ellaz

Eco-friendly changing of your habits Every person counts. This is not only the case when it comes to elections, but when it comes to something far more serious, like saving the planet we live on. Whenever you think you are just one person and your deeds don’t really count much, think about this: “Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny.” Like Ghandi put it, if you chose to think differently today, you can influence the others tomorrow, and maybe it’s your destiny to eventually make a crucial change. After all, it’s in your best interest. Transportation alternatives Try to imagine yourself riding an eco-friendly car. If you’re not in situation to invest into one right now, consider switching to compressed natural gas. It is way cheaper and it will save your environment from bad vehicle emissions. Also, you can walk more or ride a bike. This way, not only will you be in better shape, but you will also save money. Saving energy The world is energy deficient. Making enough energy for all people directly affects of pollution. Unfortunately, people are not aware of the fact that turning off even one lamp can be significant. Turn around while reading this and check if we were right. At least one device is unnecessarily turned on, we’re betting on it. Take first step in order to help your planet and turn it off. Were we wrong? Congratulations. You already have a high level of conciseness. So what else you can do to save the energy loss? You can switch to LED lights or even consider making your own energy investing in solar panels. Recycling This is another way to act ‘green’ and keep earning money. Different materials have different recycling prices. For instance, metals like aluminum and copper are the most expensive. Glass is a lot cheaper while paper and plastic are the cheapest. If you have huge amounts of these materials and don’t know what to do with them, here’s an opportunity to get rid of it – recycle! However, if you will still be needing it but you have nowhere to keep it, consider investing in container shelters. Cultivation of organic food Did you ever consider planting some agro cultures in your own garden? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to harvest a cabbage, carrots or radishes that you grown? Eating more organic vegetables and less meat will make you feel healthier, stronger and happier. But, it’s even better thing to know that you’ve help your planet by saving energy for its production. Therefore, you increased pollution too. Become and stay ‘green’ If you’re involved in media or politics use your influence to contribute to the better future of our planet. It will only take a few minutes from your day, but to someone else it would mean a lot. Remember that you owe it to your kids, because they are stay on Earth, after you’ll gone. Imagine a place where you would like to leave your offspring, and fight for it.

Environmentalists and their organizations, such as Greenpeace or the World Nature Organization, fight on a daily basis against human acts that lead to pollution and environment damage. These people are more active than numerous non-governmental organizations that usually criticize and shout, but do not do anything in particular to save what they speak against. Ecologists, on the other hand, plane and implement dozens of actions and events in order to raise the eco-awareness with ordinary people and protect the endangered species. What every business could do in order to join these forces for the protection of this planet is go for eco-friendly promotional materials and take part in the projects of these organizations. Spread the news through eco-use A brand can play an ecological role if its owner(s) realize how wide and potent the eco market is. If we put aside the profitable side of ecology (which by no means exists), it is still clear that turning green in the brand promotion process can contribute enormously to raising the ecological awareness of the people surrounding you and lower the ecologically dangerous behavior that many companies indulge in. To launch an ecology-awareness-raising campaign, you should set a model for your customers and people around you through your personal example. For instance, if your business delivers products or gives away promotional bags, you should start using only the ones made of recycled paper. For starters, you could at least say farewell to plastic bags and any other containers. The next appropriate step would be utilizing only the materials made from reused paper. In addition to that, all other promo materials that you might be giving to your clients, such as pens, lighters, notebooks and other accessories should also be made from plastic that has been recycled and reshaped. If it is necessary to use plastic, using recycled form of it will set you shoulder to shoulder with nature-friendly companies. Eco-friendly support for social events Many businesses take part in trade shows and annual meetings. If you decide to take part in such an event, you could keep branding your business through different trade accessories that could be useful for visitors and make them accept your brand as the one that cares and stands out. For instance, you could create a refreshments stand and give away small canapés and water for visitors. Even better thing would be to have some sort of a promo symbol on the water bottles. If you manage to get plastic bottles made from recycled plastic to endow them with your logo, it could be a perfect combination for promotional water bottles that would at the same time promote your business brand and raise eco-awareness. Keep your business green Although active participation in promoting ecology and environmentalism will help in establishing your business and the belonging brand(s) as nature-friendly, you have to interweave such an approach in the everyday business matters of your company. The reception or the front desk, depending which one you have, could be enriched with promo posters made from recycled paper or they can be printed with eco-friendly printing colors. Beside that, you should also equip your office(s) with computer cases made from recycled plastic. Also, when organizing business meeting in your company, you should hire catering companies that make food from organically grown vegetables and fruit. In addition to that, you should also serve drinks that are made eco-friendly fruit. Becoming green in running a business does not only mean giving away a couple of leaflet made from recycled paper. When you launch a full-scale ecological marketing campaign, your brand will be recognized as environment-friendly and it will help people become more aware of the ecological problems.

