recycling
What Are Carbon Footprints?
June 16, 2013 | 
Author Carbon Footprints
It is not as easy to measure a a carbon footprint, whether it be a persons or even a product’s footprint as some may think.
As an example, let’s take a pack of bacon:
There are many stages in the life-cycle of a food product: raw materials are produced and transported, the food is processed and packaged and then it is distributed to retailers where it is stored. But it doesn’t end there: once bought it must be transported home, stored again and consumed, all of which use energy. Lastly there is disposal – the packaging is collected and usually taken to landfill; a small amount is recycled or reused.
In each of these stages there are hundreds of complex processes, all of which will emit greenhouse gases, which can vary by each individual product. Taking the pack of bacon: At the start of the cycle we have a young pig. Its food is produced and transported to the farm where it lives. Immediately we must ask: How is it transported? By lorry, plane, rail? How is its food supply manufactured? How many tractors plough the corn field where its food is grown, and what are the emissions of each tractor? This can go on, and we are only on the first phase of the cycle. The pig farm machinery must also be taken into consideration – and each farm will be different. What of the emissions from each pig’s bodily functions?
This question may seem insignificant when compared to the many other factors, but it leads to another very important point: The carbon footprint of a product is a measure of its impact on the environment i.e. how much is it going to increase the greenhouse effect? The use of the word ‘carbon’ can be confusing here; there are other gases which when released into the atmosphere have a far greater global warming potential, relative to carbon dioxide.
And so this brings us to methane. Obviously pig’s break wind, It is emitted at other stages of the cycle too, such as landfill where waste decomposes and releases methane.
In carbon footprints, these other gases are accounted for and included. The trouble is that many of the carbon footprints quoted today can be somewhat misleading, because they are based on the global warming potential relative to CO2 over a 100 year period. If we had 100 years to address climate change, this would make sense. But it appears we have years, not decades, so it would be more meaningful to consider the effect over the next 20 years. One can see that methane is 3 times more potent over 20 years than it is over 100 years. The footprints of products would almost certainly be different if calculated on a 20 year basis.
Riverford, the largest supplier of organic food boxes in England, came across a good example of the complexity in measuring the carbon footprints of food and drink. Riverford carried out a study comparing the carbon footprint of its tomatoes grown locally to those grown in Spain. It would be reasonable to expect that the tomatoes grown abroad would have a higher footprint – they have further to travel and they must be conserved (refrigerated) on route. However the study showed that while they do indeed emit more CO2 in the transport stage, overall they are less carbon-intensive i.e. fewer greenhouse gases are released in the life-cycle of each Spanish tomato sold in the UK, than in a UK tomato sold in the UK! This is because in Spain, the tomatoes can be grown in the natural climate, but in the UK greenhouses are needed, heating is needed and the growing of the tomatoes requires energy – taken from the national grid. When this is weighed against the emissions from transport, the UK tomatoes have a higher carbon-intensity.
At Go Green, we offer solutions for a variety of Environmental issues. Please click on the following link to contact us.
Posted in Carbon accounting, carbon emissions, Carbon footprint, Carbon management, carbon reduction, CO2, CRC, Environmental accounting, Food Recycling, Food Waste, Footprint, ghg emissions, Glasgow waste, landfill, Packaging Waste, Recycle Edinburgh, Recycle UK, recycling, UK Recycle, Waste management | 
Tags: Business, carbon, carbon emissions, carbon reduction, crc, edinburgh recycle, Edinburgh Recycling, food waste, Footprints, ghg emissions, ghg reporting, glasgow recycle, recycle edinburgh, Recycle UK, waste Glasgow, waste management | 
No Comments »
How WEEE Recycling Can Improve The Environment?
Every year, millions of tons of electronic wastes are dumped into landfills or vaporized in incinerators. Televisions, consumer electronics and computers compose the majority of this electronic waste, and have a significant impact on the environment. Other types of electronic waste that fill landfills include telecommunication equipment, IT equipments and lighting equipment. These personal electronics release a range of toxic chemicals which includes lead, mercury, cadmium and Polybrominated diphenyl ethers. These chemicals can seep into the earth and the ground water, and cause significant damage to the environment.
The non-discriminate disposal of these products are beginning to come to an end, however, thanks to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (otherwise known as WEEE). WEEE is a recycling directive that has become a standard in European communities in 2003, and became a law in the United Kingdom in 2007, and an amendment in 2009.
