Eco Blog, Eco News and Updates from Oliver Heath

February 16, 2012

Sustainable communities and The Big Switch

This year, a quarter of all households in England and Wales have fallen into fuel poverty thanks to a high increase in energy bills this autumn. According to a report by Consumer Focus, there are just under 7m households in Britain living in fuel poverty, the highest figure on record. Apparently, four out of 10 people are worried they will not be able to afford their next energy bill, which I’m sure you’ll agree is quite shocking.

The Government considers anyone to be living in fuel poverty if you spend more than 10% of your household income on fuel in order to live comfortably. There are three main factors which determine whether a household is considered to be in fuel poverty or not, which are the cost of energy, the energy efficiency of the property, and the household income.

So where is all the money going?

It doesn’t matter which energy supplier you’re paying if you don’t know what you’re paying for. According to energy industry watchdog Ofgem, only £495 (or 43%) of the average dual fuel bill goes towards the wholesale cost of your gas and electricity.

An extra £657 per customer per year is added onto each bill, which includes:

£230 in network costs (including distribution),
£127 in operating costs (including billing and customer service staff),
£92 for the government’s environmental and social schemes (such as Cert)
£58 in VAT
£58 to cover any other costs, such as metering.
This leaves a net margin of £92.

The coalition has said they want to end fuel poverty by 2016, however, in the mean time people don’t want to freeze. Channel 4 News revealed, there are still more people in fuel poverty than ever. So it seems to be up to the consumer groups to fight for fairer energy prices.

Four of the main 6 energy companies have recently declared that they will be cutting their prices, but unfortunately the reductions will not take effect until March, leaving many to remain in fuel poverty until early spring. Nice gesture, but is it really enough?

And Now for the good news !- The BIG SWITCH.

It is easy to understand the drive to put pressure on the energy companies to produce cheaper tariffs, some would argue that it is essential we do so. Consumer group Which? has teamed up with 38 Degrees, an independent community of UK citizens who campaign for social issues. Together, they are launching a campaign called ‘The Big Switch’, where they will negotiate with energy suppliers in order to try and secure a cheaper energy deal by holding a ‘reverse auction’, where energy companies are invited to put forward their lowest price per kilowatt of electricity and cubic meter of gas.

Anyone living in England Scotland and Wales can sign up by going to http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/the-big-switch#petition
The winning deal will then be offered to everyone who signed up and Which? will then handle the switching process. Once a deal as been made you can always decide if you actually want to accept it, but in the meantime its worth signing up as every name increases the bargaining power available.

Executive director of Which?, Richard Lloyd said: “The government, regulator and energy companies have failed to move quickly enough to improve things for consumers when so many are struggling to pay their bills. That’s why we decided to launch The Big Switch. This is a completely new way to buy energy as a group. The bigger the group, the stronger our bargaining power will be.”

This really is a very exciting way for communities, in this case those across the UK to work together to bring down prices of the basic resources such as gas and electricity that we use everyday.

It is conceivable that due to these concerns, the government sent out 675,000 letters last week to households across the country in a bid to raise awareness of the Warm Front scheme. And there are other steps being taken by the government to deal with fuel poverty in the future, including the introduction of the Green Deal, which aims to get more houses insulated, although some of these plans have also faced criticism. Consumer Focus told Channel 4 News that plans to replace three existing initiatives ending in 2012 and 2013 with the new energy company obligation effectively represent a funding cut. But the government says it represents £1.3bn of investment annually.

David Babbs, executive director of 38 Degrees, said: “We are all sick of gas and electricity companies ripping us off. If thousands of customers band together we will have the bargaining power to do something about it. The big energy companies act like they are untouchable, but this people-powered campaign can turn the tables and bring down prices for everyone.”

The energy and climate change secretary Edward Davey said he was “delighted” with the scheme: “I have long believed collective purchasing will be a game-changer in terms of handing power back to consumers. I want to make it easier for consumers to club together and use collective purchasing power to reduce their gas and electricity bills. We are looking hard at how we can do this and how we can remove barriers to enable more initiatives like The Big Switch. At the same time we are working with Ofgem to simplify energy tariffs, make energy bills easier to understand, and boost competition in the market so that consumers can get the best deals.”

So take a look and sign up now, it only takes a few seconds.

http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/the-big-switch#petition

By oliver | Filed in Environmental events, Technology/ Energy Saving, The Green Deal | Comments (0)

February 15, 2012

Up-cycling Industry: Does It Conform To All The Guidelines?

