Tag: Fabric conditioner

Population growth will force food production to double over the next 50 years, according to a leading Australian scientist. The cost of high-yield farming – which became widespread during the so-called Green Revolution of the 1960s – has been poor soil quality and water scarcity, highlighting the need for sustainable farming practices in the future.

Food production demands are coming at a heavy environment cost and a new approach is needed to secure sustainable farming in the future.

This is the view of leading agricultural scientist Dr John Williams, a member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists.

Dr Williams has discussed the threats facing farming in a paper titled Environmental Farming, the New Agriculture. He says that in the past the ‘easy answer’ to increased food production demand was to farm new land. Today, he argues, the land itself has come under threat through urban development, land degradation, water scarcity and poor soil, including low levels of phosphorous.

He has argued the case for science to play a growing role in farming practices, to improve both productivity and sustainability. The willingness of dryland grain farmers to adopt conservation farming such as no-till techniques has been an example of more sustainable farm techniques.

“(This has) improved agronomy through more sophisticated crop rotations and integrated weed and pest management options that rely less on chemicals,” Dr Williams said. “These have all been in response to environmental stresses such as soil erosion, dryland salinity, more frequent drought and declining rainfall generally.”

A more holistic, sustainable approach to farming involves a review of chemical use in both crop and soil management.

Envirosafe Solutions has worked successfully with mining, transport, government and industrial sectors to reduce their reliance on toxic chemicals by switching to eco-friendly industrial liquids.

The Perth-based supplier of environmental cleaning products has a soil agent designed to work with Australia’s arid conditions. The Extreme Green Soil Wetta has been successfully applied in road construction and earthworks but is also suited to agricultural soil wetting applications.

It has been designed to offset problems caused by poor water absorption in soils, which effects crops, costs money and wastes scarce water resources. It will allow farms or plant nurseries to save water and helps break up soil clods. Unlike acid-based soil wetting agents on the market, the Extreme Green Soil Wetta is completely safe to use – tanks used to apply the product can still be used for drinking water purposes!

Extreme Green Soil Wetta can be used with any type of water. For safe, sustainable long term agricultural applications, 100 ml of the product can be diluted with 100 litres of water and spread over one acre.

Science has called for sustainable farming practises to be introduced as population growth drives up demands on food production. This includes reducing reliance on chemicals. For advice on eco-friendly liquid products for farms and nurseries contact Envirosafe Solutions on 1300 88 90 70 or email info@evss.com.au.

Sources:

http://www.wentworthgroup.org/uploads/Williams-CollisACIARarticle.pdf

Eco-products help green up your next load of laundry

Throwing a load into the washing machine will leave your sheets or clothes a lot cleaner but the environment a little dirtier. Each load can produce up to 3.3kg of carbon emissions according to UK statistics – but this can be heavily reduced by washing in cold water with eco-friendly laundry products and hanging the washing out to dry.

The modern obsession with cleanliness has a significant impact on the environment. Sheets must be washed weekly, towels get thrown in the dryer to keep them soft and dry in winter, clothes end up in the wash basket daily.

And that’s just around the home. Work sites, hotels, hospitals and aged care facilities with strict hygiene regulations have created a giant laundry industry with many outsourcing their washing.

According to statistics published by the UK Guardian newspaper, the carbon footprint of a humble load of laundry can be as high as 3.3kg of carbon emissions:

• 0.6kg of carbon produced by washing at 30 degrees and line-drying;
• 0.7kg of carbon produced by washing at 40 degrees and line-drying;
• 2.4kg of carbon produced by washing at 40 degrees and tumble-drying in a separate vented dryer;
• 3.3kg of carbon produced by washing at 60 degrees and drying in a combined washer-dryer.

The figures clearly show that washing in colder temperatures and air-drying – either inside or on an outside line – is significantly better for the environment.

While white sheets and lightly soiled clothes may come out clean in cold water with mild detergent, what about oil and grease stains? Bodily waste and fluids? Some loads undoubtedly need hot water and tough-acting cleaning products to kill germs and viruses and leave the washing clean and reusable.

Eco-friendly liquids and powders are available, but do they have what it takes to produce clean clothes and linen in really tough conditions such as a remote mining site or workshop?

The answer is yes.

Leading environmentally friendly products such as the Extreme Green laundry range – supplied by Australian company Envirosafe Solutions – has been developed with industry in mind.

It works effectively in locations where the mineralisation and calcification of hardwater means many standard commercial laundry powders fail to get hardworking clothes clean. Biodegradable and safe in all septics, the Extreme Green range has a reduced-phospate content to protect waterways.

