Daily Eco Tips

Tip #106 - Sustainable Heating from a Solid Wood Burner

Dan — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:00:55 +0000

Rather surprisingly, wood burner stoves are highly energy efficient. The stoves are designed to burn wood as efficiently as possible, massively reducing the amount of soot, smoke and ash produced compared to a standard open fire. Wood burner stoves are also designed to avoid sending all of the heat energy up the flue, directing it outwards into the room.

If you use sustainable wood sources for your wood burner, then your wood burner is more energy efficient and eco-friendly compared to your gas or electric central heating! The carbon dioxide given off by burning the wood is absorbed by the forests planted to replenish what is burnt.

Furthermore, you can also get a special back boiler for the stove, which means heat from the stove is used to heat your water too. This heated water can be used for central heating and showers!

Stoves are not a cheap option for heating, but they are very eco-friendly and a great luxury. Many people love to curl up in front of a log fire in the winter!

Photo Credit: Woodburner Warehouse

Tip #105 - Recycle your Christmas Cards into Gift Tags

Dan — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:00:46 +0000

If you were lucky enough to receive lots of Christmas Cards, then think about how you recycle them. Many supermarkets have started offering Christmas Card recycling schemes, which is a really easy way to recycle your cards. However, you can also cut up your Christmas cards to make your own gift tags!

If you look at the picture of the cards above, you’ll see that there’s a big bright Snowman on the front. Well, using scissors, just cut out around the snowman to create a gift tag. If you want to use ribbon (perhaps recycled from gifts or Christmas crackers) to tie the tag to gifts, then use a hole-punch to create a neat hole.

This is a great activity for the kids, so save those cards ready for next year!

Tip #104 - Recycle your Christmas Tree

Dan — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:00:05 +0000

Now that Christmas is over, it’s time to think about recycling your Christmas tree? That’s assuming you have a real tree that is.

Why have a real Christmas tree? Well, they are more eco-friendly, that’s why! Although artificial trees can last for many years, they are usually made from metal and various plastics. Artificial trees require a great deal of energy to make, and they may also lead to the creation of by-products including lead. The average life of a fake tree is just 6 years, and when they are dumped, they’ll take hundreds of years to break down.

Real trees provide habits for animals as well as being carbon neutral. Real trees will absorb as much carbon dioxide as they grow as they will release when burnt or left to biodegrade. A very small percentage of real trees are actually recycled, so make sure that you recycle your tree. Perhaps offer to recycle neighbour’s trees to make sure they get recycled too?

Even better, perhaps you can rent a Christmas tree next year? Basically you return the tree when you’re finished with it, and then the tree is nurtured ready for the next year!

Tip #103 - Gardening for Garden-less Homes

Dan — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:00:00 +0000

If you live in a big city, or you live in an apartment, flat or maisonette, you probably don’t have a garden. You might be lucky enough to have a small patio or balcony, but probably no grass. Plants are good for the soul, and you can have some plants around your garden-less home by using indoor planters or window box planters.

Plants remove carbon dioxide from the air in the biological process of transpiration. Plants convert carbon dioxide into food, and release oxygen in return. Plants can also help regulate the humidity of a room, which helps to leave a room feel fresh. So those are both very healthy reasons to pick up a decorative planter, find a great-looking indoor plant and turn your home into a jungle!

If you don’t want too many decorative plants around the house, you could also grow some functional plants. I know people who grow herbs throughout the year and use them for their cooking. I also know people who grow Aloe Vera for its medicinal benefits.

If you’re terrible at keeping plants alive, you could always go for a plastic plant. It’d look nice at least!

I Need Your Help - Eco Tips Needed

Dan — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:32:23 +0000

Understandably, it’s hard work coming up with new tips for every single day. Sometimes I get ideas from you guys too! Therefore if you have any great eco tips, please let me know. If you send me an eco tip, I’ll give you a link or two back to your websites in return. I’m particularly looking for eco tips in the following areas, although I welcome anything that’s not already featured on the site.

Automotive, Cars, Vans, etc
Childrens activities, toys and clothing
Craft ideas
Eco-friendly makeup
Eco and fairtrade clothes
Eco cooking tips
Organic gardening

Green Blogs that Want Eco-Friendly Guest Posts

Tip #102 - Turn your microwave off at the wall

Dan — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 10:00:13 +0000

If you are not using your microwave, ensure it’s completely switched off. Simply powering the clock can use more energy than heating your food! It’s another example of one of those standby energy guzzlers!

However, microwaves are actually more efficient than the oven, so use them wherever possible. Microwaves work by using microwave energy waves to cause water molecules in our food to vibrate. This vibration causes the food to heat up and cook.

Tip #101 - Use Eco-Friendly and Odor-Free No-VOC Paints

Dan — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 10:00:00 +0000

Painting the house has always been a messy, time-consuming job, but thanks to the new VOC-free paints, it doesn’t have to be a smelly job too. VOCs or Volatile Organic Compounds are the compounds in traditional latex and oil-based house paints that evaporate into the air and cause the odour that we’re all familiar with.