Fire is one of those things that has always fascinated me. In fact i became a trained fire breather when i was just 14 and was always mesmerised by its destructive beauty. This picture was taken of me breathing fire on the sand dunes of the Moroccan Sahara desert – (some years ago i might say!). Ive since retired as the occasional close shave (or hair on fire incident) wasn’t entirely conducive to being a better designer/ living longer.

However a question recently stumped me when I was giving a talk at Interiors 2012 at the NEC. I was asked if there was a fire risk with all these beautifully up-cycled armchairs that were seeing, and the recent uptake of vintage furniture. Modern furniture has to conform to fire safety regulations and most house clearance companies/charities won’t touch furniture unless it has a fire safe label.

The reality is that although many fire retardants (such as brominated fire retardants) contain known toxins, and even carcinogens. The current thinking is that it’s more important to prevent fires than it is to reduce toxin levels in the home.

So, it’s a tricky dilemma, especially as fewer of us are smoking at home these days. We’re also more conscious of toxins in the air. So is there a better way to fire proof our vintage treasures?

Some of the issues we need to consider are: organic materials don’t catch fire as quickly as nylon; the presence of toxic fire retardants and toxins in our homes; and the use of non-toxic fire retardant for fabrics.

Flammability of furniture is a major issue, especially in the UK domestic market, where all upholstered furniture must meet the Furniture and Furnishing (Fire Safety) Regulations. Upholstered furniture for use in contract situations must also meet tight UK specifications, including BS 7176, NHS code and IMO SOLAS. SATRA has a large flammability testing facility, where full-scale tests are carried out on items of upholstery and bedding for both contract and domestic markets. SATRA also organises flammability seminars, which are designed to help you understand the complexity of the UK, EU and American regulations and associated test methods.

Labelling upholstered furniture and record keeping ensures that furniture in the UK retail supply chain can be checked for regulatory compliance. You can find out more about correct labelling at the SATRA website.

Of course, toxic chemicals in furniture and other consumer products is a major concern. Hexabromocyclodecane (HBCD or HBCDD) – listed as ‘persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT)’ – is a flame retardant used in the production of insulation panels, packaging products and the textile industry. For a more in-depth statement concerning the hazards of flame-retardants, this report by leading scientists in the field is an eye-opener. And this report by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants on alternative flame-retardants to the pentabromodipenyl ether (PDE) is also worth a look.

If you’re unsure about whether your vintage furniture is adequately fire proofed, you can always do it yourself. This Nitro spray is a ‘skin friendly product for use on all natural and most synthetic materials including clothing and seating’. It works by disrupting the burning process and quickly converting materials to carbon, creating a flame retardant carbon barrier. It’s easy to apply, non-toxic and non-hazardous.

This msl Firecheck water-based fire proofing is also non-toxic and can be used on any absorbent material, without the need for specialist equipment.

Of course, protecting fabric is one thing but how about if the material itself was fire resistant? Scientists from Texas A&M University have developed a new, non-toxic fire-resistant fabric that could revolutionise clothing and fabric technology. It is made from renewable ingredients like clay and chitosan (a compound found in shrimp and lobster shells). When heat is applied, a coating bubbles out, producing a protective layer of foam.

Half a century ago, asbestos – a ’100% natural’ material by the way – was hailed as the wonder fibre of the 20^th century. It was principally used for its heat resistant properties and to protect property (and incidentally human lives) from the ravages of fire. And we all know what happened there. So we need to be careful about the fabrics and materials we use.

It takes between 10% and 100% of the total weight of the fabric in chemicals to produce certain fabrics. Making enough of these fabrics to cover one sofa uses 4 to 20 lbs of chemicals, and the final fabric is about 27% synthetic chemicals by weight. That’s why I recommend trying to use organic materials that limit the use of residual chemicals and chemicals used in production.

So, as you can see, there’s a lot to think about when it comes to vintage furniture, fire safety and chemical use. Hopefully, you now know a little bit more about what to look for when buying new or upcycled or vintage furniture.

By oliver | Filed in Fabrics, General | Comments (0)

February 8, 2012

Eco Home Composting: future designs on home food waste

Ok, so my guilty secret is out. I really find it tough to recycle food waste and scraps from my kitchen. And I suspect I’m not the only one. It’s the smells coming from the compost caddy, the emptying into my enormous outdoor composter, and then getting stuck in to turn and farm this ready-made compost. It’s all hard work, not to mention slimy and stinky.

