Sustainability

How to Create a Peaceful Paradise at Home

Most people can honestly say that stress is a constant factor. Whether it’s because of life, work, or family, it rears its ugly head when you least expect it. If you have nowhere to relieve or recognize that stress, it can bubble to the surface on a far more dramatic scale than you may have imagined. That’s why, according to Western Australian landscape designers, Principal Landscapes landscaping can be so important. It allows you to create a peaceful paradise to escape to when life gets a little too much. Here’s how to make one for yourself.

Use Water

When you begin landscaping, experts from intreeglandscapes.com.au recommend you include plenty of water in your plans. Water features, ponds, and pools benefit your mental health in more ways than one. Even the gentle babbling of water on rocks can be enough to alleviate stress, improve your mood, and benefit your well-being.

Moreover, a water feature or pond can be a focal point in your yard, allowing you to build your peaceful paradise around it.

Create Seating Areas

A yard can be a peaceful place to look at from a distance, but getting up close and personal can be even more rewarding for your mind and soul. Create seating areas in different parts of your garden.

A patio area with seating is a pleasant place to sit with a book, but even among your flower beds, it can be an excellent idea. Consider landscaping with plenty of hardscape items, such as benches, so that your yard is both aesthetic and functional.

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Eco Products, Office Sustainability, Sustainability

What Does it Mean to be a Green Cleaner?

Green cleaning is the process of using sustainable cleaning products and practices with minimal impact on the environment. According to GleamClean WA, such services are becoming more sought after and desirable, which is why many cleaners today are looking into what it takes to be a green cleaner and be a part of the curve. So, what does it really mean to be a green cleaner? Read on to find out.

You Buy or Make Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

Forget harsh and caustic chemicals. To be a green cleaner means getting back to basics. You make more use of lemon, vinegar, and baking soda for cleaning products than you do in food preparation, and you see the value in using what nature gives you to promote a clean and tidy home.

Not only do you get to enjoy the peace of mind that your products contain no harmful chemicals or additives, but there are price savings to be made as well. If you choose to make your own products, the cost to do so is far less than the recommended retail price of many cleaning products.

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Sustainability

Sustainable Fire Extinguisher Disposal

When it comes to fire protection, fire extinguishers are usually one of the first things businesses buy. Although you may not realise it, fire extinguishers actually contain an array of harmful substances that can cause significant environmental damage if not treated properly. They are also under pressure, and have the potential to cause severe injury. This means that it’s extremely important to dispose of used or unwanted fire extinguishers properly. Failing to do so can have significant environmental and legal consequences.

You Can’t Simply Throw Your Fire Extinguishers In The General Waste

Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t realise that fire extinguishers are classified as dangerous goods. They attempt to dispose of them in general waste or curbside collection. This simply isn’t possible, and you could find yourself in trouble if you try and do this.

Instead, you need to get in touch with a qualified, experienced fire extinguisher disposal service. Most fire safety companies will offer some sort of extinguisher disposal service, but you should be careful which ones you choose. Try and find a company who:

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Sustainability

The Green Plumbing Solution to Sustainability

Whether you believe it or not, climate change has companies and manufacturers choosing more eco-friendly materials and products. The idea behind that is that it helps preserve natural resources for generations. Another result of this decision is reduced costs when using sustainable energy sources and materials.

Let’s talk about Green Plumbing.

What is green plumbing? It is an environmentally friendly and cost-efficient plumbing service. By adopting green plumbing in your renovations with Bathroom Renovations Perth, you will reduce waste water, recycle used water and use eco-friendly and sustainable materials. Another aspect of green plumbing is using solar and wind power as alternate energy sources to provide water.

By converting to a sustainable plumbing model, water can be conserved and reduced in cost. Your worries over the summer months of water shortages, or no water at all, are significantly reduced.

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Landscapes & Gardens, Sustainability

Sustainable Garden Design

The same as: ‘Location is everything’ when we talk real estate, it also holds true for sustainable landscape design. According to a leading landscape architect Space Designs, a successful looking garden is going to need some very different elements to a garden in coastal Sydney. It all depends on where you are, your location, that determines the sensible use of local materials.

Some Common Denominators

Every landscape is unique. But to create a sustainable garden there are a few common aspects that apply. Things like:

water usage
native plants
appropriate and well-designed irrigation
the management of storm-water run off
lawn reduction

are some of the elements to create a successful sustainable garden regardless of the customer or the climate.

The Right Plants

Whether the garden is built in Melbourne or Darwin, the main goal is to use plants that require small amounts of water. Just because you have drought tolerant plants doesn’t preclude you having a beautiful garden.

Less Lawn

The reduction of lawn is of paramount importance. Everybody loves the look of a beautifully manicured lawn, but they are high maintenance, requiring regular lawn mowing and high water usage. A better option is native grasses that require no watering at all. Sometimes to improve the aesthetics, some lawn is unavoidable, but it’s better used to break up different garden areas. Lawns are not yet on the way out, but as we develop smaller properties, they are becoming a luxury that homeowners can no longer afford.