Under The WEEE Directive, manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, business users, are required to collect and dispose of electronic waste in a way that is environmentally friendly. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, but mainly through re-purposing, recycling, or reusing the electronic waste for other purposes. This directive not only has an impact on how those organisations deal with electronic waste, but also has an impact on how consumers can deal with their electronic waste. This directive allows consumers to return their obsolete electronics to the retailer free of charge. Consumers are also entitled to have a full explanation of how to do this upon sale of the electronics, this must be in writing since 2009.
Before The WEEE Directive came into effect, electronic waste was either disposed of in an incinerators or in landfills. Both of these solutions have distinct disadvantages. Electronics that were incinerated release unacceptable levels of mercury into the atmosphere, and the toxic ash that is a by-product of the process was then dumped into landfills, where they could contaminate the ground water. Electronics that were dumped into landfills eventually leaked these toxic chemicals into the water table, which eventually made its way into the food-chain. This had a significant impact on human health and resulted in higher incidents of asthma, birth defects and fertility problems among the general public.
WEEE Recycling protects the environment by diverting this electronic waste away from these traditional methods of disposal and into more sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions. This directive also prevents electronics from being used for a short time and then discarded. It also allows industry to recover valuable metals such as copper, iron, steel and aluminum from these products. The recovery and reuse of the metals found in electronics greatly reduces the amount of new raw metals that need to be extracted from the earth to make new products. This helps reduce mining efforts, and thus reduce the impact these efforts have on the environment.
At Be Seen Go Green, we offer solutions for a variety of Environmental issues. Please click on the following link to contact us.
Posted in carbon emissions, computer recycling, Edinburgh Recycle, Edinburgh WEEE, eee, glasgow eee, glasgow recycling, Glasgow waste, glasgow weee, Green IT, London Recycle, London WEEE, Packaging Waste, Plastic Recycle, Plastic Recycling, Plastic waste, Recycle Edinburgh, Recycle London, Recycle UK, recycling, Waste management, Waste Plastic, weee, WEEE Edinburgh, WEEE London, WEEE UK | Tags: computer recycling, edinburgh recycle, Edinburgh Recycling, Edinburgh WEEE, electrical waste recycling, Environment, ENVIRONMENTAL, glasgow eee, glasgow recycle, glasgow recycling, glasgow weee, Green, improve, London WEEE, PC recycling, recycle, Recycling, uk weee, Waste, weee, WEEE Directive, weee edinburgh, Weee regulations | No Comments »
Importance Of Recycling
Recycling is now becoming second nature to a lot of us and is the best way for us to have a positive impact within the area and indeed the world in which we live.
Recycling is important to both the natural environment and us.
The amount of rubbish we create is constantly increasing, why? Well it’s because of a few reasons such as:
- Increasing wealth means that people are buying more products which are now seen as disposable.
- A larger population means that there are more of us to create waste.
- New packaging and technological products are being developed, much of these products contain materials that are not biodegradable.
- Llifestyle changes, such as eating fast food, means that we create additional waste that isn’t biodegradable.
Environmental Importance
Recycling is very important as waste has a huge negative impact on the natural environment.
- Harmful chemicals and greenhouse gasses are released from rubbish in landfill sites. Recycling helps to reduce the pollution caused by waste.
- Habitat destruction and global warming are some the affects caused by deforestation. Recycling reduces the need for raw materials so that the rainforests can be preserved.
- Huge amounts of energy are used when making products from raw materials. Recycling requires much less energy and therefore helps to preserve natural resources.
Importance To People
Recycling is essential to cities around the world and to the people living in them.
- No space for waste. Our landfill sites are filling up fast, by 2020, almost all landfills in the UK will be full.
- Reduce financial expenditure in the economy. Making products from raw materials costs much more than if they were made from recycled products.
- Preserve natural resources for future generations. Recycling reduces the need for raw materials; it also uses less energy, therefore preserving natural resources for the future.
At Go Green, we offer solutions for a variety of Environmental issues. Please click on the following link to contact us.
