Enviromental Protection Blog

The original Sun Jar charges during the day and then provides a warm light overnight. A solar cell and rechargeable battery are sealed inside a Mason jar. When the jar is put in direct sunlight the cell creates an electrical current which charges the battery. At night this battery powers three low-energy LED lamps, which are also inside the jar. The jar’s frosted glass diffuses the light, giving the appearance of a warm sunset. A light sensor automatically turns on the jar when the natural light starts to fade.

The Sun Jar has been around for a couple of years, winning an eco-friendly gift award in 2007. It now comes in different colours, including a blue moon jar and pink ‘lava lamp’ effect. They do need direct sunlight to work, so must be placed on a windowsill or outside. However, as Mason jars are watertight they can be placed outdoors in all weathers – so the perfect night light for a garden or porch. A switch inside the lid allows the light to be turned off when desired. The Sun Jar is a great eco-gift that will bring a warm winter glow to any home.

Written in association with WasteCare waste management.

Warning! This little green man has come to earth to suck the life out of your old batteries. Another novelty gift idea, the ‘Battery Eater’ gets his fill from your old and discarded AA’s. There may not be enough juice left in them to power your camera, but our ever-hungry friend will happily take the last swig. Place a spent AA battery in his mouth and watch his eyes light up in glee as he sucks dry those last drops of power.

With a green circuit board body, wire hair and ears and flashing LED eyes – the ‘Battery Eater’ is a cute little monster just waiting to be fed. A magnetic back means that the ‘Battery Eater’ can be stuck to any metallic surface, such as a refrigerator or filing cabinet. Give him an old battery and when he stops blinking you’ll know that the cell is completely dead and can be disposed of safely. You’ll soon be clearing out those drawers to make the little fella happy!

Barkcloth is back. Designer Gary Symor, in collaboration with Dutch research agency Refinity, has created a stylish men’s trench coat made from the fibres of the Mutuba tree. The bark has many advantages over a trench coat made from traditional leather, which requires chemical-intensive tanning.

The process of making Barkcloth is centuries old. Strips of Mutuba bark are beaten into sheets, which are then boiled into a pliable fibre. The trees are not uprooted by the process and recover well. Like leather, barkcloth is durable and does not fray. The Mutuba tree is found in Uganda and harvesting the barkcloth is a source of income for local people.

The trench coat comes in a dark brown colour to make it more durable between washes. It closes without buttons using a click/fold design. An accompanying vest, made from German linen, allows the wearer to subtly change his appearance and adds to the versatility of the garment.

Written in association with WasteCare waste management.

If you walk down the street, there’s a chance that a lot of the people you pass don’t recycle. Maybe you don’t recycle. Perhaps there isn’t an established program in your town, but for whatever reason—to look at the amount of people who don’t recycle is an easy way to demonstrate for yourself how easy it is to let it slide.

Now consider those people who don’t recycle, and it’s inevitable that their mentality is transferred to their businesses and places of work. It’s easy to get stuck in the mentality that one person alone can’t make a difference. But it’s also easy to see, once you take the moment to notice, that that particular attitude easily spreads to the bigger picture, impeading on businesses and their ability to go green

Environmental Waste Solutions has developed a waste management plan to reverse the damage done by the mentality that “one person can’t make a difference”. As more and more affiliates sign on across the country, they take the message of recycling and what it can do to businesses to prove not only that the individual effort to recycle truly does make a difference, but that businesses can easily take part without spending a cent.
So often when individuals and businesses think about greening they think about having to buy things like reusable grocery bags, special light bulbs, and hybrid cars for instance. However, it’s much easier than that to make a difference on your own.

One of the ways that you can help to save the environment is to choose hybrid cars to replace the traditional ones. Among the latest hybrid car, Lexus LS 600h is definitely one good choice for you. This green car goes on sale on 1 October and will feature the very latest in pre-crash safety technology using a system that keeps an eye – or six eyes to be exact – on the driver and his or her concentration levels.

The world’s first Driver Monitoring System forms part of the advanced Pre- Crash Safety (PCS) system which brings together a series of features that can recognise a potentially dangerous situation, help the driver take avoiding action and reduce the risk of a collision happening. If there is an impact, they also work to help minimise the consequences.

The system uses an algorithm to map the position of the driver’s facial features and monitors movement of the driver’s head. A CCD (charge-coupled device) camera is mounted on top of the steering column with six built-in near-infrared LED’s which allow the system to work accurately both day and night.

When the vehicle is started up, the system automatically plots the position of the driver’s facial features – eyes, nose and mouth – and measures the width and centre line of the face. If the driver’s head is turned away from the road at an angle of more than 15 degrees when the vehicle is moving and an obstacle is detected ahead, the system automatically activates the Pre- Crash warning buzzer and briefly applies the brakes to warn of the danger.

If this still fails to prompt action from the driver, the PCS engages emergency braking preparation and pre-tensioning of the front seatbelts.

If it’s really true that you are what you eat, that may be a scary premise. There are some potentially harmful toxins found in the very foods that you eat every day. These toxins are very common and should be avoided or limited to maintain proper health.

1. Arsenic: It may seem virtually impossible that arsenic can end up in our food supply, but it has been found to be true in certain circumstances. In chicken that were not raised in an organic environment, traces of arsenic have been found. This may come from the actual environment that they were raised within, but wherever the source it poses a real threat to those who ingest it.

2. Dioxin: This becomes a problem in farm raised fish, and it can pose a threat to you if you eat it. Sometimes going for a more natural water fish can be a better idea, because those coming from a farm may have up to ten times the dioxin level of those found elsewhere.