“We have vastly reduced the phosphate content of the product and re-invented the process with other boosters that are safer to our surroundings to still attain the results that a challenging workplace requires,” Envirosafe Solutions managing director Murray Simon explained.

Next time you throw a load into the machine, think about the environment. Make the switch to effective, safe environmentally friendly laundry products, peg the washing outside to dry, switch to a cooler water setting and make sure you only wash with a full load.

For more information on Envirosafe Solution’s range of environmental cleaning products contact 1300 88 90 70 or email info@evss.com.au.

Sources:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2010/nov/25/carbon-footprint-load-laundry

http://www.home-energy-savings-advice.com/laundry-tips.html

http://www.tourism.australia.com/en-au/documents/Corporate%20-%20Industry/TACA4047_Water_Fact_Sheet.pdf

Going green and making sustainable business choices has become a public relations winner for big business. But is the corporate green revolution just another cost burden for the small retailer or service provider in Australia? Not according to environmental activist John Dee, who cites research showing sustainability can improve business performance.

Sustainable business decisions can reduce overheads, increase market share and attract high quality staff, according to a leading environmentalist.

Australian of the Year John Dee has pulled together research from Australia and internationally to argue the case for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to make green business choices (such as switching to environmental cleaning products).

He credits green decisions as reducing overheads by cutting electricity costs and waste. Sustainable organisations are also more attractive to employees, especially those with higher educations and greater social awareness.

Dee claims corporate sustainability allows business to reduce risks from resource price hikes and improve relationships with suppliers and customers. An improved public image gives green businesses an advantage in winning a greater market share.

The argument for business sustainability among SMEs has been made in Dee’s e-book Sustainable Growth, a free resource available on the Just Do Something website.

“SMEs that are proactive on environmental and social issues are attractive to larger companies that have a sustainable procurement policy. If your business is supplying larger companies then there is significant potential in this space to ‘go green’ and benefit through increased market share.”

Short-term cost cutting measures such as using poor quality goods or services could cost a business heavily in terms of its reputation.

“The 1990s (saw) companies exposed as using overseas suppliers who used child labour, cheap labour or unfair working practices. Knowing where the goods and services in your supply chain are coming from is vital if you want to minimise threats to your corporate reputation.”

A study of 800 Australian SMEs (Net Balance/Australian Fieldwork Solutions SME Sustainability Index) across 14 industries showed many companies were reluctant to embrace sustainability.

• Six out of 10 SMEs did not consider energy efficiency a major concern when it came to saving money;
• Only one in three SMEs were concerned about waste management;
• Only 25 per cent of SMEs were concerned about reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Green business choices include reducing energy and resource consumption and switching to environmentally friendly products.

Australian eco-friendly industrial liquid company Envirosafe Solutions not only sells green products to Australian business but has embraced sustainability on a corporate level.

It uses its own environmentally friendly liquids (effective cleaners which are biodegradable, free of toxic chemicals, harsh solvents, strong acids and contain low or no phosphates).

Its commitment to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions includes donating two per cent of profits to Carbon Neutral to offset its energy consumption.

Dee cites Global Footprint Network projections as showing that by 2035 and 2050 humankind will reach a point where it needs two planets to sustain it.

Businesses that fail to embrace sustainability are living on ‘borrowed credit’. For advice on eco-friendly liquid products or Envirosafe Solutions sustainable corporate policies contact 1300 88 90 70 or email info@evss.com.au.

Sources:

http://about.sensis.com.au/IgnitionSuite/uploads/docs/Sustainable%20Growth%20-%20chapter%201.pdf

The business community is bracing for the cost of next year’s $23 per tonne carbon tax. While households and larger polluters will receive financial assistance, small to medium business will not be cushioned against rising costs. Planning ahead, reducing energy use and buying green including environmental cleaning products will help soften the blow.

After much debate the carbon tax details have at last been revealed, giving business the opportunity to take steps to reduce its financial impact.

The latest advice from green business experts is to look beyond the cost of rising power bills and fuel prices.

A holistic policy based around buying green products (such as environmentally friendly liquids) and services will also reduce the impact of the carbon tax.

This corporate philosophy – dubbed sustainable procurement – has been adopted by larger organisations and government bodies but has not yet been embraced by the wider business community.

Green procurement expert and advocate Hugh Wareham has called for business to plan ahead, claiming sustainable purchasing will help avoid rising costs expected under the carbon price. Joining the green revolution will also provide a positive boost to corporate image and consumer confidence.