But it got me thinking. There has got to be an easier, neater and more appealing way to compost old food. And I’m happy to say that technology and good design have once again stepped in to save the day (and the planet).

For a really simple way to stop fruit flies and smells, how about freezing your scraps until you are ready to dispose of them properly? You could just use an old ice cream tub (once you’ve found a home for the contents) or you could use this Fuccillo storage container that allows you to ‘pop out’ even frozen materials into your compost bin.

There are three main types of composting: aerobic composting (in the presence of oxygen), anaerobic (without air or in sealed spaces), and vermi-composting (using worms to speed up the process).

Bokashi – meaning fermented organic matter in Japanese, composting uses a ‘selected group of micro-organisms to break down organic matter’. It’s incredibly versatile and can compost more or less any kitchen waste. And since it’s a closed system (anaerobic), there are no nasty odours or insects to deal with, no nutrients are lost and there’s no turning required.

Once you get over the slightly strange idea of keeping worms in your kitchen, vermi-composting is an incredibly efficient way to produce fertile soil. And there’s no electricity or expensive additives needed. The worms (usually the brilliantly named Red Wrigglers or simple earthworms) break down organic matter into rich soil. And once you strike the right moisture and ventilation balance, it’s easily the best way to compost indoors.

In fact, vermi-composting may be a big part of the kitchens of the future. Certainly according to EcoKook from Faltazi. This all-in-one kitchen concept encourages the idea that ‘the flow of cooking becomes fundamentally integrated with the natural cycles of the environment’. Basically, it’s a herb garden crossed with a spaceship. This could be what kitchens will all be like in time. But right now it’s a fascinating way to illustrate how food production and consumption impacts the world around you.

Following a similar but perhaps less high-tech path is this ‘flow kitchen’ by Studio Gorm. It’s a living kitchen where ‘nature and technology are integrated’. All the elements work individually but are more efficient when working as part of a larger system. Scraps are collected in a worm composter below the counter. This compost is then used to grow plants on the worktop, which are in turn watered by the drip-drying dishes above. It’s a really dynamic idea.

As is the Parasite Farm, which is an indoor compost system that can be hung on your kitchen table and used to feed plant boxes that fit neatly into your bookshelf. It’s a really clever idea for composting in even really small spaces, although perhaps they need to find a slightly more appetizing name!

But the undisputed king of indoor composting has to be the Nature Mill, and I really, really want one. This baby automates the whole composting process and eliminates user error to ‘recycle its weight in waste every ten days, diverting over two tons of waste from landfills over its life’. It uses about 30p a month of energy, much less than a garbage truck would burn in diesel fuel taking the same waste away. And it’s also made from recyclable materials.

Industrial designer Ken Jasinski has created this organic waste composter for Tupperware. It requires a mixture of green and brown organic materials, and some water to activate decomposition. It might not be as user friendly as some of the others we’ve looked at, but it’s functional and ensures you’re doing the right thing for your garden, as well as your kitchen.

Or for something a little more complicated but still incredibly stylish, what about the Eva by François Hurtaud. This compost creation uses recycled waste to fuel itself. Part of the waste it uses to grow food as well as produce methane that powers a light source to stimulate plant growth. It’s a self-contained biosphere homefarm system (just like you always wanted when you were little).

But let’s finish on a slightly more traditional note. The daily dump ceramic composter is a traditional Indian aerobic kitchen waste composter. It has a beautiful vernacular tiered design and will look great in any garden. And being outside you won’t have to put up with any unpleasant smells, it certainly seems to have put a smile on this lady’s face.

And for an equally stylish indoor alternative, this Square Bamboo Compost Pail can be kept in the kitchen and added to the outdoor heap regularly.

So there you have it. An amazing array of composting options to choose from. I guess I’ve got no excuse any more…………………

By oliver | Filed in Healthy spaces, Natural stuff, Recycling / upcycling | Comments (0)

February 3, 2012

Eco Cuppa Anyone? What Is The Best Way To Heat A Cup Of Water?

Sometimes changing tiny, seemingly insignificant actions can lead to larger changes in lifestyle. Small changes can add up to big differences for our carbon footprints and energy bills. Making a cup of tea is a great example.

Now, we all know rule number seven in the eco guru handbook is that we should only boil as much water as we actually need. But what is the best way to boil it and can we do it better? So this week I set out to ask the question and see if anyone had a definitive answer. And along the way, I even found a few new hot/cool ways of doing it. Sorry will try not to pun through out …….