Moving house means taking into consideration dozens of details both in terms of your personal items and the details you have to deal with when you enter your new home. However, there is one more detail in addition to all these personal ones – the Earth. When you are moving house, you can do it in a completely environment-unfriendly way or you can try and meet some of the green moving conditions. An interesting fact is that moving in accordance with the rules of ecology turns out to be more affordable and less pricy than ordinary techniques for moving. If you make the moving procedure meet the following conditions and avoid some old school ones, you will indeed be a nature-friendly mover. Usefulness of cardboard boxes No matter if you have old boxes from different household appliances or you have found disposed ones, these items are highly useful when it comes to house-moving process. First of all, they are often much more useful than wrapping materials and plastic containers. Cardboard boxes can be used for storing good during the moving period, but they can also have an insulation role. If you have any larger household appliances, such as a fridge, or a washing machine, cardboard can serve as a great protective layer between these devices and the van or truck that is carrying them to another place. Beside that feature, cardboard can also be used as a ground for dragging heavy appliances once you bring them into your new home. If the parquet or laminate tiles are new, they can be easily scratched. By putting cardboard under the appliances, you can preserve the flooring. The most important thing is that cardboard can be used for many purposes, while at the same time being highly recyclable. Pre-moving sale One of the most useful packing tips is that you do not have to carry all your old things with you. In order to prevent yourself from hiring several cargo vans or moving trucks, you can sell old items and save nature from exhaust gases by hiring only one van instead of five. As well as the pre-moving sale, you can place ads online that you are selling things. Although the people from the neighborhood gladly attend likes of a garage sale, the Internet market is more propulsive and everything is more fluent there, meaning that more items could be sold that way. Also, by reducing the amount of good you are going to lower the number of people necessary for the moving process. Plastic containers If you want your moving to stay within the boundaries of what is acceptable in terms of ecology, you should avoid any sort of plastic wrapping or containers. While the truth is that containers made of plastic can be used many times, the question is what you to do with them if you do not plan to move anymore. That is why plastic as a part of an earth-friendly packing process is not acceptable. However, if you do not have any other options and have to use plastic, make sure that after the moving is done, the plastic is disposed in a safe way or given for recycling.

Going green If you want to be environmentally conscious and want to be eco-friendly then it is time that you take care of your home the green way too. There are a lot of home solutions for being greener and making your home more eco-friendly, and safer too. Moreover, if you want to save some money on home-made cleaning supplies, then it is best to switch over to Chances are that most of the supplies needed you already have in your pantry. DIY substitutions Most branded cleaning products are as harmful to the environment as they are good cleaners. Most components can be broken down into a few simple household items that you can either find at home, or buy cheaply. Baking soda, lemon, simple soap, lemon, lemon solvents and similar products all you will need to clean from now on. They do the same job, and sometimes you can even do a cleaner job than with a regular cleaning chemical product. Moreover, you will not be poisoning your home with chemicals, which in the long run can develop certain issues in human bodies. Green cleaning Basically, all you need is hot water and all the DIY substitutes to clean. Depending on the crime, you can find out what you can combine to get the best results. And the best of it all, none of these cleaning aids are harmful in any way to you or to your environment. You can mix together elements to create your own formulas, or search for already tested and efficient formulas. Remember to label the mixtures so that you know what is what. And also it is imperative to keep the mixtures out of the reach of small children. Steam it Steam cleaners are a good way to collect dust and dirt, without having to worry about dust coming back quickly. It is safe and easy to use, because there are no chemicals involved. Moreover, steam cleaning allows you clean all surfaces and furniture. It would be advisable to steam clean your home at least once a month to keep everything neat and clean. Also, you will have less cleaning to do in the meantime. Healthy cleaning Whenever cleaning, and whenever possible, it is important let fresh air into the home. It will enable for all the accumulated bacteria to leave your home. When cleaning it is important to always ventilate well so that the fumes do not becoming hazardous. During colder weather, in order not to lose heat it is best to open all doors and windows for a good 5 minutes so that air can quickly get in and out, meanwhile minimizing heat loss. From top to down When cleaning, it is important to keep in mind that dust has to settle and you need to start from top, so that you can get dust to settle at the bottom. Moreover, do the heavy duty cleaning first, and only lastly vacuum clean.