“The carbon price will impact prices across every sector of manufacturing and business, so companies should also expect increases in the cost of all their input goods and services,” he said in a column for industry news site Environmental Management News.

“While there are some tax breaks for small business, the majority of organisations will have no direct financial assistance to offset the impact of this new tax and will need to seek opportunities for minimising their costs.

“Green purchasing is a key way to reduce an organisation’s exposure to the hidden costs of the carbon price.”

Calculating greenhouse emissions

Greenhouse emissions resulting from the direct use of electricity, gas and fuel can be calculated by referring to fuel and utility bills for consumption rates. Online calculators, such as the Federal Government’s NGERS calculator can help convert energy consumption into emissions. Applying the $23 per tonne carbon emission price will show the increased cost of direct energy use.

This is only part of the picture. The cost of goods and services are also expected to rise as suppliers try to offset their own cost increases. In fact, a study by the National Institute of Economic and Industry Research found that half of all carbon consumed by Victorian households was embodied in goods and services.

Environmentally friendly products

The carbon tax may be a sound impetus for changing to green products and services, but the benefits do not end with financial savings.

Leading environmental cleaning products company Envirosafe Solutions has not only embraced sustainable procurement at a corporate level but has been proud to help industry avoid the environmental and health hazards posed by toxic chemicals.

Its Extreme Green range can be used to replace nearly all industrial and commercial cleaning products. Formulated to reduce toxic chemical build-up and soil and water contamination, these eco-friendly industrial liquids carry an independent safety rating for environmental, health, transport and safety purposes.

For the carbon tax to work people need to change their spending habits and use less energy. Green products such as Envirosafe Solution’s environmental cleaning products are a great way to join the green revolution. For more information contact 1300 88 90 70 or email info@evss.com.au.

Sources:

http://www.emn.net.au/

http://www.liberal.org.au/Latest-News/2011/06/28/Leader-of-the-Opposition-Address-to-the-Association-of-Mining-and-Exploration-Companies-Convention.aspx

Australia could develop an aviation biofuels industry that was both economically and environmentally sustainable according to a new report by the CSIRO. The study highlights new opportunities for the aviation industry to reduce fossil fuel reliance. Teamed with other environmental initiatives (such as eco-friendly industrial products) it promises a greener way to take to the skies.

An Australia-New Zealand aviation biofuels industry could cut greenhouse emissions by 17 per cent and reduce Australia’s aviation fuel imports by $2 billion over the next 20 years.

The new industry would also generate more than 12,000 jobs.

The CSIRO study paints a promising outlook for aviation at a time when air travel has come under increased scrutiny over carbon emissions. The green revolutionof tomorrow’s aviation industry incorporates new, more aerodynamic aircraft technology.

“This study (the Flight Path to sustainable Aviation) highlights promising options for the aviation industry,” CSIRO project leader and economist Paul Graham.“It also identifies the market, infrastructure and governance changes that will be required for success.

“Through the uptake of sustainable bio-derived jet fuel, together with next generation aircraft and engines, the industry can reduce both its emissions and its reliance on imported fossil fuel.”

While biofuels and aircraft design look set to shape the future of sustainable air-travel, simple changes today also promise to make an environmental difference.

Initiatives such as carbon offset flights have allowed air passengers to reduce their carbon footprint as they travel the globe.

By paying a voluntary charge when booking tickets, passengers on many of Australia’s airlines – including Qantas and Virgin – can contribute to carbon reduction schemes.

Airlines can also employ best environmental practice at airports and hangers to reduce environmental footprint.

A switch to environmental cleaning products can make a big difference to air, soil and water pollution, better protect equipment and improve safety for staff and passengers.

Eco-friendly industrial liquids are biodegradable, safe and minimise the build-up of residual toxicity, which contributes to corrosion on plant and equipment –a significant safety concern for those in charge of aircraft maintenance.

Harsh solvent-based cleaners or products containing fluoride or chlorine can be replaced by environmentally friendly cleaners to reduce environmental impacts.

Leading Australian supplier Envirosafe Solutions has products which can safely and effectively replace most traditional aircraft and airport cleaners.

Its range includes the fully biodegradable and non-toxic Extreme Green Insect and Tar Remover. Safe for use on all painted surfaces and plastic and rubber components, it should be applied diluted at 1:10 parts water and left for five minutes before being wiped off with a clean, dry cloth. It makes an economical all-purpose spray and wipe cleaner when diluted at 1:50 parts water.