Saving Water

Saving on water costs makes simple, economic sense, especially in drought prone Australia where most cities have summer time water bans and restrictions in place. In cities like Perth, constant sunshine results in a lot of expense to keep high-maintenance gardens in top condition.

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Landscapes & Gardens, Sustainability

Earth Saving Lawn Maintenance Tips

Make Your Lawn Extra Green

When it comes to landscaping your garden having a green lawn isn’t all about how lush and literally green the grass is. It is lovely to have a well maintained lawn, and walking without shoes on over your well groomed turf is something special. However, with the dwindling amount of fresh water available on the planet, and the rising levels of harsh chemicals that are finding their ways into the planet and waterways each year, having a large lawn can be incredibly un-green if you’re not careful.

Choose the Right Grass

According to lawn care experts, you might not be able to choose a native type of turf, but finding something that thrives in your climate is important. This will reduce the amount of special attention that your lawn needs, such as cutting and watering. For example, if you live in a particularly hot part of the world, choose grass that does not need a lot of moisture to stay healthy. Talk to someone who is an expert in turf, so that you won’t plant the wrong type of lawn and have to rip it up and start again.

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Landscapes & Gardens, Sustainability

5 Uses for Sustainable Shade Sails

If you are looking for a way to increase your sustainability, you might want to consider just how eco-friendly shade sails are according to Shade Sails Perth. But not only do they help the environment through using less material than other building choices and by the materials being recyclable, they cost less than a regular building would.

Here are 5 ways to use a sail on your property that will not only ensure sustainability, but will enhance your lifestyle and add value to your home.

If you don’t have a garage or carport for your car, adding a sail to the side of your home can be a solution. Sail cloth material also provides about 70% protection from rain, as well as the sun protection which varies depending on the material used. Since a car left in the sun constantly will suffer a lot of internal damage especially on the dashboard and back shelf areas, protecting your car will save you money in the long run.

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Sustainability

Smart Ideas for Earth-Friendly Home Renovations

Everyone feels like a change of scenery after some time. Even the best homes will need to be renovated and updated after a while. Otherwise, they will start to feel dull, dreary, and uninspiring to be inside. The ideal situation would then be to move into a new home, perhaps one that is more environmentally friendly and efficient to keep running. But if you just don’t have the kind of money it takes to upgrade your entire home, or you are worried about the state of the economy, there are still earth-friendly home renovations that you can carry out on a range of budgets.

Deconstruction Beats Demolition

Are you planning to knock down whole walls, or perhaps even entire rooms and sections of your home? Maybe you’re planning to demolish the whole building and start from scratch. Even when going through such a drastic change, you can find ways to reduce waste. Look at the materials and sections of your existing home that could be kept and reused in your new home renovations. This is a great way to cut back on the cost of renovating, but it’s also the best way to look after the environment and make your new renovations green.

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Landscapes & Gardens, Sustainability

Summer Landscaping the Eco-Friendly Way

When summer begins to take hold, it becomes more important than ever to mow, water, and fertilize a lawn and tend to your landscape design to keep it looking great. However, that green, luscious lawn that you might work quite hard to maintain is not the best thing for the environment. “Green” is not always green, in this regard. More often, all your labor and expenses wind up producing a lot of waste and having a negative impact on Mother Earth.

Here are six great tips for keeping your garden eco-friendly:

Plant more trees. This tip comes with a multitude of benefits. First, you can create shaded spots in your yard without having to install a costly gazebo or extend your verandah. The natural appeal of your property can also increase when you plant the right types of trees. Strategically placing those trees can also help to protect some parts of your home from the heat of the summer sun. This will keep your power bill down as you won’t need to spend as much on keeping your home cool.
Start a compost pile. You can start turning your house’s organic waste into a valuable source of nutrients for your yard. If you would rather not have one yourself, you can find composting services that will take your waste materials and turn them into compost for you. The resulting compost is wonderful for keeping your lawn and plants lush and green during the warmer months, and this type of mulch-like substance can also help to retain moisture without the need for more watering.
Cut down on your water use. Much of the water use for the average household goes into landscaping and yard maintenance. If you don’t have one, consider installing a water-saving irrigation system that will also reduce a lot of your manual labor. If you do have one already, make sure that there are no leaks and keep an eye on how much water it is using.
Upgrade your watering system. Consider installing a greywater irrigation system. These recycle water that is put down the drain in your home. While greywater is not safe to drink, it is considered safe for use in landscaping and to put into the soil. You can seriously cut down on the amount of perfectly potable drinking water that will otherwise be used for your gardening needs.

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Sustainability

14 Ways to Save on Electricity

Saving on the use of electricity is not only a way to save money, but great for sustainability. Many people these days organise an electrician to install solar systems for their power needs, but this is still quite expensive and it takes a while to recoup your investment. If you intend to stay in the house for 10 or more years, that will allow you to recoup, but if you are planning to move soon, don’t go to the expense; you are not likely to get it back in the sale price.

However, there are many other ways to save on the use and thus, the cost of electricity and in doing so, you help save the earth’s resources. Here are some of the best electrician tips to cut your power bill.

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