Posted in computer recycling, Edinburgh Recycle, Edinburgh WEEE, eee, glasgow eee, glasgow recycling, glasgow weee, Recycle Edinburgh, Recycle UK, recycling, UK Recycle, UK WEEE, weee, WEEE Edinburgh, WEEE UK | Tags: Edinburgh Recycling, glasgow recycling, recycle, recycle glasgow, Recycle UK, Recycling, Recyclye Edinburgh, uk recycling | No Comments »
Waste Management| Made simple
Mention waste management to most people and they either don't have a clue what you are talking about, or they genuinely are not interested! It just sounds a load of rubbish, what do you care what other people do with stuff they don't want? However, once you commence delving into what waste management is all about, then you realise there’s a whole cycle of events going on and it is quite an fascinating topic to discover about.
Waste management is basically how rubbish and trash is disposed of with out causing any harm to others or the environment. You will find various aspects to waste management; these consist of monitoring, collection, transportation, processing, and disposal or recycling. When carried out correctly, waste management is efficient and extremely environmentally friendly, and in today’s world is some thing each conscientious organization really should take responsibility for.
You will find specialized environmental companies that provide guidance and services for waste collection, not only for householders, but also for industries and businesses. They're experienced in all areas of waste management solutions and will remove all your waste efficiently and rapidly, transporting it to be disposed of within the correct manner, or recycled.
Some of the waste services offered to industrial clients consist of waste collection, recycling and disposal, hazardous waste management, emergency response, laboratory services, asbestos removal and re-Insulation.
Within the first instance the environment service is concerned with monitoring, this is to identify the kind of waste produced and in what quantity; they can then evaluate the processes they need to put into place to reduce the quantity of waste produced. Records are kept to see if methods put into place are working and, if not, methods can be changed and re-examined to make their implementation a lot more efficient.
Once the waste has been monitored and assessed it really is time for the collection procedure. Skip bins and containers need to be emptied just before they become too full and prevention of overspill or produce to rot is really essential. Depending on the quantity of waste produced will dictate the size and number of containers required, and how frequently collections will be required. You will find diverse containers for every kind of waste, some of these consist of drums for hazardous liquid waste, tanks for acid or caustic waste, collection bins for e-waste and bulk bins and skip bins for construction site waste.
Next within the cycle is organizing the transportation of all waste goods collected.Specially designed waste vehicles make scheduled collections and are responsible for safely transporting it to the landfill, or treatment site where it will be treated and then processed for Recycling. Vehicles need to meet safety standards and be licensed for this purpose, as waste can be a health hazard and even harmful if not handled properly, drivers and personnel connected with the transportation are required to have the essential training and expertise to deal with any potential danger.
Once the waste has all been collected it needs to be processed. This involves separating the waste collected, treating and then packaging the raw materials and sending the parts that could be recycled to the various factories that are all part of the recycling procedure. Materials that can’t be recycled will be transported to a landfill, and liquid and hazardous wastes will be disposed of safely.
Improvements and new practices in waste management and environmental solutions are within the news all the time, thanks to research and development projects that are committed to finding a lot more efficient and safe methods of disposing of waste. There are several things that are recyclable now that just a few years ago would have been thrown into a rising landfill, everyday items for example paper, glass, newspapers and plastic bags to printer cartridges, corks, mobile phones, even fluorescent lamps can be treated and re-used.
Society has experienced a huge learning curve within the truth that if we don't take action now to make certain our waste is processed properly; nature will gladly do it for us, and in methods which can be detrimental to our environment.
Posted in computer recycling, Edinburgh Recycle, Edinburgh WEEE, eee, Energy, Food Recycling, Food Waste, glasgow eee, glasgow recycling, Glasgow waste, glasgow weee, landfill, London Recycle, London WEEE, Packaging Waste, Plastic Recycle, Plastic Recycling, Plastic waste, Recycle Edinburgh, Recycle London, Recycle UK, recycling, UK Recycle, UK WEEE, Waste management, Waste Plastic, weee, WEEE Edinburgh, WEEE London, WEEE UK, wheelie bin | Tags: Basics, computer recycling, edinburgh recycle, Edinburgh Recycling, Efficiency, electrical waste recycling, Environment, ENVIRONMENTAL, environmental management, glasgow eee, glasgow recycle, glasgow recycling, glasgow weee, ISO14001, London recycling, Management, Recycling, Reduce, Reducing, uk recycling, uk weee, Waste, waste management, waste recycling, weee | No Comments »
Waste Management
Waste Management
Waste management companies exist to assist business with the challenge of industrial waste. As you can imagine some areas generate more waste than others and those that generate a lot in the course of their business usually find it more cost effective to have someone else deal with it.