Research into sustainable technology – including biofuels – and a simple switch to safe, biodegradable eco-products promises a greener future for Australia’s aviation industry. For advice on eco-friendly aviation liquids contact Envirosafe Solutions on 1300 88 90 70 or email info@evss.com.au.

Sources:

http://www.csiro.au/news/New-sustainable-bio-derived-jet-fuel-industry-is-achievable.html

http://www.mechanicsupport.com/aircraft_cleaning.html

http://www.pacificflyer.com.au/articles/2007-02.htm

http://www.envirosafesolutions.com.au/industries.php?page=industries&id=7

The Green Movement in Russia is not the strongest. Corruption, big business and a devaluation of environmental concerns is the predominating approach to environmental issues.

The country faces serious ecological challenges and according to Alexei Yablokov, the problems “are exaggerated and exacerbated by state authorities that still view environmental cost as part and parcel of “the quest for economic gain.”  What is required, he maintains, “is a significant change in mindset towards the environment in both the Russian power-structures and the wider society in order to arrest the trend of environmental neglect” across the country.[1]

Experts in the country claim that 90,000 of Russia’s 180,000 per annum miscarriages are due to environmental causes and that the reason for a reduction in life expectancy over the past 20 years (Russia is the only developed nation in the world to have a declining life expectancy) is also in part due to environmental problems.

Other figures also reveal that approximately 60 million Russians live in areas of high-very high air pollution and that half the total population is negatively impacted by extremely high concentrations of solid particulate matter in the air.

Environmentally Unfriendly Technology

In other parts of the world, environmentally unfriendly technology is on the way out or challenged significantly by green groups, green politics and the mainstreaming of environmental issues. In Australia this is very much the case. The carbon tax, the focus on the environment, the approach of companies such as Envirosafe Solutions all indicate a transformative shift that augurs well for the future. But in Russia, the situation is still very different.

For example, “the dumping of inadequately treated industrial, agricultural and municipal waste and the uncontrolled flow of such polluted waters has led to widespread water pollution” and is still common practice.[2]

Over 8 years ago, BBC correspondent Steve Eke ran a story that outlined the disastrous environmental issues faced by Russia.[3] Even then, the situation was deemed to be getting worse, and little has been done in the interim years to alleviate the problem. Drinking water was unsafe in half the country’s regions in 2002, and today, this is still the case. Only 12-14% of Russia’s lakes and waterways are ecologically clean and the quality of the groundwater is also decreasing as the years go by.[4]

De-Environmentalism Policies

A policy of de-environmentalism underpins this poor environmental record.  Presidents Putin and Medvedev have continued a relentless drive towards natural resources exploration and development, without necessary environmental safeguards such as those in Australia, other areas of Europe and America.

Additionally, the following policy strategies have been implemented, which further weakens any legislative foundations for green change in the country:

• Dissolution of the Russian EPA in 2000
• De-strengthening of environmental protection legislation in forestry, water and urban planning sectors between 200 and 2006
• De-strengthening of state environmental controls since the new millennium
• Reduction in power of environmental impact assessments
• Obstruction and disempowering of environmental non-government organisations since the new millennium
• Reduced funding for environmental programs (since 1995.)[5]

Alexie Yalbakov states that strengthened legislation and the restoration of federal agencies that protect the environment is the only solution to this massive issue. Clean industry and energy practices need to be developed and initiated and introduced, so that Russia is once again on par with other western nations when it comes to addressing the important issue of the environment.

Envirosafe Solutions supports proactive green industry and business and believes real change is possible through a considered approach that is business and government based.

Join the green revolution and use Envirosafe Solutions Eco-friendly products. Telephone 1300 889070 for more information.

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[1] http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Digital-Library/Policy-Briefs/Detail/?lng=en&id=116687

[2] ibid

[3] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2512697.stm

[4] http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Digital-Library/Policy-Briefs/Detail/?lng=en&id=116687

[5] ibid

It’s a completely different scenario. It’s a completely different set of factors and circumstances. Every aspect of life is different to that of urban and city dwellers, from social communication, levels of sociability and anonymity (and lack thereof,) isolation, climate, topography, culture and lifestyle and even laundry and cleaning.

For city dwellers the practice of doing the daily or weekly laundry amounts to turning on the taps, getting water from the city supply and pushing a button to get the washing machine to start and work through its load. It’s an easy, often “taken for granted” approach.

Simple and convenient.

