energy needed for pool heating.

So does this mean we should fill in our swimming pools? Has the backyard pool become an extravagant luxury this planet can no longer afford? While we can argue back and forth on the pros and cons of a swimming pool there are a number of ways to cut down on pool energy and water use.

Slash water wastage

An uncovered pool can lose up to one-and-a-half times its total volume in one year through evaporation. In Sydney and Brisbane, rainfall can come close to replacing half the evaporation, assuming that it falls at the right time and in the right amounts so the pool doesn’t overflow. Yet in a dry city like Perth, rain compensates for only 10 per cent of the water lost.

There is one really simple way to save water – invest in a pool cover and reduce evaporation by up to 97 percent. For an outlay of $500 – $1,500 you can purchase a cover that will also prevent heat loss at night, thereby extending the swimming season and saving on heating costs.

As an added bonus, covers also keep leaves and dirt out of the pool and reduce the evaporation of the chemicals used to keep the pool clean.

The type of filter you use can also make a big difference to water efficiency. Sand filters can waste up to 15,000 litres of water each year because they require backwashing to clean the filter. Cartridge filters, on the other hand, can be cleaned with a quick rinse from the hose, saving water and reducing the amount of pool chemicals dumped into the sewer.

Finally, make sure you have no leaks – one drip per second adds up to 7,000 wasted litres a year.

Top up with rainwater

No matter how vigilant you are at preventing water loss, the pool will need an occasional top-up. A simple idea is to attach an inexpensive rainwater diverter to a downpipe to direct water into your pool. Some models on the market can also prevent the first flush of leaves entering your pool.

Just bear in mind that during a large downpour you may need to divert the flow back to the stormwater to ensure the pool doesn’t overflow. A better but more expensive solution is to install a rainwater tank so you can store water for when you need it.

Create a zero-emission pool

It’s an expensive exercise to operate your pool pump continuously – just running it for eight hours a day will cost about $650 per year and emit four tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

The solution is to purchase a solar pump that will cost nothing to run.

Many pool owners like to extend the swimming season by heating their pool – but how do you avoid puffing more greenhouse gases into the air? The answer is to go solar.

If your roof is unsuitable, a heat pump is another greenhouse friendly option. Heat pumps work by absorbing heat from the air and transferring it to stored water – a bit like a reverse refrigerator. While they use electricity, the amount required is tiny. Traditionally used for household hot water they are now available to heat swimming pools. Since warm water evaporates faster than cold water it’s even more important to cover a heated pool – it will also reduce heat loss.

Also crucial for optimum operation is an easy-to-install solar controller that monitors and regulates water temperature.

Cut down on chemicals

Pools use rather a lot of nasty chemicals – of which chlorine is the most significant. The concentrated liquid form of chlorine, sodium hypochlorite (or bleach), is extremely corrosive and regarded as highly toxic by the US EPA. For these reasons it should be securely stored and kept out of reach of children. It is acutely toxic to aquatic organisms, which is another reason to avoid sand filters, which create high volumes of chlorinated backwash.

The need for chlorine can be minimised through your choice of water treatment system. UV and ozone systems cut down the amount of chlorine needed by 70 to 80 per cent, and ionisers also reduce the need for chlorine.

Salt chlorinators have the advantage that you don’t need to handle chlorine although you’ll still end up with sodium hypochlorite in the pool solution.

You can also reduce chlorine use by keeping your pool clean and preventing its evaporation with a pool cover. Avoid locating plants that drop their leaves close to the pool and ensure filters are cleaned regularly. To avoid chemicals altogether consider a natural swimming pool.

The upshot?

Pools may be an unparalleled summer luxury – let’s face it, there’s nothing quite like a midnight dip on a hot summer night – but they are certainly not the eco-friendliest addition you can make to your backyard.

If you are going to have a pool, there are ways to make yours the greenest in the neighbourhood. With rainwater and solar power, you can reduce your pool’s impact to near zero.

Of course, for those of us lucky enough to live near the sea, a river, lake or mountain stream, nature provides the greenest swimming pool of all.