This topic covers a broad spectrum. It is a term often used to describe the management of a variety of waste, usually collected, treated, processed, recycled, reused or disposed of by a department of the local authority.
As people produce more and more waste, mainly as a result of more and more packaging being used for our produce, our waste management services are becoming more sophisticated and better able to deal with the problem.
In industry there is a growing need for waste management services, some specialising in certain aspects of it and others attempting to be all things to all companies. Those who specialise in certain areas tend to deliver a better service as they can fine tune their expertise into a narrow and clearly defined area.
Industries such as the oil industry or chemical industry need waste management services who can respond to a given situation 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. Often their waste management needs involve coping with an unexpected emergency, an oil or dangerous chemical spill, for example.
Waste management services trained and expert in dealing with the treatment and disposal of hazardous waste is invaluable to these industries. They will most likely have licensed facilities for the treatment and transfer of contaminated waste and the personnel trained and experienced to carry out the operation.
The first line of defence against an emergency spill can be the use of skimming equipment to try and recover the spill. Booms and dispersants as well as absorbents and may also be used. Waste can be transferred from the site to a holding facility using appropriate waste transfer vehicles.
The industries that can suffer heavily by a serious waste problem rely heavily on the expertise and experience of professional waste management services. Their emergency response teams can contain, collect and treat hazardous waste in the fastest possible time, thereby rendering the situation as safe as possible as quickly as possible.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive all give useful guidance on the regulations governing the storage of hazardous waste in the UK. All service providers have to operate under these regulations and each one should be a registered waste carrier and usually also having a facility with an appropriate permit for accepting and treating hazardous waste, as well as its possible disposal.
Waste management services provide an invaluable backup service to a variety of industries that have come to depend on them for the necessary support and assistance they need when it comes to collecting, recovering, treating, recycling, reusing and disposing of waste. Waste has paradoxically become big business for the companies who have chosen to specialise in it.
Who handles your waste management?
From October 2010 SEPA can now request the waste management records of all business, from the accountants office to the North Sea oil companies.
At Be Seen Go Green we can help on a variety of environmental issues which may affect you, including your compliance responsibilities.
To find out more contact us www.beseengogreen.eu
Posted in Carbon footprint, Carbon management, computer recycling, Edinburgh Recycle, Edinburgh WEEE, eee, Food Recycling, Food Waste, glasgow eee, glasgow recycling, Glasgow waste, glasgow weee, landfill, Packaging Waste, Recycle Edinburgh, Recycle UK, recycling, Skip Hire, UK Recycle, UK WEEE, Waste management, weee, WEEE Edinburgh, WEEE UK, wheelie bin | Tags: computer recycling, Disposal, edinburgh recycle, Edinburgh Recycling, Efficiency, electrical waste recycling, Emissions, Environment, ENVIRONMENTAL, Footprint, glasgow recycle, glasgow recycling, glasgow weee, Global, Green, Greenhouse, Management, Recycling, Reduce, Renewable, Services, Solutions, Treatment, Waste | No Comments »
Reasons for Recycling electronic gadgets like PC’s
Obsolete computers or other electronics are a valuable source for secondary raw materials, if treated properly; if not treated properly, they are a source of toxins and carcinogens. Rapid technology change, low initial cost, and even planned obsolescence have resulted in a fast-growing surplus of computer or other electronic components around the globe. Technical solutions are available, but in most cases a legal framework, a collection system, logistics, and other services need to be implemented before a technical solution can be applied. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, an estimated 30 to 40 million surplus PCs, which it classifies under the term “hazardous household waste”, will be ready for end-of-life management in each of the next few years. It is estimated that 75% of all personal computers ever sold are now surplus electronics.
Many materials used in the construction of computer hardware can be recovered in the recycling process for use in future production. Reuse of tin, silicon, iron, aluminum, and a variety of plastics — all present in bulk in computers or other electronics — can reduce the costs of constructing new systems. In addition, components frequently contain copper, gold, and other materials valuable enough to reclaim in their own right.
