The Environmental Impact of Disposable Coasters

David Artsmith  -  Disposable beverage coasters are generally used in bars and restaurants as a cheap and effective way of keeping condensation off of the tables. They can consist of any inexpensive material, although usually it is something that absorbs water. The most common disposable coaster is a cocktail napkin slipped under a beverage.

The good news is that most of the materials that would make a good disposable coaster are biodegradable, such as paper or cork. That means even though they create a lot of unnecessary trash, it won’t take much for nature to re-incorporate them back into the environment.

The real problem with these beverage coasters is that they are a symptom of a philosophical error in our society’s way of thinking. Standing at the threshold of mechanization, we are a society that produces, and consumes. It’s a matter of simple convenience, disposable items don’t have to be washed, they don’t have to be taken care of, and they can simply be tossed away.

Our society has become a mass produced of temporarily useful waste. And instead of developing new thoughts and innovations, we instead waste our time with the mindless production of consumables.

Unfortunately this is a problem which is fairly inherent to the way the world works. The reason it exists, is because it is simply cheaper to build disposable things.

It is also economic. Companies want us to buy many products over the course of our lives, rather than simply purchasing one product. Even if the one product is priced higher, the payments for disposable drink coasters made over the course of a life will still add up to be larger, and more viable for a companies long term growth.

As technology increases, these disposable accessories will become cheaper and easier. Instead of looking for the next great drink coaster, we are going to search endlessly for the cheapest, ugliest, and most disposable coaster. In this way we will make our world ugly, and pathetic. In effect, we will be developing a disposable world.

 

Printer Recycling Programmes

Many households have more than one computer. Eventually these will break down and its time to buy a new one but what do we do with the old printers that we have probably collected? Many people still take them to landfills but this means they will sit there for decades and is not very environmentally friendly.

Recycling Programmes

The answer is to use one of the many printer recycling programmes that are appearing nowadays. Finding them can be quite tricky as they are not common knowledge yet but as time goes on and recycling products becomes more common practise the awareness levels of these programmes will increase.

Where to find these programmes

When looking for recycling programmes you can contact your local electronics store as they might be part of such a programme where they are in a position to take the printer from you and recycle it in an environmentally friendly way. They may also recycle other electronics such as televisions and stereos so do some research first in order to get the best deal. Collection dates may be sporadic so ask when this is and note it down somewhere so you don’t forget.

Joining or setting up a programme

It may be that your local community has one set up that you can take your printer to recycling, If not then consider setting one up. Simply find your local recycling programme and spread the word around your area, you will be surprised at how many households have an electronic product to recycle.

You can search online for IT disposals. There are now many companies who offer this service, they may require some details about your printer beforehand so make sure you have this available when getting in contact. The Internet has the answer to most things so searching online may represent you with the answer. As well as recycling you can donate them to schools or specialist colleges as they can be used to teach students how to repair one. Contact your local school or college to see if they can make use of something you were only going to throw away.

In an age where landfills are being filled with more and more non-degradable items, we should all be trying to do more to help. Recycling your printers is a great way to help and with specialist programmes being developed, the opportunity to recycle is becoming easier.

Solar Power: Is Going Off-Grid a Practical Option For You?

If you were to fit solar panels on your home, could you just go “off grid” and eliminate the electric company forever?  Not having to depend on the power company for your electricity is an attractive proposition. No more electric bills arriving in your mailbox. No more hassle with the power companies for any reason. Can you make this happen for your family? Should you? The answer will very much rely upon the type of weather in your area and how much money you can invest maintaining your own power system.

The Net Metering System of Chosing Off-Grid

First First of all|Firstly], consider where you live.  Solar panels can only generate power when the sun is shining on them.  As a result, you will require batteries for storing electricity for use at night and on cloudy days.

That’s where costs begin to add up.  You’ll need to purchase and maintain enough large DC (direct current) batteries to save enough electricity to last through one to three days of cloudy weather.  You’ll need ample storage space for all of those batteries, and you’ll have to plan for the expense of replacing them periodically.

Future Power Supplies Depend Upon Off-Grid Systems. Here Are Just Some

In addition, having a backup generator is a good idea for stretches of cloudy conditions that deplete the power stored in the batteries.  The generator will require fuel, so you’ll need to store that, too. Usually generators use gas or diesel fuel.  But these types of fuels are inconsistent with a green lifestyle, so you’ll probably want to use biodiesel. So, yes, it is possible to go “off grid”, but it’s not a simple or cheap project.