3. Pesticides: This is probably one that you hear a lot about, and with good reason. When you buy and eat produce that isn’t organic, you can find residues from the pesticides used right there on the food. Washing thoroughly may help, but these pesticides are always present. It’s best to go for organic produce because there aren’t any pesticides used and that’s the best possible option, and ensures no environmental toxins.

4. Mercury: You’ve heard it before, and if you continue to eat too much fish that has the potential to contain high levels of it then you may run into some real problems. Opting for fish such as swordfish or tuna can present certain levels of mercury, and this becomes a real problem if you eat too much of it. Mercury poisoning is a real problem and therefore it’s best to eat these fish on a limited basis or be sure of their source.

5. Hormones: There are a variety of hormones used with animals for a wide array of reasons. Where this becomes the biggest problem is in the meat supply and in the milk that we drink. The hormones used may very well end up in what we consume and that can lead to cancer. It’s best, particularly with young women, to opt for hormone-free options instead just to be safe.

6. Polybrominated Diphenyl: You probably can’t even pronounce it, but that doesn’t make it any less harmful. Though this particular toxin has been banned, it is definitely still present in the soil that the meat supply may feed off of. Therefore meat and dairy products may contain certain levels of it. Be sure of the source of these two foods, and do your best to limit them or go for safer options if unsure.

7. Sodium Nitrate: Though this is a well known additive used to create foods like hot dogs and cured meats, it can present some real problems in high levels. This additive is used often to make food look more appealing, but if consumed in a large quantity over time it can lead to cancer.

It’s best to know what you are eating and do your best to make intelligent substitutions. The preservatives, additives, and toxins used in food can lead to making you very sick. If you are informed, you can make better choices and stay healthy for years to come.

M.M. Frederick blogs about how to choose among ultrasound technician schools.

The rotating indoor garden lets you grow what you want, when you want, whilst fitting neatly into the most modest of rooms. Growing indoors can be tricky, especially giving your plants the right combination of light and water. The rotating cylinder of the Volksgarden arranges up to 80 plants around a central bulb, minimising light loss and maximising growing potential. The cylinder is chain driven and turns 24 hours a day, taking 45 minutes to complete a full circle.

The ‘People’s Garden’ contains everything you need to grow a variety of herbs, vegetables, fruits or grains. The device is designed to be much more efficient than a flat or tiered garden, fitting into a much smaller space. It can hold different watt bulbs and bed plants with up to a 3” root medium. A tray beneath the cylinder collects water from the hydroponically grown vegetation, minimising overall waste. The assembly is made from precision moulded plastic and brings a great talking point to any interior, not to mention some tasty greens!

Guest post by Rob from Wastecare.

There are so many companies providing custom decals of vinyl stickers. They have great ability for boosting up your business. They can easily be customized as per requirements. CD Jackets are multi-colored and inexpensive items. You can provide your client with differently colored CD jacket printing. Quality and reasonable prices give it a great boast now-a-days. If you want to promote your brand name, CD jacket is an outstanding way. CD jacket printing services include 2 panel, 4 panel, and cheap 6 panel CD jackets printing.

Vinyl stickers are made of vinyl plastic and they have longer life and utilization than their opponents. Like fashion designs, Vinyl stickers have a variety of custom decals including round, rectangular or die-cut. Vinyl stickers have many qualities that can make them a long lasting product. These are frequently brought into play for marketing and advertisement. Custom decals of vinyl stickers and CD jackets flourish your business identity.

There’s nothing like a real tree at Christmas, except for all the dropped pine needles and the hassle of getting it home. The Cardboard Christmas Tree from Cloud Gate Design is, forgive the expression, thinking outside the box. Developed by two product designers, Nick Ng and Dan Greene, the Cardboard Christmas Tree is an environmentally friendly alternative that extends the life of paper waste by using recycled corrugated cardboard for both the tree and its packaging.

The original Cardboard Tree was 3ft tall but this year a 1ft tabletop version is available. After assembly the tree is ideal for any dinner table, side table or child’s bedroom. Each tree comes with ready-made decorations that can be painted, glittered and glued into place. The tree comes in a reusable box so after being decorated it can be repackaged and sent on as a gift. At the end of the holiday season it can even be recycled again!

A portion of the profits made from the Cardboard Christmas Tree are donated to the Trees for America program, run by the Arbor Day Foundation. For every dollar donated a tree is planted in a damaged forest. We think this is a great idea to cut down on holiday paper waste!

The Pangolin is a large capacity rucksack, inspired by the sharp-scaled anteater that curls up into a ball when danger approaches. The bag is designed to use overlapping strips of recycled inner tubes, taken from Heavy Goods Vehicles; attached to each other via a wing nut. When closed the pieces form a hard, round shell; when opened they retract into each another, revealing lots of storage space and canvas pockets; ideal for holding pens, notebooks, a phone or MP3 player. The bag comes with a handle and adjustable straps, and is anatomically shaped to fit comfortably on the wearer’s back.

The Pangolin anteater, after which the bag is named, is found in tropical regions of Africa and Asia. The Pangolin lacks teeth so uses powerful front claws to dig out anthills or termite mounds, before using its long tongue to scoop up the insects. They are a popular bush-meat, and a particular delicacy enjoyed in China.

The Pangolin rucksacks’ urban design may look like something out of Batman, but you don’t need Bruce Wayne’s money to be able to afford one. The bag boasts Fair Trade credentials; being manufactured in Columbia by disadvantaged people, such as refugees, single mothers and Indians from the Camentsa tribe. Not only does it support development in poorer countries, it helps their waste management issues too.