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The Green Machine Blog

A blog by Dixie Somers in General

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All things green, eco-friendly, and seriously sustainable

Recycling

4 Creative Ways Companies Are Recycling Various Materials

Recycling is becoming an increasingly big part of business. The obvious advantages are the environmental good coming from the practice and how companies can reuse materials. However, it also makes good business sense to try recycling whenever you can. Many people like to patronize establishments that they know are going for sound recycling methods. Here are a few of the more creative ways certain industries are trying to up their recycling game. Postage If your business ships any sorts
Dixie Somers
  • Dixie Somers in Recycling
Eco-Friendly Tech

How to Ensure Your Business Is Meeting Emission Standards

As climate change continues to be an important topic of discussion in today’s world, industrial facilities and other businesses are having to pay much closer attention to air quality and emission standards. Since these standards are regulated by the EPA and meant to slow the release of greenhouse gases and toxic pollutants, failure to meet required standards can sometimes result in heavy fines and other penalties. To ensure your business is meeting emission standards, take the following steps. M
Dixie Somers
green living

4 Steps Homeowners Need to Take to Reduce Home Energy Consumption in Winter

Winter is a great time to stay home and relax while enjoying time with friends and family. Unfortunately, all of that extra time at home can greatly increase your home's energy consumption. To help lower utility bills and reduce your home's environmental impact, there are some important steps you should take to help make your home more energy-efficient this winter. Install a Programmable Thermostat Although manual thermostats are effective at maintaining one temperature in your home, t
Dixie Somers
vehicle pollution

4 Ways to Be as Eco-Friendly as Possible With Your Car

Cars will probably never be completely eco-friendly, but there are some steps that drivers can take to minimize their impact on the environment. As an added bonus, many of these eco-friendly tips and upgrades are also going to end up saving you money in the long run. Follow the Suggested Maintenance Schedule One of the single best things that you can do for your vehicle is to follow the manufacturer's suggested maintenance schedule. That schedule is going to keep your car running as ef
Dixie Somers
Recycling

5 Smart Habits Most People Can Do Daily to Help Save the Planet

Saving the planet is usually something we can all get on board with. Unfortunately, many of us just simply don't know where to start. We're going to share with you five easy habits you can start doing today to do your part to help save the planet. Use Reusable Shopping Bags One trip to the store, and suddenly you have a bunch of plastic bags that typically get tossed in the garbage. You can completely eliminate your use of plastic bags by investing in some sturdy reusable shopping bags
Dixie Somers
  • Dixie Somers in Recycling

How to Save Water in an Older Home

Owning an older home can be a wonderful way to enjoy some unique character that simply can’t be found in a newer home. At the same time, it’s rare to find an older home that can operate as efficiently as a newer home, specifically in the area of water conservation. Fortunately, though, while you might not be able to implement every last water-saving device, there are several great and easy ways to save water in your older home. New Fixtures If you have an older home, it’s likely th
Dixie Somers

How New Technologies Are Making It Easier to Be Eco-Friendly

Eco-friendly living is becoming more popular all the time, and many companies and organizations are coming out with new ways for you to live in an environmentally-conscious way. As climate change and the dearth of natural resources becomes more of a concern all the time, it is becoming increasingly important to embrace eco-friendly living to save resources for future generations. Here are five new technologies that are helping to make this type of living possible in the United States and around
Dixie Somers

Go Green: What You Should Know about Recycling E-Waste

As the problem of e-waste looms ever larger in the consciousness of the American public, understanding what to do with those unwanted electronics can still be a bit of a challenge. Fortunately, there are plenty of reputable electronics recyclers where you can take your e-junk. At the same time, there are some important things you should know about recycling your electronics to ensure they end up in the right hands. Not All Electronics Recyclers Are Created Equal There are plenty of
Dixie Somers

How to Comply with Hazardous Material Regulations

Hazardous material (hazmat) refers to everything from household chemicals to fuel or potentially infectious biological substances like medical waste. All hazardous materials must be handled with extra care to ensure the safety of workers and the public. Special regulations have been put in place by state and federal authorities, particularly the DOT and OSHA. Here are some tips to make compliance easier. Reference for Regulations These regulations must be followed by manufacturer
Dixie Somers

5 Ways to Make Your Home More Energy-Efficient

Summertime is here again, and as the weather continues to heat up, your utility bills are also rising. This is pretty common, since most other households are also cranking up the air conditioners and using a lot more electricity to keep their home interior temperatures in a comfortable range. But comfort comes with a price. If you’re looking for ways to stretch your paychecks and lower your utility bills this summer, then check out these five tips for making your home more energy-efficien
Dixie Somers

5 Reasons Why Steel Construction is the Eco-Friendly Choice

Steel as a building material is growing in popularity, even for residential structures. It’s actually become trendy for its variety of options, speed and ease of construction, durability, and a number of environmental benefits. If you’re an eco-friendly buyer looking to build a new home, here are five good reasons why steel is the best ecological choice in green building design. Lower Energy Costs As one of the strongest construction materials, steel homes can support much denser l
Dixie Somers

Disposing of Your Company's Waste the Green Way

When you are the owner or manager of a company, you will want to use environmentally friendly methods to dispose of waste. Here are some ways to implement a plan to get rid of various types of waste in a way that won’t harm the earth’s air, water or soil. Schedule a Consultation with an Environmental Expert If you don’t know how to throw waste away in the appropriate ways, then have a consultation with an environmental expert. A knowledgeable environmentalist can create a plan for
Dixie Somers