A more practical solution may be “net metering.”  You can check to determine if your local utility company provides this program. With net metering you can significantly lower your electric costs, and have all the power you need at night and during extended cloudy periods.  With net metering, the power company credits your bill for any excess electricity generated during the day by your solar panels. Then you just use the electricity from your local power company at night and on days when there is not enough direct sunlight. You wouldn’t need to store banks of DC batteries in your basement or garage. Although you won’t be living “off grid”, you’ll save a significant amount of money on your monthly bill.  Some months you may even have a zero balance.

The Off-Grid System To The Energy Shortages

So if you live in a very sunny region, with lots of extra room to store batteries, living “off grid” could be possible for you. But if you’re part of the world gets little sun and you have no large storage space, “net metering” would be more practical.

How To Make Energy Using Wind Power

What is a wind turbine? You may hear a wind turbine referred to as a windmill or wind generator. The names are at times used interchangeably, but there are differences. The wind turbine is a machine that makes use of the wind energy to make mechanical energy. This mechanical energy is then used as is or changed to electrical energy. A windmill uses the mechanical energy as is for pumping out water or for grinding purposes, whereas the wind generator is the one that produces electricity. What are the different kinds of wind turbines? There are two types of wind turbines, classified according to their orientation:

Discover How Easy Build Generators are Constructed

1. Horizontal Axis Turbines – The turbine blades rotate along a horizontal axis.
2. Vertical Axis Turbines – The blades in these turbines rotate along a vertical axis.

The type that is most commonly employed is the horizontal axis turbine as it surpasses the vertical axis turbine in efficiency. What are the benefits of installing a wind turbine? Let’s look at the major benefits of a wind turbine:

• Saving Power: Since the wind turbines use a free energy, the wind energy, they are a very cost-effective method of producing electricity, thus helping not only minimize power use but also create power for the world.
• Cost-Effective: After the initial installation cost, all you’ll ever be paying for is maintenence. The “fuel” is free!
• They’re Environmentally Safe: The wind turbines are environment friendly in the way that they do not emit harmful gases or impact the environment in any way.
• A More Reliable Source of Energy: Obtaining your electricity supply from a wind generator means you’ll no longer have to rely on a utility company. Moreover, you avoid the inconvenience of power outages.

The Power of Wind

What are the factors you should consider for installing a wind turbine? While installing your own wind turbine can be very beneficial for you and the environment, particular conditions must first be met. Here are some factors to consider in deciding whether to install a wind turbine. Be sure these two conditions are met:

• A minimum of one acre
• An average wind speed of at least 11 miles per hour in your area.
• Make sure the tower and the base are sturdy. It is important to take wind turbulence into consideration before you invest in the wind generator.
• Ensure the correct height between the tower, the generator and the cells are achieved

Watch The Handyman’s Wind Generator Video

 

Shop Online And Save The Planet

It’s probably not unreasonable to say that we’re all much more environmentally conscious nowadays. It seems improbable that we are about to turn into a nation of eco-warriors overnight, but the majority of people are quite happy to make a little effort to be greener. It is a lot of relatively small changes by a large number of people that tends to make the difference. The good news is that you can be more environmentally friendly whilst saving both time and money.

For example, Carnegie Melon University recently conducted a study which concluded that shopping online is considerably better for the environment than the traditional method of shopping at retail outlets. One example used in the study was the purchase of a flash memory stick, and it was found the environmental impact of the traditional retail method was 35% greater than making an identical purchase using the internet.

A similar study – carried out by CleanTech this time – found that the carbon footprint of a book was 7.5 kg of CO2 during its lifetime. However, this figure was doubled if the customer got in their car, drove to the store, bought the book and then drove home again rather than having it delivered by post.

Approximately 65% of the emissions generated by traditional shopping methods are a direct result of the customer’s transport to the store and back again.

Shopping online and choosing postal delivery isn’t just better for the environment – it’s more convenient, it saves you time and you can often get what you’re looking for at a lower price. You can increase the environmental benefits even more simply by choosing the right type of product.

For example, if you choose to buy electronic books instead of the conventional printed type, you will save on paper, ink and the energy used in the printing and binding process. As a rule, electronic books are cheaper than the printed versions – plus you save on gas. You can even subscribe to get newspapers and magazines delivered to e-book readers like the Amazon Kindle reader every day.

In a similar manner, if you choose to download music to your mp3 player or PC, you will save on CDs, packaging and distribution emissions. Downloading movies online, which you can now do from iTunes, Amazon and a number of other sites also has both financial and environmental benefits.

So when it comes to purchasing goods on the internet, why not use a twin pronged attack. Firstly, if you can avoid a trip to the store in your car by buying online then that will generally be a good option. Secondly, if you replace physical products with downloadable ones then not only will you be environmentally friendly – but you will save both money and time.

« Previous Page