Read more here.

Story source: www.yonderr.com.au

We’re on a roll with environmentally-friendly work tips and here are five more great ideas if you have the ear of the boss.

1. Cleaning Products
Whether you’re using an independent cleaning person or the building management has staff in place, now is the time to switch cleaning products to greener versions to drastically reduce indoor air pollution and to avoid adding questionable chemical residue to our waterways. Obviously this is easier to do when you don’t have to go through building management. But even if you can get a building to change one product to green, you’ll really be making a difference.

2. Energy Initiatives
Change light bulbs to energy efficient ones and put up signs reminding staff to pull the plug at the end of the day on things like coffee makers and microwaves, and to turn their computers off at the power point. Standby on many computers equals energy guzzler.

3. Paper Products
Set up a digital file sharing system and make an initiative to print as little as possible. Paper should be 100 percent recycled, and either unbleached, or bleached without chlorine. When you do print, set up your printer to automatically print double-sided. Speaking of printing – refill ink cartridges rather than buying new and if that’s not possible there are plenty of places where you can take them for recycling.

Reuse anything that is printed on one side only as scrap paper, reducing the need for new notebooks in the office. New notebooks, toilet paper, paper towels, business cards and more can all be found in eco-friendlier versions. If you send out lots of mailings at work, choose eco packing materials. Reuse boxes, use shredded papers for packing material and look for padded envelopes containing recycled fibre.

Consider cancelling all your newspaper and magazine subscriptions and go online instead.

4. Stock Your Kitchen
Much of the waste that is created during the day in an office is takeout food containers, coffee cups and water bottles. If you have a kitchen, use it. Simple things can make a huge difference. Fill a cupboard with reusable mugs, plates, glasses, and utensils. Stick a bottle of eco dish soap by the sink. Put in an under the sink water filter. Plug a coffee maker into the wall. Take it a step further by filling it with Fair Trade/organic coffee and putting organic milk in the fridge. You don’t need plastic or wooden stirrers when you have spoons in the cupboard. Sugar and tea also come in Fair Trade/organic versions. Bulk sugar has less packaging than individually wrapped paper packets. Coffee filters, like all paper products, now come in unbleached versions. If you have a microwave, put a few microwave safe glass containers in the cupboard (it’s not a good idea to put plastic in the microwave). If you have a bottle of hand soap or sanitizer in the kitchen, make sure it doesn’t contain an antibacterial (like Triclosan).

5. Try carbon offsetting your business

Whether you’re a unique boutique, a mobile business or a large company – or something in between, you’re impacting the environment and if you want to do more about carbon emissions and the boss thinks it’s a good idea, try offsetting.  Carbon offsetting is a way for businesses (and individuals) to invest in projects that prevent or reduce greenhouse gas emissions from being released into the atmosphere. 

Check out the various options and pricing at Yonderr.com.au

If you have any other tips to help create greener workplaces we would love to hear from you – drop us a line today.

For more information on this article, click here.

Story source: www.yonderr.com.au

Last week we talked about being green on the cheap, and this week we thought we would focus on the work place.  Here are 5 ways to give your office a green tinge – and some might even save the boss some money.  Here goes:

1. Bring your lunch
Pack your lunch in reusable containers. As well as contributing less to the already overwhelmed landfills, you will save money and your health. Don’t forget to pack a bottle (reusable of course!) of water, real utensils, and a cloth napkin. If you prefer to eat take out, try bringing reusable containers with you for your over-the-counter soup, salad or whatever.

2. Get involved
If your boss isn’t interested in making overall changes, you can still bring in a green cleaner for your desk, or put a bottle of eco dish detergent in the kitchen. Bring your own plate/cup/mug/bowl/utensils and store them in a desk drawer. People will notice and it might start a (good) trend. Find an electronic waste recycling place and help facilitate the office to take old stuff there. Put signs on office and bathroom doors reminding people to recycle and to shit down their computer at the end of the day.