A major computer or electronic recycling concern is export of waste to countries with lower environmental standards. Companies may find it cost-effective in the short term to sell outdated computers to less developed countries with lax regulations. It is commonly believed that a majority of surplus laptops are routed to developing nations as “dumping grounds for e-waste”. The high value of working and reusable laptops, computers, and components (e.g., RAM) can help pay the cost of transportation for a large number of worthless “commodities”. Broken monitors, obsolete circuit boards, and short-circuited transistors are difficult to spot in a containerload of used electronics.
At Go Green, we offer solutions for a variety of Environmental issues. Please click on the following link to contact us.
Posted in carbon emissions, computer recycling, eee, glasgow eee, glasgow recycling, recycling, weee | Tags: Edinburgh Recycling, Edinburgh WEEE, eee, glasgow recycling, glasgow weee, recycle, uk recycling, uk weee, weee | No Comments »
What small scale manufacturers and retailers need to know about WEEE
What small scale manufacturers and retailers need to know about WEEE:
Glasgow based, indeed UK based, manufacturers and retailers of electronic equipment have been slow to catch on to their WEEE obligations. As this is the fastest growing area of waste in the UK it’s imperative that they take on board what they are legally obliged to do.
The environment agency does not differentiate between size of companies. For example a PC retailer could put together a single PC for a client on a bespoke basis. Under the WEEE directive this retailer now has obligations under the producer (manufacturer) regulations. They must join a producers scheme, take back the clients’ old PC (all retailers must offer a take back scheme on a like for like basis), and have the WEEE recycled at their expense and not their clients’.
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive 2002/96/EC of the European Union aims at minimization of the impact of Electrical Waste (discarded or end-of-life electrical or electronic equipment – EEE), on the environment by increasing re-use and recycling and reducing the amount of WEEE going to landfills. It is closely linked to the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive 2002/95/EC which seeks to limit the presence of six hazardous materials in electrical and electronic equipment.
There are 10 categories of electronic waste or e-waste that fall under the WEEE Directive, plus a further 2 which fall under RoHS, large and small household appliances, infact any sort of electical or electronic product. E-waste in this directive means electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) designed for use with voltage ratings of up to 1000V ac or 1500V dc. Hence manufacturers of all electronic goods used in day to day life, fall under the purview of the directive. Since the consequences of non-compliance are serious (including possible ban on doing business in EU countries), manufacturers need to be conversant with the WEEE and the related RoHS directives.
The WEEE Directive seeks to minimize the environmental impact of e-waste by mandating its collection, treatment, recovery and/or recycling to be facilitated and financed by producers. It also proposes that consumers be able to return their waste equipment free of charge. Manufacturers, therefore, need to assess the impact of these requirements and initiate appropriate action for implementation.
This involves setting up collection centers for e-waste, arrangements for transportation to the recovery and/or recycling centers, facilities for recycling and determination of final disposal options, all at the manufacturers expense.
Recovery and recycling of electronic waste is specialist work, recycling plants must conform to minimum standards.
It is very important for a manufacturer to also understand the importance of certain pre-sales actions which must also be adhered to in order to meet compliance of the WEEE regulations.
For Example:
Design equipment which can be dismantled into the smallest possible parts and components. This will facilitate recovery of the parts for reuse; a more economical proposition than say, recycling.
Ensure labeling of products adheres to the requirements of the WEEE Directive including a “Do Not Landfill” note.
Reduction of hazardous material content in the product greatly reduces the need for expensive recovery efforts. It also contributes to overall environmental conservation. For this reason, the importance of RoHS compliance of products and processes cannot be over emphasized. The sooner manufacturers recognize this fact; the better their profits will be long term.
Further, the WEEE Directive is based on Article 175 of the EC (European Community) Treaty – the Treaty establishing the European Union. This allows member states to include additional products so long as they countries adhere to European Community laws governing overall trade and commerce within and beyond the EU. Manufacturers must stay abreast of more environmentally sound practices and current WEEE changes. They also need to be aware of the implication of such changes on their businesses.
At Go Green, we offer solutions for a variety of Environmental issues. Please click on the following link to contact us.
Posted in computer recycling, Edinburgh WEEE, eee, glasgow eee, glasgow recycling, Glasgow waste, glasgow weee, landfill, Recycle Edinburgh, Recycle UK, recycling, UK Recycle, UK WEEE, Waste management, weee, WEEE Edinburgh, WEEE UK | Tags: about, computer recycling, Directive, edinburgh recycle, Edinburgh Recycling, Edinburgh waste, eee, Electrical, electrical waste recycling, Electronic, electronic waste recycling, Equipment, glasgow eee, glasgow recycle, Glasgow waste management, glasgow weee, Know, Manufacturers, Need, uk weee, Waste, waste Glasgow, weee, WEEE UK | 1 Comment »
New Plastic Recycling Discovery!
