Month: April 2012

Sometimes, we encounter something called “green-washing.” This is where a product either claims to be eco friendly and isn’t, or where a product that is eco friendly is also not very effective and requires more of the product in order to accomplish the same tasks as non-eco counterparts. For this reason, individuals who are new to ecology often find themselves disgusted and frustrated with incompetent products or equipment. This is unfortunate, since valid, safe, earth-friendly and usable equipment and materials do exist. How can you find these illusive materials and how can you be sure that they are just as effective as their non-eco counterparts? By making a list, of course…

Make your list before shopping

Before you go to the store or shop online, it is always best to know what you are looking for first. If you do not set a list of standards out beforehand, you may be tempted to settle for sub-par quality and ecologically friendly products because you are not paying attention. When shopping for cleaners, paper products, disposable products, or anything which can be found in sustainable or organic form, make a list and keep it with you at the store to evaluate what you are purchasing.

Keep it understandable

If you do not wish to research acronyms and different types of “green” certifications, then you must know what else to look for. Keep it simple and keep it understandable. Just because a product calls itself green and says that it is safe in a certain way, if you do not understand the words or acronyms being used, then do not be impressed. Sometimes, company use green-washing by stating that something is “XYZ-free” when that particular substance was banned 20 years ago, anyway. In other words, they are looking to impress you, not be honest.

Value verification

It is also a good idea to look at the quality of the product, too. If it is below your household or personal standards, then it may be a cheap quality product which is being sold at a discount in order to appear buyable. All of your eco friendly products must be good quality and up to your own standards of living.

Percentages

When you do not understand certain language on the packaging, you can bet that you will still be able to understand the percentage of recyclable products in the item. If it is mostly or completely recyclable, then it is eco friendly. If it is made out of recycled materials, then it can be recycled again. Look at the percentage of recycled material in the product and win at numbers.

Cost effectiveness

Sometimes, green-washing is not shown by a cheap quality of product, but by jacking up the price of a good quality eco friendly product. This price raising can be unreasonable and if so, it is another form of green-washing. Be careful to watch your money, as well as your disposables.

Envirosafe Solutions offers eco friendly, high quality degreasers, fuel treatments, and lubricants at a very reasonable price. Our products are industrial strength and ready for use in your home or office or factory floor. Call us today: (+61) 1300 88 90 70.

http://stopgreenwash.org/

http://www.greenwashingindex.com/

Even office work must be kept in mind when choosing eco friendly products. Machines which require electricity, fuel, or heavy maintenance can be both costly and damaging to the earth. Fortunately, there are some options available to the office green freak. This is especially helpful for paper consuming products, such as printers and copiers.

Reduce your paper output

Before we begin our tour of green printing methods, it is always a good idea to try to reduce your need for paper products as much as possible. Some companies are able to operate entirely online. American internet service provider, Clear, runs an entirely paperless system where bills are only available in an online account and you can only receive paper copies of these bills if you print them off yourself. GreenerPrinter.com also offers reduction of paper output to only stocking and printing on paper that is recyclable, often using 100% recycled paper.

Use sustainable inks in your printer

Pixxlz.com, an eco friendly printing company, uses soy and water based inks to make sure that the printed paper is even more recyclable. Without using oil, the ink is more sustainable and can appear brighter on the paper. Pixxlz.com also uses chemical-free toner in their printing presses.

Use energy saving printers

In 2009, HP launched energy-saving printers which used only a fraction of the electrical wattage of comparable printers, as well as printing multiple document content on single pages and having an option for automatically printing on both sides of the paper, reducing paper waste and usage.

2011 brought Epson into the picture, which reduced the necessary amount of power to operate by 80% to 90%. The sleep mode of this printer also focuses on conserving energy, which reduces both energy consumption and cost of energy consumption.

Reduce carbon emissions

The 2011 Epson printer also is made with minimal usage of paint in the manufacturing process, reducing their carbon footprint by approximately 9,300 tons. Companies should always be aware of the fact that their green image, as well as their revenue, could be improved through research and development of a better, safer, and easier way to make products, particularly products with recyclable parts.

At Envirosafe Solutions, we have also done our homework and have found easy, effective, and eco friendly ways to improve your business and our planet. Our products include corrosion treatment, degreasers, and fuel treatment. Call us today: (+61) 1300 88 90 70.

http://www.greenerprinter.com/grp/jsp/whoweare.jsp

http://www.pixxlz.com/philosophy-we-print-green

When you are setting up your company, it is important to be socially conscious. This not only applies if your business is advertised as eco friendly, but also if you simply wish to reduce emissions while lowering costs. There are many different ways to accomplish this, depending upon your target clientele, of course. For instance, you may wish to list the reliability and the years of experience you have had in the green marketplace if your target customers are small business owners or managers who seek reliability and stability in their business partnerships. If your target customers are looking for affordable, luxurious and comfortable overnight stays, your green marketing strategy should include beauty, inspiration, and, of course, a commitment to quality. Let us look at an example of successful green marketing which covers several different needs.