Of course, the term green does not refer to the real colors of the skin, but to the fact that skin protection should also be done in accordance with some rules of ecology and sustainable development. It does not seem to be the case, but the market of products used for skin care is among those in which clashes between organizations like Greenpeace and cosmetics industry is on quite a high level. If you stop for a while and think deeply about how the products that we use for beautifying purposes arrive in our homes, it seems that the process is neither simple nor too clean. First of all, there must be plantations somewhere in the world of all these herbs and ingredients that are put into skin protection tools. Apart from that, these products first need to be tested and it is not too probable that they are testing them on humans. Also, the plants of these manufacturers also use fossil fuels and harm the environment. So, it is really unbelievable that so many parts in this chain may be harmed or ruined to ensure that we have night cream on our night table. Nature-loving skin protection However, it does not mean that everything is painted black and that all manufacturers are merciless exploiters. For instance, many smaller manufacturers produce skin care products that follow all the regulations when it comes to keeping the environment safe. Except from that, many cosmetics businesses are run by people who are really interested in nature and getting the best from it. Nature-lovers are not going to pick a flower or make a plant cleansing if they notice the plant that they need for their herbal skin-protecting creams. Real appreciators of nature will always look for the solution in which everything that is taken from nature is returned to it in some way. Many famous cosmetics brands do not do any tests on animals and do not use dead animals as ingredients. Such nature-friendly brands show that large players can also show their human side, only when they are warned that what they are doing is not right and moral. Green skin within your home While skin can really become green if applying a cucumber-based mask onto your face, there are numerous recipes for preparing eco skin lotions at home, without any need to kill or ruin another living being. For instance, you can have a great home-made skin scrub. You only need rolled oats, sunflower seeds, peppermint leaves and almonds. Here is the recipe for this great skin scrub. Numerous recipes for moisturizers and home-made creams can be find web- and book-wide. By using these home-made skin protecting features, you are going to save a lot of money on your monthly cosmetics budget and also behave in an ecologically acceptable way. Apart from green products, there are also some other methods for keeping your skin clean and your approach green. For example, having physical trainings will help your skin get rid of all the bad chemicals and, together with drinking enough water, invigorate and revive your skin.

The internal combustion engine has been the leading force of every kind of development for more than 150 years now. Ever since its invention (i.e. adaptation and sophistication of previous tries), this machine has served in all fields of human work. Even where it seems that it has not been used, like the IT sector, it is not actually true, because all these components and computers have to be transferred and shipped. Because of that, IT is also unimaginable without the good old ICE. However, as the world is rapidly heading and developing, no matter how much is costs, it has become clear that fossil fuels have two huge flaws: they are expendable and they pollute the environment. When there were only a few millions vehicles in the world, it was not that dangerous. However, with the number of cars in the world exceeding one billion, the red lamps of alert are constantly on and we need to figure out something different to slow down with the harm we are doing to the Earth. One way of reducing the damage are electrically-powered vehicles. Old fuel, new electricity Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) represent a sort of a link between old-fashionedICE vehicles and newly devised plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). If you are not too keen on novelties, especially when it comes to your automobile pet, a hybrid might be just the right choice for you. Nissan Leaf PEV This type of electric vehicles is a combo of a fossil fuel-powered power train and electric batteries. The accent is put on highly efficient energy consumption. For instance, it uses regenerative braking as a source for converting mechanical energy produced from friction into electric energy. In old-fashioned, i.e. ordinary cars, when braking, we waste about 30% of the energy that we got from petrol or diesel. This new system is more efficient and, consequently, more acceptable for the environment. Only electricity-powered vehicles Once you have got used to driving HEVs, you can go one step further, which is plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). These vehicles rely only on the energy received from the power grid. Just like when you plug in your laptop or smart phone, the same way of charging is applied in PEVs. The energy received through charging is stored in batteries and the electric motor uses that energy when the car is being driven. The drawback of PEVs is the mileage that can be covered with only one charging, which is about 40 mph. Also, you have to be well-informed about charging spots on your route so that you know when you are going to be able to recharge your electric vehicle if on the road. On the other hand, the advantage of fully electric vehicle is without any doubt its energy efficiency. Beside that, electric motors can be used in numerous vehicles when it is recommendable that there are no exhaustion fuels or noise needs to be reduced. In factories, for instance, the level of noise is usually already quite high. If a person working in a warehouse is exposed to noise in the plant itself, the noise in the warehouse should be lowered. That is why electric motors are great for forklifts. Also, riding mowers should be equipped with electric motors as much as possible. They are usually used in inhabited areas. The amount of noise would be minimized, as well as fuel consumption. It would lead to major local budget savings and less noise. The development of electrically-powered vehicles is unstoppable and the range of their possibilities and advantages is only going to grow.

