Archive for the ‘In The Home’ Category

Facts About, And The Benefits Of, Recycling Paper

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

Look for ecofriendly options elsewhere in the site such as the solar air heater.

Below are some of the environmental and money saving benefits of recycling paper…

Saves Trees – The most obvious reason to recycle paper is for saving trees which provide vital oxygen for the planet. Just 1 ton of recycled paper saves at least 16 of them.

Wildlife Preservation – More often than not, the wildlife that lives in the trees that are cut down to make ‘new’ paper, die quickly because they cannot adapt to living anywhere else. Recycling paper means that they can die natural deaths instead of forced ones.

Cheaper Paper – Everyone likes to save money and recycled paper is often cheaper than ‘new’ paper. Over the course of a life-time, you could save yourself well over a thousand dollars by opting for the recycled versions of the paper products that you regularly buy.

Less Water Consumption – To make ‘new’ paper requires vast amounts of water, whereas the process of recycling paper uses up much less of this important resource.

Saves Electricity – Producing electricity seriously damages the environment, but more than 400 kilowatt hours are saved by recycling 1 ton of paper.

Reduces Oil Dependence – Recycling paper reduces our dependence on oil. For every ton of paper that is recycled, approximately 2 barrels of oil are saved.

Less Pollution – Paper can burn in municipal waste incinerators that can spew out all kinds of air pollutants. When many incinerators are in urban locations, everyone would benefit from breathing better air if there were fewer of them.

Creates Jobs – Think about all the people who work within the paper recycling industry. Collectors, sorters and machine operators being just a few of them. The more that we recycle, the more of these jobs there will be created.

Sets A Precedent – Paper is probably the easiest thing to recycle, so it is a good starting point for those who do not currently recycle at all. Having gotten into the habit of recycling paper, and seeing that it really is not difficult, people are more likely to start recycling other items too.

http://www.paperlogmaker.org.uk is a website dedicated to the recycling of paper. At their site you can find out what a paper log maker is and how it can help you recycle paper.

Cost Disadvantages of Solar Energy for the Home

Thursday, September 25th, 2008

There’s quite a controversy raging around the advantages and disadvantages of solar energy usage in the home as an alternative energy source. Some feel they are one of the least cost-effective ways of tackling climate change and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in the UK have gone so far as to say it will take 100 years to pay back the cost of their installation.

Their view is that roof panels as an energy source for heating water and generating power are unlikely to save enough from energy bills to make them financially viable in a home owner’s lifetime. Better alternatives, it is argued are loft and cavity wall insulation, replacing draughty windows and using energy efficient light bulbs.

However, the costs of solar energy may be reduced as products improve and already are, relatively, cheaper since gas, electricity and oil prices have risen so much lately. Also, many governments offer subsidies for using alternative power.

Whatever, the truth it still remains that there is a lot that we can do on a daily basis to cut down on energy usage. Turning off lights, taking appliances off stand-by and turning of mobile phone rechargers all make a positive contribution.