3. Wash more, dry clean less
What are you wearing? Perc (perchloroethylene) the main chemical in dry cleaning solvent is a classified hazardous chemical and has been linked to cancer in lab animals. You know the smell. The chemical gets trapped in the plastic bags. Then we put those trapped items in our closets, close the door, and sleep next to the closet with the windows shut all night long. Bad idea. If you have perc-cleaned clothes you need to remove the plastic and air your clothes for several hours to let the chemicals evaporate. Better alternatives to conventional dry cleaning include sponge cleaning or hand washing. This works, even for wool. Speaking of wool, avoid mothballs. The vapours are carcinogenic and if a child swallows one, it could kill them. Use things like lavender, cedar, and temperature (stick sweaters in your freezer) for moths.

4. Transportation
How do you get to work in the morning? Public transportation is preferable to driving. Carpooling is a good option where public transport is unavailable. Walking or biking are obviously the best options, as is telecommuting (you’ll save money on petrol, too).

5. Open Windows
Studies show indoor air to be worse than outdoor air. Ventilation is key, especially if you’re sitting near a photocopier. And put a plant on your desk – some are known to act as air filters (aloe vera/ficus for formaldehyde; spider plant for carbon monoxide, and several others).

To read the full story, click here

Story source: www.yonderr.com.au

We’re on a roll with environmentally-friendly work tips and here are five more great ideas if you have the ear of the boss.

1. Cleaning Products

Whether you’re using an independent cleaning person or the building management has staff in place, now is the time to switch cleaning products to greener versions to drastically reduce indoor air pollution and to avoid adding questionable chemical residue to our waterways. Obviously this is easier to do when you don’t have to go through building management.

But even if you can get a building to change one product to green, you’ll really be making a difference.

2. Energy Initiatives

Change light bulbs to energy efficient ones and put up signs reminding staff to pull the plug at the end of the day on things like coffee makers and microwaves, and to turn the power off on their computers.

Standby on many computers equals energy guzzler.

3. Paper Products

Set up a digital file sharing system and make an initiative to print as little as possible. Paper should be 100 per cent recycled, and either unbleached, or bleached without chlorine. When you do print, use both sides. Speaking of printing – refill ink cartridges rather than buying new and if that’s not possible there are plenty of places where you can take them for recycling.

Reuse anything that is printed on one side only as scrap paper, reducing the need for new notebooks in the office. New notebooks, toilet paper, paper towels, business cards and more can all be found in eco-friendlier versions. If you send out lots of mailings at work, choose eco packing materials.

Reuse boxes, shred papers for packing material and look for padded envelopes containing recycled fibre.

Consider cancelling all your newspaper and magazine subscriptions and go online instead.

4. Stock Your Kitchen

Much of the waste that is created during the day in an office is takeout food containers, coffee cups and water bottles. If you have a kitchen, use it. Simple things can make a huge difference. Fill a cupboard with reusable mugs, plates, glasses, and utensils. Stick a bottle of eco dish soap by the sink. Put in an under the sink water filter. Plug a coffee maker into the wall. Take it a step further by filling it with Fair Trade/organic coffee and putting organic milk in the fridge. You don’t need plastic or wooden stirrers when you have spoons in the cupboard. Sugar and tea also come in Fair Trade/organic versions. Bulk sugar has less packaging than individually wrapped paper packets. Coffee filters, like all paper products, now come in unbleached versions.  If you have a microwave, put a few microwave safe glass containers in the cupboard (it’s not a good idea to put plastic in the microwave).

If you have a bottle of hand soap or sanitizer in the kitchen, make sure it doesn’t contain an antibacterial (like Triclosan).

5. Try carbon offsetting your business

Whether you’re a unique boutique, a mobile business or a large company – or something in between, you’re impacting the environment and if you want to do more about carbon emissions and the boss thinks it’s a good idea, try offsetting.  Carbon offsetting is a way for businesses (and individuals) to invest in in projects that prevent or reduce greenhouse gas emissions from being released into the atmosphere.  Check out the various options and pricing at Yonderr.

If you have any other tips to help create greener workplaces we would love to hear from you – drop us a line today.