When it comes to home energy use, I often find that the conventional wisdom is wrong, outdated or vague. Something we have all taken for granted turns out not to be true. So I was very interested to see the results of the electric kettle verses the hob and the microwave.

In terms of sheer speed, the electric kettle appears to win hands down. In every study I discovered, the electric kettle came out on top, the microwave second and the gas hob third. According to studies in The Guardian and Treehugger blog this was the case. ‘The clear winner is the electric kettle at 81% efficient, followed by the microwave at 47% efficient with the stove, being the Hummer H2 of the bunch, at 30.5% efficient’, according to Treehugger. Problem solved. Let’s all go and have a nice cup of tea, I thought.

Except things are not quite as simple as they first seem. While the electric kettle might be the most efficient, you also have to consider numerous other factors. How much water are you boiling? How much energy is used to produce the electricity? And perhaps most importantly, how much C02 is used in its production. So, the plot began to thicken and it was clear I would be having a late night trying to get to the bottom of this.

I looked around at kettles to see which are the most eco options. A top-end branded kettle will come in at around £100 but then you’re paying for the name and materials. But cheaper kettles (less than £20) might not have features such as variable temperature settings. Most surveys I discovered said that a kettle between £20-50 would do everything you needed it to do. But what about devices other than the standard kettle?

The Quooker is a 100˚C boiling water tap, creating its heat through pressure rather than holding a continuous supply of hot water. Yes, that’s right, turn it on and out comes boiling water. Great news for making quick cups of tea, coffee and food like pasta. What’s more, compared to boiling water in a kettle at 10p a day, the Quooker will only cost 3p. And when you think that the kettle is frequently boiled twice for each cup made, you could add another 50% on to that. Using a Quooker also means that you only use exactly the amount of water you need. But with a price range of £830-1,730, it’s certainly a long-term investment. OK next …………

Then there’s the Eco Kettle, which comes with self-contained reservoir. This means you fill the reservoir to its maximum but only boil what you need via a button that allows water to flow into the heating element part. This uses 30% less energy than a regular kettle and at only £30-50, is excellent value for money.

And for those who only need a quick cup now and again, the Quick Cup Deluxe Black gives you hot water in just three seconds. And it can save as much as 65% on standard kettles. It’s the same story with the Tefal Express Boilbut with a larger tank there’s no need to refill as often. Weve got a similar model in the office, and the only drawback is that it doesn’t seem to actually boil water to 100%, so makes iffy tea ( not for the Connoisseur!)

And whilst not convinced that this kettle is a more sustainable way to boil water, the Te a Me kettle and jug by Vera Wiedermann is certainly beautiful in a Mid Century modern way. Whats more I really like the way it can be used either on the hob or simply plugged in.

OK, so out of the traditional methods the humble electric kettle seems to be the hot favourite for boiling water but the jury seems to be out on the kettle verses the pressure water heater.

Pressure heaters can bring down energy use but as it happens we believe the old school wood burning stove is still the lowest carbon method of heating water. It’s a viable alternative, providing you have a good supply of wood to burn and are ready to deal with the maintenance. These Stanley range cookers are perfect for cooking, boiling and heating using wood.

What is clear, however, is that making an eco cup of tea requires a lot more consideration than I first thought. You have to weigh up cost, verses speed, verses carbon use. And there is no easy answer, and thats before weve even got onto the subject of where your tea comes from (better make sure it’s fair trade)

The most carbon efficient is wood followed by gas (unless you have solar photovoltaic panels creating your electricity).

The fastest is pressure systems like the Quooker

But then the cheapest is wood (if free) or electricity (again if you have solar panels).

Tricky huh? ……..So there really is no simple straightforward answer.

Hmm…we may need to think about this for a while, perhaps a cup of tea would help. I’ll put the ke…………..oh hang on.

By oliver | Filed in Technology/ Energy Saving, Water saving | Comments (0)

January 25, 2012

Eco Drying At Home: Hang Your Tumble Dryer Out To Dry

Statistics show that of all our domestic appliances, tumble dryers are the most energy hungry, with power consumption ranging from around 2 kWh to 5 kWh per cycle. This can result in CO2 emissions of around 330 kg to over 800 kg per year.

According to statistics, out of nearly 25 million households in the UK, 54% own a tumble dryer. Those are some serious numbers. At a conservative estimate, if we say that about 40% of those households use the tumble dryer frequently, that’s nearly ten million households using machines regularly. If each household used their dryer just once less often a year, it could save over eighteen million kilograms (18,000 tons) of C02. Enough to power 90,000 street lights.