Tyres are among the most reusable materials, but the quantity of tyres recycled and reused in one year is still insufficient for a larger impact on the welfare on the environment. What every government should know is that old tyres can be used in many creative and nature-friendly ways. If we make an effort to reuse second-hand tyres, the overall budget of every local community is going to be reduced to a more sustainable one and that money can be redirected to some other fields, such as education or health care. As a matter of fact, an organized and state-supported approach to disposing old tyres could lead to significant savings both on the local and global level. Knowing that, we should take care of our old tyres and get to know ways in which this procedure can be done. Image credit : Alltyres.com Retreading instead of throwing away The closest move for every person who has several tyres that should be disposed is taking them to a tyre factory and have them retreaded. Retreading is the fastest way for refurbishing your old tires by adding new treads to them. The greatest green advantage is that almost 90% percent of the old tyre is kept intact and the only part that is changed is the treads. Of course, the rest of the tyre is examined and tested, too. If it turns out that the rest is does not meet safety requirements, there will have to be some additional tyre-related works. However, even then, the overall price is much more acceptable than buying brand new ones. Image credit: Firstgiving.com Tyres as home foundations and walls When using them as a car basis, tyres serve as a sort of motion foundations. However, this is not the only place where old tyres can be used as the basis. Green, self-sufficient homes, which are becoming more and more popular, are a great chance for giving your old tyres a completely new role. This construction role of tyres means using them for multiple purposes, too. They are not only used for the basis, but tyres can also be built into the earth-friendly walls, as well. When being used that way, they are usually covered with clay, to make the walls look like real ones. In addition to that, these tyres are also insulated in a way and they will not be emitting any unpleasant odours, which is common for old tyres. Half-way green – recycling tyres Although recycling is also a nature-suitable way of getting rid of old tyres, if we compare this method to the previous two, it is clear that this one is becoming a bit outdated, although it is the most widespread one. If you want to recycle your old tyre, it will most probably reincarnate as something else. The large majority of recycled tyres are used as tire derived fuel. While this fuel has high energy efficiency, the problem is the fact that the tyre industry is going to need new natural resources for new tires. Although the energy taken from old tyres will not be thrown away, retreading and reusing old tyres still seems more efficient, at least in some future time. For now, it is better even to recycle tyres than to throw them away into the nearest dumpster.

