How an Enhanced Lifestyle is Part of Sustainability
Sustainability is not just about saving the environment. Most people would agree that it includes enhancing your lifestyle in a way that is in line with sustainable practices. For instance, adding patios in Perth, pergolas or carports can enhance the lifestyles of many people; choosing the materials that are eco-friendly and sustainable then enhances and saves the environment.
There are other ways in which a patio or a pergola can be considered eco-friendly.
- When you spend time outside, say for alfresco dining, you can enjoy the cool of the evening without having to run the air conditioner. This saves on your costs as well as saving the earth’s resources. You may think that it would only be a small saving, but if many people do it, that small amount grows exponentially.
- Having a patio against the side of the home will also shade it and keep it cooler, reducing the need for the air conditioner to be on, so again, the environment and your budget are both winners.
- Here’s another way a patio or pergola can be eco-friendly. Having children’s birthday parties in them will save a great deal of wear and tear on your carpets. Eventually, this will filter back to a few less carpets being needed, so all the power that is used to make them will be reduced. This too, may seem like a saving too minimal to count, but when taken over the whole of the country it can really mount up.
Limestone – the Environmentally Friendly Product for Homes and Gardens
Stone is an amazing natural product that can be used in so many ways. Some stone is produced locally and others are sourced internationally from places such as Bali where they are used extensively on easy villas. Homes and larger buildings have been made from stone for centuries and are still standing, making stone such as limestone blocks one of the most environmentally friendly products there is. It can be used for paving or stone cladding that will last almost forever.
While stone does not always withstand disasters such as earthquakes, especially if it topples from a height, neither do most other building materials. However, in places that are not prone to such disasters it has proven to weather other climatic conditions exceptionally well.
Stone is environmentally friendly not only because it lasts such a long time, but for other reasons as well. Here are some of them.
- There are no toxic chemicals or glues used in making it, so it is a safe product with no toxic fumes.
- It is low maintenance. It does not require painting or waterproofing, although both of these can be done to it if necessary. For instance, if used for flooring outside, and particularly around a swimming pool, it would need to be waterproofed.
- It is recyclable. If a stone wall needed to be taken down, the stone could be used elsewhere, for instance, for a garden bench, edging or another wall.
Sustainability When Packaging Your Freight
When sending freight it is important to pack it in such a way as to prevent movement and breakage. While your transport or logistics company may have rules and regulations for packaging, they may not consider sustainability to be important. But depending on the kind of freight you have, you can use environmentally friendly packaging quite easily if you put your mind to it. There are several ways of doing so.
- Re-use old packaging from freight you’ve received in the past. It is not difficult to keep and re-use things such as boxes and bubble wrap. Most boxes can be flattened without any harm so it doesn’t take too much room to store them.
- Find larger crates that have been used by watching the classifieds where people who have recently moved may advertise them.
- Visit a recycling centre to see what’s on offer for packaging up your goods. You’ll find many handy packaging goods there.
- If you receive goods on pallets that have been surrounded by plastic wrapping, it might be worth unwrapping them carefully to re-use it. The downside is that it will take more time, but not everyone is in a rush to get things done.
- Use crumpled paper to safely pack small items. Ask friends and family to save their newspapers for you.
How to Use Your Environmentally Friendly Kitchen the Right Way
When it comes to environmentally friendly kitchen design, most cabinet makers understand that newer appliances, natural lighting and no or low VOC finishes all add up. However, it is still up to the users to develop habits that are also environmentally friendly to get the most out of their kitchens.
Here are some tips to help you use your kitchen in ways that are environmentally friendly.
- You may have chosen a refrigerator that has all the stars coloured in so you know it won’t gobble up electricity like the old-fashioned monsters of yesteryear. But if you are going to stand in front of it with the door wide open all the time wondering what to snack on, then you might be in for a shock when the power bill arrives.
- The same goes for the dishwasher. You might have carefully chosen a dishwasher that takes the least amount of power and water, but if you use it before it is full, you will certainly waste both.
- Cooking can often be done in a way that saves power too. Consider using a steamer that has additional stack-able containers. This will allow you to steam several different kinds of food using the same source of steam and only one element.
- Even if you boil vegetables, you can place potatoes, pumpkin and carrots in the same saucepan together, while things like broccoli or cauliflower can go on top of peas or beans.
10 Tips to Moving in an Environmentally Friendly Way
People move house for many different reasons and some have many moves over their lifetime. It seems they no sooner get settled and they have to contact a furniture removals company like Brilliance Removalists Perth. Then they start with the whole deal of packing up their goods and taking them to another new home. This may be inconvenient, but at least moving can be done in an environmentally friendly way. Here are 10 tips to show you how.
- Use some of your linen or out of season clothes for wrapping breakables and for padding in and around the boxes. This will save on the cost and usage of bubble wrap and prevent yet more plastic going into landfill.
- If you move a lot, flatten and store your cardboard cartons to use next time. They don’t take much room when stored flat.
- Many retail stores receive their products in strong cartons, which are then sent to the recyclers. You can divert some of them for your own use. Try electrical goods stores and pharmacies to get free moving boxes.
- If you don’t move much, offer those cartons to someone else who will soon be moving.
- Some of the boxes can be used to store toys, blankets, tools and other items.
- Sell or give larger tea chest boxes away if you don’t want them. A free ad. on gumtree will often find them a home.
- Moving is often accompanied by cleaning. Don’t spend money on toxic cleaning products; make your own. Got mould or mildew? A ¼ of a teaspoon each of lavender oil and tea tree oil with 2 cups of water. Spray it onto the mould and don’t wipe it off. It will destroy the mould. Windows can be cleaned with equal parts of white vinegar and water.
The Ultimate Guide to Reducing Water Waste in Your HomeNovember 13, 2024I’m John from Plumb It Right, with 38 years of […]
7 Ways Homeowners Can Use Landscaping To Boost Their Green CredentialsAugust 14, 2024Some people might think that by simply having […]
Water Conservation Strategies Transforming Australian Mine SitesJuly 9, 2024G’day, folks! Pull up a chair and grab a cold […]
The Benefits of Using Biodegradable Dental MaterialsJune 6, 2024The Benefits of Using Biodegradable Dental Materials […]
Fun Themes to Try in Your Landscape DesignMarch 26, 2024If you’ve been thumbing through the pages of a home […]
4 Advantages of Landscape DesignFebruary 18, 2024When your yard is not as functional, beautiful, or […]
How to Get the Most Eco Friendly Air ConMay 26, 2023These days with the constant use of air conditioning […]