But in remote areas it is a very different scenario.

Laundry in harsh conditions

One of the main problems with doing washing and laundry in remote Australia is the quality of the water. Unlike that sourced in the cities, most water used in remote areas is hard water – or water that is obtained from underground sources and from bores.

This type of water is particularly harsh on clothes because it contains mineral deposits that stay in the fabric. This causes them to fade, yellow and also to wear and tear. This consequently reduces clothing lifespan.[1]

According to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, (that has produced sound academic research on the subject,) “there are three ways to help control water hardness when doing the laundry. These are:

• Use adequate amounts of an appropriate detergent and water as hot as is recommended for the fabric
• Install a water softening unit
• Use a packaged water softener.[2]

Minerals in the water supply can adversely affect the laundry results in these areas. Calcium and magnesium are of particular concern, as are high concentrations of iron. The latter causes hard water staining and rust streaks which can ruin and destroy clothes.

Envirosafe Solutions has specifically designed a number of laundry products suitable for remote use and hard water. These products are especially tailored for the unique circumstances of hard water laundry us, and will deliver results on par with laundry results with soft water.

The Extreme Green Fabric Conditioner is a concentrate and softener used for final rinse cycles with hard water. It can also be used in soft water and is economical and phosphate free. It is best used in conjunction with the Extreme Green laundry products such as the Extreme Green Hard Water Laundry Liquid – Special Remote Area Formulation and the Extreme Green Hard water Laundry Powder.

They are boosted for optical brightness and extra grease removal and will not damage septic or sewage plant systems found at mine sites and in large scale agricultural areas.

For more information about these products please telephone Envirosafe Solutions 1300 889070

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[1] http://www.ehow.com/how_2084907_do-laundry-hard-water.html

[2] http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/publicat/wqwm/tc1.html

Today, Envirosafe Solutions focuses on the amazing Galapagos Islands and hopes you will enjoy a brief spotlight on this amazing island grouping and all that it has to offer the world.

The Galapagos Islands are a famed island group. They lie around the equator in the Pacific Ocean approximately 1000km from continental Ecuador and South America.  They were the focus of Charles Darwin’s studies and Beagle Voyage and are famous for their rich and vast number of endemic species.

Distinct Island Grouping

The Galapagos group straddles the equator and its islands cover both the north and south hemisphere of the earth. There are 15 central islands as well as 3 smaller, along with approximately another 100 rocks and islets. The islands are actually located on the Nazca tectonic plate, resulting in considerable volcanic activity and hotspot activity. (Hotspot activity occurs “when the Earth’s crust is being melted from below by a mantle plume to create volcanoes.”)[1] It is noted for its incredible species diversity and its significant contribution to the understanding of species requirements, evolution and species origin, all of which have increasing significance in the current global environmental climate.

Charles Darwin Research Station

The importance of the research station cannot be underestimated. It is a biological research station populated constantly by international and Ecuadorian scientists who focus on scientific research and conservation.[2] Its team is over 100 strong and its main objectives are

• “To provide knowledge and assistance through scientific research
• Develop action to ensure the conservation of the environment
• Develop action to ensure the biodiversity in the Galapagos Archipelago
• To develop into one of the world’s leading research institutions dedicated to the conservation of the Galapagos Islands.”[3]

Current Research Projects

The Centre also focuses on a number of flagship research projects which are of vital significance to the planet. The three main flagship areas include:

• Climate Change – which monitors climate change as it relates to the Galapagos and the wider planet
• Human Footprints – analyses human impacts and policies and human behaviours upon the natural world
• Project Floreana – focuses on the restoration of the Floreana Islands with the aim to develop a balance between ecosystems and the human inhabitants on the island.[4]

Envirosafe Solutions understands the unique historical and environmental role the Galapagos Islands plays in the current state of green concerns for the planet. This island group offers the world a unique opportunity to study the effects for human impact, global climate change and ecosystem delicacy and subtlety. Envirosafe Solutions also cares about the environment and produces safe environmentally friendly substances with a reduced impact and footprint. Please consider using environmentally safe and sound products in your business and home. For more information contact the sales staff at Envirosafe Solutions on 1300 809070

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[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galapagos_Islands

[2] http://www.galapagosonline.com/Galapagos_Natural_History/Darwin_Foundatin/Darwin_Station.html

[3] http://www.darwinfoundation.org/english/pages/interna.php?txtCodilnfo=3

[4] http://www.darwinfoundation.org/english/pages/interna.php?txtCodilnfo=21