A new method has been developed to recycle plastic which would normally end up in landfill.
At persent approximately 12% of plastic found in household plastic and packaging is currently processed.
Now, however, a process has been developbed by Warwick University which could mean 100% of this type is waste can be recycled.
Municipal plastic solid waste is often too time-consuming and labour intensive to separate and clean and ends up going straight to landfill rather than being recycled.
Engineers at the University have invented a process that can cope with every piece of plastic waste and can even break some polymers, such as polystyrene, back down to its original monomers.
The researchers have devised a unit which uses pyrolysis (using heat in the absence of oxygen to decompose of materials) in a ‘fluidised bed’ reactor.
Tests have shown that the researchers have been able to literally shovel in to such a reactor a wide range of mixed plastics, which can then be reduced down to useful products. Many of these products can then be retrieved by simple distillation.
The products the Warwick team have been able to reclaim from the plastic mix include: wax that can be then used a lubricant; original monomers such as styrene that can be used to make new polystyrene; terephthalic acid which can be reused in PET plastic products, methylmetacrylate that can be used to make acrylic sheets, carbon which can be used as Carbon Black in paint pigments and tyres, and even the char left at the end of some of the reactions can be sold to use as activated carbon at a value of at least £400 a tonne.
This research could have a significant impact on the budgets of local authorities and produce considerable environmental benefits.
The lead researcher on the project, University of Warwick Engineering Professor Jan Baeyens, said:
“We envisage a typical large scale plant having an average capacity of 10,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year.
“In a year tankers would take away from each plant over £5 million worth of recycled chemicals and each plant would save £500,000 a year in land fill taxes alone.
“As the expected energy costs for each large plant would only be in the region of £50,000 a year the system will be commercially very attractive and give a rapid payback on capital and running costs.”
The work will be of great interest to local authorities and waste disposal companies who could use the technology to create large scale reactor units at municipal tips which would produce tanker loads of reusable material.
At Be Seen Go Green, we offer solutions for a variety of Environmental issues. Please click on the following link to contact us.
Posted in carbon emissions, carbon reduction, Climate Change, CO2, computer recycling, CRC, Edinburgh Recycle, Edinburgh WEEE, eee, Energy, Food Recycling, Food Waste, Footprint, ghg emissions, glasgow eee, glasgow recycling, Glasgow waste, glasgow weee, London Recycle, London WEEE, Packaging Waste, Plastic Recycle, Plastic Recycling, Plastic waste, Recycle Edinburgh, Recycle London, Recycle UK, recycling, UK Recycle, UK WEEE, Waste management, Waste Plastic, weee, WEEE Edinburgh, WEEE London, WEEE UK, wheelie bin | Tags: Benefits, Business, Change, Climate, computer recycling, edinburgh recycle, Edinburgh Recycling, electrical waste recycling, Emissions, Environment, ENVIRONMENTAL, glasgow eee, glasgow recycle, glasgow recycling, household plastic, London Plastics, London Recycle, plastic recycling, Plastics, Recycling, Reduce, Renewable, Uk Plastic recycling, UK Plastics, warming, Waste, waste plastic | No Comments »
What Makes a Home a Green Home?
What Makes a Home a Green House?
One of the main topics today is about being environmentally friendly. There are many ways to become environmentally friendly about the home including water preservation and energy reduction. This not only helps with a positive action by reducing your impact on the environment, but will also save you money!
Lets take a look at what makes a home environmentally friendly.
Reduced Energy Use
Energy comes in many forms such as electricity, natural gas, oil, etc. The creation or use of this energy results in greenhouse gas emissions that affect our planet in a negative way.
Methods of Reducing Energy Usage
Insulation, One of the best things that you can do to make a green home is to ensure that the walls, windows, attic, and floors are all well insulated and draft free. The majority of the energy used in a home goes towards heating the house. Insulation will prevent the air temperature from escaping the home and save you money on your utilities.
Energy Star Appliances When one of your appliances has reached it’s end of life, or when you are building a new home, consider installing an appliance that meets energy star requirements. This will ensure that it will use over 30 percent less electricity or fuel than a typical appliance of that type.