Going green is not just a statement anymore. It is a necessity if we want to keep this planet inhabitable for the generations to come. That is a fact. It is not an opinion or a standpoint. It is a fact. And here are some ways in which you can reduce the carbon footprint that your business leaves. It will make a difference 1. Limit your printing Paper kills planet. Making paper kills the planet and when you consider that more than 30% of the waste that is made is paper, it becomes even more daunting. In order to do something about this, you need to limit yourself and your employees when it comes to printing. Print only the essential documents and try and store more stuff electronically. 2. Start using e-documents There are now tons of software that you can use to take care of your documentation electronically. You can make your electronic signature and use it for the majority of your invoices, contracts, proposals and so on. This will save a ton on paper. 3. Go green with promotional material There are now companies that will make your promotional material from 100% recycled materials and materials that will have absolutely no carbon footprint. For instance, you can check out these environmental custom branded items that will be great for you and your clients. 4. Make your offices as green as possible If you happen to find yourself in a situation where you are finding new offices or if you are remodeling your existing office, make sure that you go with all eco-friendly materials and construction methods that will both use recycled materials but that will also preserve energy and other resources in the future. 5. Institute a recycling office policy Recycling is one of the most important things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint and you need to make sure that you are going the whole way. Do not stop at just recycling cans and paper that comes through your office. Make sure that you recycle electronic as well. You can even help a charity this way. 6. Take advantage of Freecycle Freecycle is a great online service where you can find stuff that other offices and people do not need and where you can help someone set up their office using the stuff you do not need anymore. You never know what you might find and how great your finds can be. 7. Work with green companies If you really want to do everything you can about saving the environment, then you also need to be careful about who you do your business with. Try and find green suppliers and try and limit your interactions to companies that are as serious about the environment as you are. 8. Unplug everything There is absolutely no reason why you should be wasting tons of energy with computers that are working even though no one is using them, various other devices that are just siphoning the electricity. If you really want to do everything you can, unplug the devices after work hours to make sure you are not leaking electricity. 9. Help people recycle People want to recycle or at least they do not care if they are recycling or not. Make it easier for them to recycle than it is to just throw stuff out. Replace your garbage cans with recycling bins and you will do great. 10. Learn what more you can do The ways in which businesses can help reduce their carbon footprint are constantly evolving and there are more and more new things that you and y our business can do. Make sure that you stay in touch and that you are never out of the loop.

Did you know that most of the bathrooms around the world aren’t exactly green? This is because there are huge amounts of water wasted. Your average toilet will use as much as 30% of the water consumed in the entire house. This and water heaters that need to be powered on all the time to provide warm water will increase your energy bill by a substantial amount. There are though a few tips in order to improve your energy and water consumption and to make your bathroom a bit “greener”. 1. The first thing you should improve in your bathroom is the toilet. Installing a low-flow unit will decrease your water usage by as much as three times! Also, thanks to technology improvement, these type of toilets have now a much more powerful flush even though they use less water. Also, if you still want to use less water there is the possibility to use a two-stage flusher that will let you choose the amount of water (for a normal flush it will use around 0.7 gallons of water while for a solid-waste flush it will use around 1.5 gallons of water). 2. Another bathroom improvement you could easily do is a low-flow shower head. While an usual unit has a flow of around 8 gallons per minute, a low-flow one can use as low as 1.5 gallons a minute without reducing the water pressure. So, a 5 minute shower that used to take up to 40 gallons of water will now use 7.5 gallons. That’s a major improvement that will also decrease water heating costs. Image from http://acquabathrooms.com.au 3.Motion sensor faucets might be a bit expensive at first but I assure you that it is totally worth it. Why? Well, because most of us leave the water running whenever we brush our teeth, wash our face or hands. This kind of faucet can actually reduce the water usage by as much as 60% and you don’t have to do anything but approach the motion sensor with your hand in order to use it. Another advantage is the fact that you don’t need to touch it in order to operate the faucet, so the usual gunk deposits around the faucet handles will be gone! Image from http://www.sitazine.com 4. An improvement that will save you a lot of energy but most people overlook is the lightning in your bathroom. An usual incandescent light bulb will use around 50 watts of electricity per hour. That might seem okay but considering there are now on the market LED light bulbs that use around 2 to 3 watts of power and last ten times longer than a normal bulb there is simply no reason not to change them. There are some people that don’t like the cold light provided by normal LED but thanks to technology improvements you can now buy LED light bulbs with warm light similar to that of a incandescence light bulb. 5. The last improvement that will make your bathroom a bit greener are theproducts you use. These range from hand towels, toilet paper, hand soap or shampoo. All of them can be made from organic products in order to have a much lower impact on the environment after usage. Also, because these are actually made from ingredients usually supplied by farmers, it means that you’re not only helping the environment but you actually help the local economy as well.