VOCs are what gives paint the ability to hold small particles of pigment in suspension, adhere to surfaces and its other inherent qualities. The problem with VOCs is that they evaporate into the air, giving off greenhouse gases including notably methane, benzene and formaldehyde. Greenhouse gases of course are the leading causes of global warming.

Environmental Risks

VOCs are harmful to the environment in other ways too. Other VOC-containing compounds such as solvents, paint strippers and thinners, when stored around the house, can lead to sick building syndrome, leading to upper-respiratory issues and other health concerns. When not properly disposed of, VOC-containing paints and solvents can find their way into the soil and groundwater.

VOC-free Alternatives

Several manufacturers are now offering low VOC and VOC-free paints that not only are environmentally-friendly, but allow you to spruce up the ‘ole place without stinking up the joint.

Duron Paints Genesis Odor-Free paint
Yolo Colorhouse - www.yolocolorhouse.com
Olympic Premium
Benjamin Moore & Co. Pristine® and Eco-Spec®
Benjamin Moore’s Aura
Sherwin-Williams HealthSpec®
ICI Dulux
Kelly Moore

So now you have one less excuse when the wife asks when you’re going to get around to repainting the family room; but don’t worry – if you don’t tell her, I won’t either.

This guest article was written by Rob Bean from The Green Chameleon.

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Tip #100 - Save 1 SQ. Foot of Forest with a Photo

Dan — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:00:15 +0000

The World Christmas Tree 2008 project is a project where you upload your picture of your Christmas Tree, and you could end up saving 1 square foot of forest!

How does it work? Well the site allows you to upload your photo and describe where in the world you are from too. The site is run by 2 activists from Riga in Latvia, namely Janis Veiss and Sandris Murins. They will dedicate all the revenue from advertising on the site (except for their costs) to the World Land Trust.

They estimate that for every Christmas tree photo that’s uploaded, they’ll be able to save around, on average, 1 square foot of forest land. So whilst you’ve got your tree up, why not take a photo and upload it? It’s completely free, and you can help save the rainforest.

Tip #104 - Recycle your Christmas Tree

Tip #99 - Recycle your Christmas Dinner

Dan — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 10:00:07 +0000

Merry Christmas to the readers of Daily Eco Tips! I hope you have a wonderful holiday!

To mark this festive day, here’s a Christmas-themed eco-tip. No doubt you’ll be having Christmas dinner today, probably more food than you’ll normally eat in a few days. However, what do you do with the leftovers? Don’t waste them! Here are a few ideas.

Save up turkey for a curry or stew - turkey meat is excellent for curries and stews. If you’re fed up with having roast turkey, then a curry or stew is a nice wholesome and tasty alternative to a roast dinner.
Treat your pets to a Christmas meal - after you’ve eaten your meal, treat your pets to your leftover food. Pets need some variety in their diets anyway, and it makes a great alternative to their normal meal. Just make sure you check what kind of diet your pets can have.
Compost your vegetable trimmings and leftover vegetables - you probably know that composting is a good idea. Just make sure there’s no meat in your compost bin, as that attracts rats.

Tip #98 - Enjoy environmentally sustainable Sturgeon Caviar

Dan — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:00:25 +0000

Caviar may be considered a luxury for some, however, regardless of how its considered, all food should have the least impact on the enviroment.

Petrossian was the first distributor to work with sturgeon farms to provide an alternative for caviar connoisseurs. Though the sturgeon is a notoriously fickle fish, these farms are continually improving their feed and farming techniques to create an environmentally sound yet superior product. And with a cost as low as a third of the cost the alternative, sustainable caviar is considerably more affordable too.

As stated on Petrossian’s website:

Scientists estimate that the first sturgeons showed up around 260 million years ago, making them even older than the dinosaurs. But environmental and political changes have dropped populations of the precious sturgeon to dangerously low levels. Conversationalists turned to farming sturgeons - first to replenish natural stock, but as technology and technique improved, as a viable alternative to caviar from wild sturgeons. Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch ranked U.S. farmed sturgeon and caviar as a “Good Alternative” for the environment.

Petrossian offer a range of sustainable caviar products, which make ideal gifts if you have a caviar fancier in the family!

Daily Eco Tips

Tip #106 - Sustainable Heating from a Solid Wood Burner

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Tip #105 - Recycle your Christmas Cards into Gift Tags

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Tip #104 - Recycle your Christmas Tree

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Tip #103 - Gardening for Garden-less Homes

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I Need Your Help - Eco Tips Needed

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Tip #102 - Turn your microwave off at the wall

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Tip #101 - Use Eco-Friendly and Odor-Free No-VOC Paints

Environmental Risks

VOC-free Alternatives

Random Posts

Tip #100 - Save 1 SQ. Foot of Forest with a Photo

Related Posts

Tip #99 - Recycle your Christmas Dinner

Related Posts

Tip #98 - Enjoy environmentally sustainable Sturgeon Caviar

Random Posts