Other options include advanced mechanical Systems On demand tankless water heaters, geothermal HVAC equipment, and even solar power is a great way to reduce the amount of energy that is wasted to run the plumbing, heat and air, and electrical systems in the home. While they can have a higher upfront cost than a typical unit of its kind, tax incentives from the government can offset a good deal of the extra cost and allow you to make the money back within a few years time.
Reduced Water Use
Water is another essential resource that can be preserved in our day to day use around the house.
Low Flow Fixtures Many low flow shower heads and toilets developed a bad reputation in the past because they could not live up to their less efficient counterparts. Fortunately, todays better engineered models and aerators allow you to experience the luxury and ease of use that you prefer, while additionally using a significantly lower amount of water.
Efficient Clothes Washers Many of the newer front loading clothes washers use as little as half of the water of a typical top loading washer. For families who are constantly putting in a new load of dirty clothes, this can lead to a significant savings in cost and water usage over time.
Use Rain Water For Irrigation For those who want to really cut down on water usage, storage tanks that collect rain water during a storm for latter use to water the garden and lawn can save thousands of gallons over the span of a summer.
These are just a few of the many ideas out there that will help ensure that your home is green. Environmentally friendly decisions in the home can lead to wallet friendly results over time and allow for the satisfaction of knowing you are reducing your negative impact on the planet.
At Be Seen Go Green, we offer solutions for a variety of Environmental issues. Please click on the following link to contact us.
Posted in Carbon accounting, carbon emissions, Carbon footprint, carbon reduction, Climate Change, CO2, computer recycling, CRC, CSR, Edinburgh Recycle, Edinburgh WEEE, eee, Energy, Environmental accounting, Food Recycling, Food Waste, Footprint, ghg emissions, glasgow eee, glasgow recycling, Glasgow waste, Green IT, landfill, Packaging Waste, Recycle Edinburgh, Recycle UK, recycling, UK Recycle, UK WEEE, Uncategorized, Waste management, weee, WEEE Edinburgh, WEEE UK, wheelie bin | Tags: Change, computer recycling, eco house, edinburgh green home, Edinburgh Recycling, Efficiency, electrical waste recycling, Emissions, Energy, Environment, ENVIRONMENTAL, Footprint, Glasgow green home, glasgow recycling, Global, Going, going green, Green, green home, green house, Greenhouse, Home, House, London green home, Makes, Management, Money, Power, Responsibility, warming | No Comments »
Why Recycle My Computer?
Electronic rubbish, and computer equipment in particular, is a rapidly expanding stream of UK waste. Low prices allow consumers to replace “gadgets” often, and rapid technological change means there are always newer, better, more powerful products on the market. The result is a burgeoning computer waste mountain. For example up to 30 million “obsolete” PCs are discarded annually in the USA alone.
Why is it important to recycle computer equipment?
Also known as e-waste, discarded computer equipment comprises monitors, printers, hard drives and circuit boards. Such items should on no account be thrown out with your household rubbish because they contain toxic substances, and are effectively hazardous waste. E-waste often ends up in the developing world, and the UN’s Environment Programme is alarmed by the amount of electronic goods which is improperly disposed of overseas. There is increasing concern about the pollution caused by hazardous chemicals and heavy metals in Africa, Asia and South America.
| What’s in my PC? | |
| Material | Proportion |
| Plastic Ferrous metals Non-ferrous metals Electronic boards Glass |
23% 32% 18% 12% 15% |
A single computer can contain up to 2kg of lead, and the complex mixture of materials make PCs very difficult to recycle.
This is why the WEEE regulations came in to being, imagine what would happen if we continued to send
the above to landfill?
At Go Green, we offer solutions for a variety of Environmental issues. Please click on the following link to contact us.
Posted in computer recycling, Edinburgh Recycle, Edinburgh WEEE, eee, glasgow eee, glasgow recycling, glasgow weee, Recycle Edinburgh, Recycle UK, recycling, UK Recycle, UK WEEE, weee, WEEE Edinburgh, WEEE UK | Tags: edinburgh recycle, Edinburgh WEEE, electrical waste recycling, glasgow eee, glasgow recycling, glasgow weee, recycle edinburgh, recycle glasgow, Recycling, uk weee, Waste, weee, weee edinburgh, WEEE UK | No Comments »