To read the full story, please click here

Story source: www.yonderr.com.au

It can sometimes feel like making earth-friendly choices means spending more money.  Well, the good news is that being green doesn’t have to break the bank. With a little creative thinking, it’s easy to ditch the high prices of trendy eco products and go green at no cost.

Here are the first five of our top 10 ways to go green on the cheap.

1. Head outside
With the warmer months here (in the southern hemisphere anyway), now is the time to get outside and visit your local park or beach to throw a ball, have a picnic, run, jump, swim or simply commune with nature – and it doesn’t cost a cent. Enjoy!

2.  Read online
Rather than buying newspapers and magazines and then having to worry about recycling, try reading online.  It’s easy and simple and most newspapers and magazines have excellent free content.  You might even find that you expand your reading material by checking out the local press in the US, Europe or China. It’s not called the world wide web for nothing!

3. Reuse your packaging
Food packaging can contain plastics and other materials that are very difficult to recycle.  Ditch the cost of freezer bags (and your use of raw materials) by using old food packaging instead. Bags used to package frozen vegetables, fish and meats are equipped with lining that effectively blocks freezer-burn – and they’ll keep frozen foods just as fresh the second time around. The plastic bags inside cereal boxes are also great for freezing foods, as they also have a moisture-blocker to preserve freshness.

Some of these bags already have a re-sealable closure for easy reuse. But bags that aren’t re-sealable can be just as useful for storing your leftovers. Make sure to wash all your packaging well before reusing it.

4. Choose a vege-based meal
We’re not saying that eating meat is bad. But the livestock industry does carry a pretty heavy environmental footprint, causing many earth-lovers to opt for a vegan or vegetarian diet. If you’re not ready for a full commitment, try serving a vegetarian or vegan meal to your family once a week.

5. Participate in a cleanup
If you want to help keep your neighborhood beautiful but don’t have tons of cash, try donating some of your free time instead by participating in a local cleanup. Spending an afternoon at a cleanup gives you a sense of fulfillment, keeps your town clean and helps you meet other eco-minded people in your area.

Visit your local park’s or council’s web site to find an upcoming park, river or beach cleanup near you. If you’re having trouble, a web search with the word “cleanup” and your town’s name should point you in the right direction.

Stay tuned for our next five green tips that won’t break the bank.

For more information on this, please click here

Story source: www.yonderr.com.au

Next time you are making a cup of coffee in the morning, spare a thought that you are dealing with a potential fuel of the future.

It’s not just aroma – in Britain, engineers have built a car that runs entirely on coffee beans and broke the world speed record for a car powered by organic waste.

In September, a modified Rover SD1 averaged 66.5mph at the Elvington Race Track near York, smashing the previous record of 47mph achieved by a US team that built a car fuelled by wood pellets.

Engineer Martin Bacon, with the Teesdale Conservation Volunteers of Durham, stripped out the old car and refitted it with a ‘gasifier’ and filters which turn waste coffee granules into energy to drive the engine.

The breakthrough car is not the first to be powered by coffee.

Mr Bacon and his team based the design of the Rover on a coffee-powered Volkswagen Sirocco built for the BBC science show Bang Goes The Theory.

That car was driven from London to Manchester in March last year and straight into the Guinness Book of Records, as no car powered by waste material had ever travelled that distance before.

Bang Goes The Theory presenter Jem Stansfield explained that the cars are a genuine alternative to powering engines using fossil fuels.

They work, he says, by burning waste coffee granules, which would otherwise end up in landfill..

“It’s like an old charcoal burner,” he said.

The coffee is heated up like charcoal. Then the combustion gases, generally carbon dioxide and water vapour, are reduced by hot carbon to carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

This is then filtered by a cyclone filter and a rock wool filter and cooled down by a radiator.

“By the end the gas is a lot cooler and cleaner and is piped through to the engine” Mr Stansfield said. “The coffee gas, the carbon monoxide and hydrogen, goes in the cylinders and the explosion drives the engine.”

Coffee powered cars … what a great way to reduce our carbon footprint and
cut the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.