While it seems that as a race we are making at least some progress to being more environmentally conscious and taking care of the world we are living in, there is always more that we can do. Food industry has been shifting to organic produce for a while now, but a lot of people who are trying to live in harmony with nature disregard another huge industry that has great impact on the environment – textiles and clothing industry. It is for them that we will try to outline the main benefits of the currently most popular types of eco friendly clothing. What is Eco Friendly Clothing? In order for a fabric to be considered organic, it has to meet certain conditions. First of all it has to be made of biodegradable, natural materials and grown without the aid of different chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Naturally, this is not all; the clothes made of these fabrics have to be manufactured in processes that don’t involve chemicals or any environmentally harmful procedures. This includes dying them with artificial colors, or treating them with different chemicals to achieve softness or other properties. Organic Cotton Most of the cotton that is currently grown is quite far from being organic, even though it is, technically natural in origin. Typical cotton growing involves heavy fertilizer and pesticide use, and the chemicals get absorbed by the ground, which leads to the pollution of nearby water sources and livestock health issues. Additionally, during the processing, cotton is often colored with artificial dyes, and the excess water from the process ends up being thrown away and polluting the environment. For cotton to be organic, it has to be grown without the use of chemicals, and it cannot be dyed with artificial colors. The coloring is not as big of a problem, as cotton comes in differently colored varieties, however the limitations regarding the use of pesticides and fertilizers result in a significantly lower yield, which can make this kind of fabric significantly more expensive that typical cotton. Hemp Hemp has been a popular clothing material for a while now, but hemp clothes used to be a bit rough on the touch. This is no longer the case. While hemp clothing retained all the beneficial properties of the fabric, i.e. high durability and strength, it is as comfortable to wear as clothes made from other fabrics. In addition, it comes with great insulation and is very easy to wash without the addition of harmful chemicals. Hemp has a much higher yield than cotton, which means that it is not only more accessible, but that it is also much more efficient at carbon absorption, which has a direct beneficial effect on the environment. Soy Soy fiber is obtained through processing of soybean hulls, a by-product of soy food manufacturing. This not only provides for a natural, organic textile, but means that less is wasted in the production of soy food. This fabric is very elastic and soft, and just like hemp, offers a decent amount of UV protection.

Once considered a thing of a distant future, now more real than ever before, the electric car is a new player in town which looks like it can quickly overshadow its older, gas-based predecessor. With a great amount of press and other media coverage, cars such as those produced by Tesla Motors are becoming increasingly relevant in the car world, winning the fight over their competitors due to the lesser amount of impact they have on the environment. A little less known, but nevertheless real fact, which is getting more and more press these days, is that those cars tend to be not only good for the preservation of our environment, but that they are very safe for driving as well. It goes without saying that the mass adoption of the electrically powered vehicles would significantly lower carbon emission levels and help reduce the infamous greenhouse effect. Note that not using gas to power the car does not mean the carbon emissions will be zero. The electric car’s engine requires electricity of course, and this means it still needs to be charged impacting the environment in the process. According to a research conducted in the UK by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the electric cars can add around 85g/km of carbon into the atmosphere. This is not a negligible quantity; however, it is still much less than 128.3g/km which is the amount produced by an average new car in the United Kingdom. But how many lives can they save on the road? The answer is – a lot. Image credit: intellimec Tesla’s Model S, a new car from this company was recently lauded for scoring the best possible safety mark on the NHTSA’s (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) test. The car had an average grade of five out of five possible stars – a perfect score. Furthermore, the car surpassed even this grade in the Vehicle Safety Score (the score which can be higher than 5) and set a new VSSrecord of 5.4, which effectively made it the safest vehicle in the world. Famously, the testers did not even manage to perform one of the tests on Model S – due to the car’s specific weight distribution, the test drivers did not succeed in flipping the car over. Image credit: Ltrent Normally, as it usually goes when a new technology makes a breakthrough, there are critics which question the safety of electric cars. They tend to be especially concerned about the safety of car batteries in dangerous situations, claiming that there is a danger of the battery exploding in case of collision. However, as it is the case with the carbon emissions, even though there is definitely a certain risk involved, car batteries are still safer than gas tanks. All things concerned, it seems that cars have a bright future ahead of them. The same cannot be stated for the gas-based motors, though. Electric vehicles are here, and they are here to stay.