5 Keys to Having Clean Water on Your Farm

One of the keys to operating a successful farm is to maintain the integrity of your water sources and irrigation systems. With levels of pollution on the rise—even in isolated, rural areas—accessing clean water is more important than ever. Below are five tips you can use to protect your farm’s water sources and plumbing lines. City and County Water Lines Most local water utilities are strictly regulated to provide clean water to the communities they serve, both in the cities and ou
Dixie Somers

How to Help the Environment with Green Plumbing

Water is one of the most precious and limited resources that we utilize. At the same time, it is one of the most necessary resources, being used for drinking, cooking, washing, going to the bathroom, and other essential tasks of everyday life. With so much at stake, then, it’s important to try and conserve water whenever possible, to ensure there’s plenty available, both now and in the future. Here are a few ways that plumbing can be environmentally friendly. Low-Flow Fixtures A st
Dixie Somers

Easy Ways to Cut Down Water Usage at Home

As summer comes creeping up, the question on many homeowners’ minds at this time of year is how can they save water at home this summer—and all year long? The first place to start is to simply make sure that everyone in your household is more conscious about the water they use during daily activities such as brushing teeth, showering, washing hands before meals and washing the car. By shutting the faucet off during the activity, you can save quite a bit right there. But beside reducing wast
Dixie Somers

How to Live Off the Grid in Texas

Everyone who lives off the grid has their own reasons for doing so. It might be political, economical, environmental or some other reason. But whatever your motivation for choosing this lifestyle, there are a few basic ideas that you need to get straight in order to make this successful for you and your family. Texas is a great place to live off the grid. Below are four things you must have to live comfortably in this way. Food For many people, living off the grid and homesteading
Dixie Somers

How to Make Your Farm More Eco-Friendly

As a farmer, you are much more in tune with your impact on the environment and with the natural rhythms of nature. So it’s not surprising that you want to take steps to make your farm more environmentally friendly. Below are three ways you can go green as you run your farming business. Use Solar and Wind Generators One great way to reduce fossil fuel use and reduce pollution is to use less traditionally supplied electricity and to take your power needs off grid. Solar panels can be
Dixie Somers

5 Simple Ways to Help Your Company Go Green

More and more companies, from the largest to the smallest, are concerned with “going green.” Some of this is in response to worker and consumer pressure and the desirability of marketing to environmentally concerned customers and attracting educated innovative workers who tend to be concerned about the environment. In some countries, carbon pricing affects the bottom line and there are increasingly strict regulations concerning everything from emissions to use of potentially toxic chemicals. Per
Dixie Somers

How to Choose the Most Eco-friendly Lighting for Your Home

Greening up home lighting is fun! With advancements in eco-friendly technology, you have many elegant and modern designs from which to choose. Moreover, your conscience smiles, knowing you’re sparing our Earth from demise. Here are five options available to you. Replace Incandescent Bulbs with CFLs Compact fluorescent lamps or CFLs resemble swirly soft-serve ice cream cones. Essentially, they’re coiled versions of long-tube fluorescent lights. CFLs consume roughly one-third the ele
Dixie Somers

Eco-Friendly Roof Options on a Budget

You are thinking about getting a new roof for your home. It has been many years since your roof has been redone. You want to do your part to be green, and yet you want to operate well within budget. While these two goals are not always easy to appease at the same time, in the case of getting an eco-friendly roof, you may have a few options at your disposal. The following are some ideas to consider when looking into an eco-friendly roof. A Simple Approach An eco-friendly roof to con
Dixie Somers

The Most Eco-Friendly Ways to Clean a Drain

When you have a clogged drain in your home, your first instinct might be to rush out and buy a chemical drain cleaner to fix the problem. While these products do work when they are used as directed, they include harsh chemicals that are bad for the environment and your plumbing. Instead of caustic drain cleaners, consider some of these eco-friendly solutions instead. Baking Soda and Vinegar Baking soda is a base and vinegar is an acid. When the two substances are mixed together, they c
Dixie Somers

How to Find an Eco-friendly Lawnmower

Lawnmowers may be a lot smaller than cars, but that doesn’t stop them from releasing noxious fumes into the environment and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, emissions from lawnmowers, leaf vacuums, snow blowers, and other outdoor power equipment are a significant source of air pollution. This is bad news for the eco-conscious homeowner, but there are eco-friendly lawnmower options available that aim to reduce fume emissions
Dixie Somers

How Eco-friendly Technologies Affect Wastewater

Many are commonly unaware of how easily our water sources and surrounding environments can become contaminated by dirty water. Humans survive through the consumption and use of fresh clean water on a daily basis. Without properly filtered water to drink and bathe with, everyday life would be completely altered, if it continued to exist at all. Below are some ways that eco-friendly technologies like Econocycle affect wastewater for the better. What Is Wastewater? Any water that has
Dixie Somers

Buying a High-Efficiency Furnace: Tips for Success

A well-maintained furnace should last for 15 or 20 years, but there will come a point when this important piece of equipment needs to be replaced entirely. Choosing the perfect model is going to keep your energy bills at a reasonable level during the coldest months of the year. These few tips and tricks will help you find a great high-efficiency furnace for your home. Determining the Right Size Residential furnaces come in many different sizes, and choosing the wrong size could end
Dixie Somers

How Healthcare Administrators Can Be More Eco-friendly

Though there’s many aspects to being a healthcare administrator, one aspect that isn’t often discussed while you’re earning your master’s degree in health administration is how to make your facility more eco-friendly. However, pushing your facility toward a more “green” future can have a big impact in customer satisfaction, budget management, and even employee morale. Here are a few ways to help your facility have a smaller impact on the planet. Read on to learn more! Recycle Thoug
Dixie Somers

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