To read the full story, click here or visit www.yonderr.com.au

The benefits of natural light, minimal aircon and natural carpets have been shown to have positive benefits for office workers.  Beyond the obvious savings in cost and energy, employees are happier, healthier and more productive.  And remember, you don’t need a carbon tax to become more aware of CO2 emissions.

A recent article in The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the Green Building Council of Australia says the number of buildings winning Green Star certification has risen from just three in 2005 to 22 last year.

1 Bligh Street in the CBD is one of the 16 new buildings to be awarded six-star green status so far this year. It became the new home to law firm Clayton Utz in June this year and among the green features it incorporates are its own basement sewerage plant that recycles 90 per cent of the water in the building, solar panels on the roof and cooling from “chilled beams” rather than conventional air-conditioners.

“I wasn’t expecting to feel too much difference but having moved into the building it’s surprising how much more natural light there is and how much better you feel generally working in a naturally ventilated building,” 25-year-old lawyer Aman Saxena said.

Colleague Jemma Rowe, 26, shares his enthusiasm for the ultra-modern building, adding that there had been an obvious “positive impact” on staff since the move.

The pair’s sentiments are backed by an increasing body of evidence, including a detailed study with another law firm, Oakley Thompson, after it recently moved into a newly refurbished green building in the centre of Melbourne.

The study, conducted with the University of Melbourne, found sick days had fallen 39 per cent and the lawyers’ billings ratio rose 7 per cent despite the overall hours worked falling 12 per cent.

The survey even found the firm’s secretaries were typing 9 per cent faster in the new building and with greater accuracy.

Professor Deo Prasad of the University of NSW’s faculty of the built environment points out that keeping employees healthier and happier is a major financial incentive for businesses considering going green.

“In the lifecycle of a building the salaries of the people working in the building is by far the single largest cost,” he said.

“If you can improve productivity by, say, 2-3 per cent you are making a huge difference.”

Professor Prasad added that employers are also finding that providing green offices was helping them recruit and retain younger workers from Gen Y and beyond.

“There’s increasing evidence that working in a greener building is more attractive to a certain type of younger occupant,” he said.

Click here to read more

Story source: www.yonderr.com.au

According to the manufacturers cold water laundry detergents wash most clothes perfectly well. Most if us, however, still cling on to our mum’s advice about using warm water to wash our clothes.  However in the process we use up valuable energy and contribute to carbon emissions.  And remember, you don’t need a carbon tax to become more aware of CO2 emissions.

According to TreeHugger, a full 90 percent of the energy used in washing clothes goes toward heating the water, so it stands to reason that using less energy by washing in cold, unheated water would create significant environmental savings. But just how much difference are we really talking about?

The TreeHugger number crunchers came up with some pretty interesting results. It turns out that pressing the cold/cold button (instead of the hot/warm button) on your washing machine has the same impact as driving about 9 miles in a car or the production, transportation and storage of a six pack of beer.

It may not be too surprising that one load of laundry doesn’t make a huge amount of difference compared to, say, not eating meat or dairy. But, multiply those impacts by 392 — the number of laundry loads an average U.S. home washes in a year — and, all of the sudden, there are some real impacts.

Washing laundry in hot water is really wasteful
Washing every load on the hot/warm cycle (in a top loading machine and an electric water heater) for a year is equivalent to burning about 182 gallons of gasoline in a car; in an average (19.8 miles per gallon) car, that’ll get you around 3595 miles. So, wash in hot/warm, or drive almost 3600 miles — same difference.

Similarly, if you wash with the hot/cold cycle (in a top loading machine and an electric water heater), you’ll end up with 2407 pounds of CO₂ per year — just over a metric ton — which is equal to about one US round-trip cross-country flight (6171 miles of long-haul flying).

Using a gas water heater is far more efficient
If you’ve got a gas water heater, the news is a little greener. You’re looking at 3.22 pounds of CO₂ per load, which translates to just over 3 miles in a car; add that up over an average year’s worth of washing, and you’re looking at just over 1288 miles in a car or about 1262 pounds of CO₂, or most of the way from New York City to London by airplane.