The trend of going green does not only has to apply only to recycling, cars and lifestyle, you can now redecorate your own office to become more efficient and more eco-friendly. Replacing small gadgets and items in your office is the first step towards a more ergonomic future. Reusable coffee cups Eco cups are the perfect replacement for annoying paper cup coffee morning. No more accidentally spilling your coffee or worrying that it will be too hot to carry. You can also personalize them and bring a piece of your imagination to wherever you go. They are reusable so you can just refill your cup for your daily coffee fill. Image credit saveur.com Dry eraser boards If you think about sprucing up your office and you are worried that FengShui will not be in balance, then you will need a bamboo dry erase board. Instead of using sticky paper reminders, use easy to clean and maintain bamboo boards. Rock vs. paper Going back to the stone-age seems like a bad idea, unless you are thinking of the stone paper called Repap. Possibly the smoothest and most qualitative paper you have ever had the chance to write upon. With this product you will greatly help recycling and saving our planet. The long-life pen Imagine that you have a pen that will work for years to come, no more wondering when the little guy will run out of juice. With The Seven Year pens you get a guarantee that they will work for seven years, no matter what. Even when you are done with them, because they are biodegradable you can still throw the pens away carefree. Reusable water bottles Not only coffee cups can be made from recycled material, you can also get a water bottle that is made from such material that it is reusable and stylish at the same time. Instead of wondering whether there are enough paper cups, now just fill your bottle up and you are good to go. Image credit blisstree.com Eco lunch boxes Remember when you were a kid; you could pack your lunch in stylish lunch boxes. Now you can do that again with the eco collapsible lunch box. When not in use, the box only takes up one third of its original size, easy to maintain and easy to store. It even comes with a built in spork. Green electrical gadgets If you truly wish to optimize your office to go full green then you should also consider gadgets that will help you reduce your power usage. Small gadgets like solar-powered chargers which will at least minimize the power you use for your handheld devices. You can also equip your phone with apps that remotely control your office’s temperature. You will not have to leave the air-conditioner on for the weekend so that the room will be warm when you return. Green furniture Usually companies that are concerned with their environmental impact consider getting green furniture or eco-friendly. Before buying any piece of furniture, always review their certificate, and you have to watch out whether the materials and procedure used is eco-friendly. Image credit rof.com.au Most of the materials can be recycled, which means that just because you want to buy green furniture you will not have to choose only wooden ones. Basically any material is possible. Lastly, if you wish to minimize the cost, try to look for local manufacturers. Also, look for quality, the more durable the less you have to spend on furniture. On the other hand less resources needs to be used when you buy furniture of good quality.

Spring cleaning is one of the most liberating and refreshing traditions in the civilized world. Even if you are someone who is really meticulous about their home and about keeping things clean, a big, thorough and overwhelming spring cleaning is more than welcome. It is both a way to send off the winter and also to make the house lighter, fresher and, of course, cleaner. One thing that you may not have thought about is how green your spring cleaning has been. Well, we would like to share a few pieces of advice with you that can ensure that you are greener than ever when doing the spring cleaning. Dry your clothes the old-fashioned way. Usually, when we do spring cleaning, we also make sure that we wash most our clothes, some to be stored and other to be worn in the ensuing period. One of the things that most people forget about, even when they do their washing up with the most natural and green detergents and other "chemicals", is the drying. Most people still do their drying with dryers or their washing machines (if they have the option) and forget that they can do it outside, in their backyard or balcony. Not only do you do this without wasting energy, but you also get to go outside and get the real fresh smell and not the "fresh smell scent". If you have decided to repaint your home, it is absolutely crucial that you pay attention to what you are putting on your walls. There used to be a time when you only had to worry about the so-called VOCs, Volatile Organic compounds that are bad for your health. The problem is that some manufacturers make VOC-free paints that have other toxic materials in them. Make sure to inquire about truly non-toxic and green paints. Find the right people to do your dry cleaning and do not forget about steam high pressure cleaning. Steam high pressure cleaning is super-green because you involve nothing but water. If you decide to dry-clean your carpets and other traffic-heavy areas of your home, make sure that you go with someone who will use only non-toxic chemicals that are safe for the children and pets. Forget all about paper towels. Paper towels may seem like a great solution and they often are, but they are just too much of a burden for the planet. Making paper towels involves making paper, which in turn involves using trees. You may think that your few rolls of paper towels are not that much, but that is the first mistake you can make. Every little bit helps. You should also seriously consider natural, everyday alternatives for various cleaning, de-clogging and all other products that you use during your spring cleaning. You can find a very extensive list of alternatives for even the most serious chemical products here . You would not believe how much money you can save, not even to mention the impact this will have on the planet.