In June of 2011, Embassy Suites Chicago Downtown Lakefront, a brand of Hilton Worldwide, revealed a giant green living wall in the hotel’s sky lobby. A living wall is a vertical garden, where a wall with a unique irrigation system and features is planted with thousands of plants (three thousand eight hundred and forty, in this case) and the plants are able to grow and thrive due to the efficient irrigation setup within the wall.

Beginning at one end of the spectrum, the wall is a great way to attract environmentalists, since it provides a total oxygen supply indoors which is equivalent to 16 fourteen-foot-tall trees. This cuts down on energy spent circulating fresh air from outdoors, as well as supporting knowledge of plant growth among the community. According to Denise Eichmann, Senior Project Manager for Ambius Project Development North America, there are six species of plants on the wall, the arboricola, the hardy neon, the rex begonia, the rabbit foot fern, and the golden pothos.

Next, we move on to lightly eco-conscious hotel guests. Such a hearty support of earth friendly productivity on the part of Hilton Worldwide will be seen positively by hotel guests who wish to know that they are staying in an earth friendly (and comfortable) hotel, but who also are not interested in becoming fanatics of the subjects. This is advertising through the creation of an atmosphere which is pleasing to the customer.

Thirdly, we now address the hotel guests or visitors who are only somewhat interested in green life and preserving our planet. While they may not reap the full benefits of understanding how good for the environment and oxygen supply and energy consumption the green wall really is, they are able to enjoy its beauty. Art, gardens, and living things are all inspirational.

Envirosafe Solutions offers eco friendly absorbents, spill kits, cleaners and disinfectants. We want to contribute to the inspiration which green marketing can create for everyone. Call us today: (+61) 1300 88 90 70.

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/embassy-suites-chicago-downtown-lakefront-features-new-eco-friendly-green-wall-sky-lobby-lse-rto-1523650.htm

Heavy transport operators will be exempt from this year’s July 1 carbon tax – but only for two years. Government plans to apply a carbon tax on fuel used by heavy truck operators from July 1, 2014, has concerned the industry. It argues eco-friendly advances (from LNG to environmentally friendly workshop liquids) are making environmental inroads.

Plans to extend the eco-friendly carbon tax to include heavy truck operators have been met with strong resistance.

Industry lobby group the Australian Trucking Association and key independents Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott have argued the tax would hit rural operators hard, as most would be unable to pass on the cost.

“If fuel (for heavy road transport) was in, we were out,” Mr Oakeshott has said, referring to his support for the current scheme, which does not extend to the trucking sector. The Government, however, has made it clear it intends to apply the tax to heavy transport operators by July 2014, two years after the carbon tax commences.

Greener industry

Freight operators have also opposed the July 1, 2014 carbon tax introduction for heavy trucks.

The Australian Trucking Association has released a detailed environmental report outlining the industry’s commitment to eco-friendly practices.

It has argued that small-to-medium sized operators – who would struggle to offset carbon tax costs – had already become more environmentally friendly. Liquid gas (LNG), better operating systems and improved driving techniques have helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Small changes such as more efficient transport routes and the use of environmental cleaning products (such as Envirosafe Solution’s Diesel Bug Killer and dust suppressor) in workshops and depots have also been embraced.

The ATA’s parliamentary submission called for the trucking industry to be permanently exempt from the extreme green carbon tax.

“The Australian Government has stated that carbon pricing will only affect around 500 polluters. But the planned changes to the fuel tax credits system will impose an effective carbon price on every one of Australia’s 47,000 trucking businesses,” the submission said.

“Eighty-five per cent of these businesses are small businesses with fewer than five employees. They are no different to the other small businesses that are permanently exempt from the carbon price, except they happen to operate trucks weighing more than 4.5 tonnes.”

Other heavy polluting sectors such as mining and rail will feel the impact of the tax from July 1 this year due to a reduction in fuel tax credit rates.

ATA chief Stuart St Clair said small rural operators would struggle to pass on the extreme green tax.

“It has been proven over the last few years as fuel prices have fluctuated. We have found it is increasingly difficult, in the advice given to us by operators across Australia, to be able to pass those costs on now. That is making it very difficult for those who operate not only in the cities but also in regional, rural and remote Australia to be able to claw back those costs,” Mr St Clair said.

Improved environmental practices from heavy polluters such as transport operators are helping to reduce environmental impacts. For more information on environmentally friendly liquids suitable for use at transport workshops and depots (including industrial hand cleaners and rubber remover) contact Envirosafe Solutions’ on 1300 88 90 70 or email info@evss.com.au.

Sources:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/carbon-plan/independents-fight-heavy-trucks-carbon-tax/story-fn99tjf2-1226148480584

http://www.truck.net.au/public/news/carbon-tax-taking-stand