Using cold water can really net you some savings
When you use cold water to wash, you just use energy to run the machine — about .24 kWh — without using any energy to heat the water. That .24 kWh translates to about .41 pounds of CO₂ per load, or about 162 pounds of CO₂ per year. That’s about 8 gallons of gas, or 164 miles of driving. Compare that to the 3595 miles of driving that the top end of the emissions scale (washing in hot/warm, using a top-loading machine and water heated with an electric water heater), and pressing that cold/cold button starts to make a sizable difference.

Using an efficient Energy Star machine makes a big difference, too
Energy Star estimates that water savings range from 40 percent to 75 percent with front-loading washing machines, so their relative impact would be comparably less.

What does this all mean? Aside from being a great example of how little decisions add up to make a big difference, it shows how wasteful heating large quantities of water can be. Just selecting the “cold/cold” cycle has the potential to save as much CO2 emissions each year as thousands of miles driven in a car, or even an airplane flight or two.

For the full story click here

Story Source: www.yonderr.com.au

It’s a little worrying to find out that for those who live in cities or in the suburbs the air inside our homes and offices is actually more polluted than outside.  But help is at hand – and it comes in the form of the trusty house plant.  A study being conducted at the University of Technology in Sydney has found that plants can reduce nasty greenhouse gas emissions.

Have a look at this recent article form the Sydney Morning Herald, written by Michael Green.

”According to the World Health Organisation, urban air pollution kills 2 to 3 million people around the globe every year,” says Professor Margaret Burchett, from the school of environment at University of Technology, Sydney. ”But the amazing thing is that our air is more polluted indoors than outside.”

While Australian cities aren’t among the world’s smog-ridden worst, our population is overwhelmingly metropolitan. Eight out of 10 of us live in urban areas, Professor Burchett says – and we spend nine out of every 10 hours indoors.

In addition to the fossil fuel emissions that blow in from outside, indoor air typically comprises extra carbon dioxide, thanks to gas appliances and our breath, together with elevated levels of air toxics – volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from glues and synthetic materials.

”Inside our homes we have lots of petroleum-based products such as plastics, carpets, furnishings and electronics that are ‘off-gassing’ toxics,” Professor Burchett says. These contaminants can cause health problems such as headaches, asthma, loss of concentration, wooziness and nausea.

But here’s the good news: we can freshen the air by bringing greenery into our buildings, places that Professor Burchett describes as ”the most arid environment on Earth”.

Her team has been researching the way vegetation improves indoor air quality. They’ve found that pot plants can reduce the presence of VOCs by three-quarters and diminish carbon dioxide levels by a quarter. ”Plants help clean the air, there’s no doubt about that,” she says.

When it comes to dispelling the VOCs, it doesn’t matter what kind of indoor plant you choose, so long as you take good care of it. To reduce carbon dioxide levels, however, the more lush the foliage, the better. ”The bacteria in the potting mix are what takes up the toxics,” she explains.

”The plant nourishes the bacteria, and the bacteria do the uptake. If you keep the plant healthy, it will keep its micro-organisms healthy and they’ll do the job – they’re the same bacteria that suck up oil spills, so this is just an entree for them.”

In her living room, Professor Burchett has four pot plants (she had six, but two died recently while she was travelling – such calamities even befall the experts).

Over and under-watering are the most common ways to kill them, so she recommends testing soil moisture with your finger or a chopstick. To avoid mould growth, make sure you remove dead leaves and flowers.

”Have as many plants as you can, keeping in mind their level of shade tolerance,” she suggests. ”Half a dozen will make a significant difference to your air quality and also to how you feel.”

Professor Burchett has been working with psychologists to study the well-being effects of plants in offices and schools.

”They lift the spirits,” she says. ”They’re good for us psychologically. We’ve found that students perform better on memory and creative thinking tests. In offices, we found that one plant made all the difference in reducing feelings of stress and hostility.”

“When we’ve got greenery around us, it relieves our tension and fatigue.”

Source: www.yonderr.com.au