Living greener is no longer a matter of choice or a statement. Living greener has become a necessity of life, at least for those people who can afford it. The simple fact is that if we all chip in at least a little bit, we can truly make a difference and try and slow down this downward spiral that sometimes seems to be out of hands. We can do something to take charge once again and these are some tips that should help you live greener. One of the most impactful ways in which you could start living greener is to start using green transport. Sure, it is so easy to jump in the car and drive yourself anywhere, but it is one of the worst things that we as a species are doing to our planet. A bicycle is a fantastic alternative mode of transportation. You should also give walking a try for shorter distances. Try to remember back to the days when you were a kid, you did not drive a car and you still managed to get everywhere, right? One much simpler and easier thing to do is to start using reusable bags and cups. These days, you can bring your own reusable cup in most coffee shops and what is more you might also get a discount. Reusable cups are much better at keeping your beverage hot or cold (depending on the need) and they save tons of paper and, subsequently, trees. Plastic bags and even lunch wrappers, containers and paper cups have a detrimentally negative effect on the environment. Reusable containers are easy to find these days and reusable bags as well. These are not that difficult to switch to and they make a huge difference. Reusable batteries, rechargeable batteries are also a great idea, especially if you use a lot of batteries. You can get all kinds of reusable batteries these days and while they may be a bit more expensive at first, they will actually be saving you the money while also saving the planet. You should, however, need to know how to take care of your rechargeable batteries to ensure them a long life. Here is a link to useful guide about how to take care of them in the correct way. It would also be a great idea to remember to unplug your appliances if you are not using them. You may not think that a lot of energy is being lost if you leave an unused appliance plugged in, but over time, this adds up and you end up seeping energy everywhere you look, from your charger that is constantly plugged in to the washing machine which is also plugged in most of the time. Finally, recycle. Recycling has already become an inseparable part of our lives, but there is always a bit more that you can do and a bit more that will help you leave a positive mark on the environment and the future of this poor planet we are destroying every day.

One of the major advantages of eating locally grown food is that local food builds the community surrounding you. This helps you to develop a better understanding, build some level of trust and connect at a personal level with your neighbors and the environment. The simple fact that you know the farmer or the farm that grew the fruit you are eating is quite assuring and very appealing. Having farms around your vicinity also allows you to visit the farms with your children or family members and learn how some of these fruits we all enjoy are grown and harvested. It should also be noted that at times one of the reasons why people don’t eat fruits or other healthy foods is the unavailability of these foods. If they are grown locally, they become readily available in the local markets and shops. This makes it easy for customers or locals to get their daily share of healthy and fresh fruits. If you like fruit salads, the availability of a variety of fruits make it easier for you to get your fill. People who are employed and are conscious about their health normally find it difficult to eat healthy foods during the day, the availability of fresh fruits allow them to carry some fruits to work a big plus for both farmers and the local population. Food that’s been grown locally has been known to promote energy conservation and reduce pollution. This is mainly because the food travels a shorter distance than foods or fruits coming from far flung areas. Most foods are usually transported to the market by truck, air, water vessels or rail; these modes of transport use a lot of petroleum, by buying your local fruits or other foods you are helping to conserve the energy that would otherwise be used to transport the same foods to your local market or shops. Local food is more nutritious and tastes better. This is because when you buy local foods you will be receiving fresh produce that has just been picked from the farm and delivered to the nearest store. This ensures that the sugars don’t turn to starches, the fruits don’t lose their flavor and the cells of those plants don’t shrink at all. Local food therefore retains more nutrients. Buying local has been known to greatly support and help grow the local economy. By keeping local farmers in business, the farm also maintains its employees who in turn are able to maintain their families. Studies have also shown that by purchasing local items such as fruits, vegetables and other locally grown foods twice as much money stays in the community as would otherwise be spent or used elsewhere. Local farmers also tend to look for business in the local community; they would try to sell their produce to local companies. This inter-dependent cycle of reliance builds and helps develop a close business and social bond between farmers, local companies and the local government. This ends up making and planning agricultural projects relatively easy and simple, in the process ensuring that the future of that particular industry is secured. Picture taken from http://in2fruit.com.au