So, there are clearly massive amounts of energy being used here, but most people would swear they couldn’t do without their tumble dryer, right? Well, I believe differently, and if we were just to think harder about utilising the untapped energy and warmth in our homes, we could approach clothes drying differently and realise we could do without the dryer altogether.

In my own home we use a clothes drying rack, which utilises warm air (created by the south facing window, and an ultra small radiator) which is drawn up and out via the heat recovery system vent in the ceiling. This allows warm air to circulate around the damp clothes creating warm moist air, helping to heat the rest of the house.

For those of you interested in internal drying racks with a bit of style, these Usethings racks are made of timber and suspended from the ceiling, so you can hoist your clothes up to where the warm air collects. Plus, it means your wet clothes are up and out of your way.

But, if you aren’t able to fit a full heat recovery system to your home, don’t despair, as Vent-Axia have recently launched the Lo-Carbon^TMTempra heat recovery fan, which could allow you to do the same thing on a room-by-room basis. It’s the first single room heat recovery unit on the market, which allows us all to quickly and easily replace existing, inefficient fans with a discrete, low energy and continuously running alternative. Although continuos running the fans use very little energy costing around £4 a year to run, making them perfect for the rental and social housing market.

The Heat Recovery Ventilation System by Villavent is designed to completely change the air in a property every two hours. Good news, especially when you learn that centrally heated homes have air pollution on average ten times worse than the air outside. The system recovers 60-70% of the heat normally lost through trickle vents and other weak points in the building’s structure.

But, for those of you stuck on your tumble dryer, these clever little balls of joy can do something to help. The Dryerballs lift and separate laundry, reducing both creasing and drying times.

I’ve also found this interesting competition, launched by Levi’s, looking at drying clothes (specifically jeans) at home. It’s good to see a big fashion company with a conscience considering the lifecycle of their products. The Care to Air Design Challenge asks entrants to find a way to eliminate the tumble dryer by improving the basic clothesline idea. And with $10,000 up for grabs for the winner, how’s that for an incentive?

And lastly, for an existing alternative to the tumble dryer, what about this BreezeDry cabinet that offers a gentle, eco-friendly alternative to your machine? Simply place your clothes inside and choose outdoor air, indoor air or gently warmed air for perfect drying every time.

So, next time you’re about to bung your wet laundry in the tumble dryer, have a think about alternative drying methods. There are plenty to choose from.

By oliver | Filed in Healthy spaces, Technology/ Energy Saving, The Green Deal, Water saving | Comments (0)

January 17, 2012

Eco Washing Machines: Cleaner Clothes, Brighter Future

A study released by Cambridge University, titled ‘Well Dressed?‘, demonstrates that a shocking 60% of the greenhouse gases generated over the life of a T-shirt come from washing and drying machines. All of the energy and carbon emissions used to grow, manufacture, ship and sell clothes doesn’t even come close to the energy and emissions needed to clean them.

And that’s just one T-shirt. If, like me, you live with a young family, you’ll know that the washing machine seems to be on nearly every day. So, just how do we find ways to wash and clean our clothes whilst reducing our impact on the environment?

Firstly, you should know that 90% of the total energy used by a typical washing machine is used to heat the water, with only 10% powering the motor. So think about what temperature you set your wash to and ideally turn it down to 30 degrees, which many new detergents are designed to work well at. It’s also important to think about the wash cycle you use. We sometimes wash our clothes for too long, using extra energy, wasting water and increasing the wear and tear on the equipment and clothes. Experiment with your washing settings, gradually cutting back on the cycle to find your machine’s ‘sweet spot’.

Of course, our cleaning habits have changed over the years. You can learn more about how they have changed and the environmental impact, dating right back to pre-historic times, in this very interesting article.

Today, there are a few ways you can make a difference. Going back to hand washing your clothes could be one answer, if you’ve got more time and energy than you know what to do with (is that actually possible?). The Wonderful Washing Machine uses 90% less detergent and water than conventional machines, with a capacity equal to some of the more expensive machines. But you’ll work up a bit of a sweat getting it to work.

And this guy certainly may need to get a new hobby/ life. His pioneering Cyclean, born out of frustration with waste and a ‘hankering to tinker’, is a great idea but perhaps not all that convenient for modern living.Brilliant but just a little bonkers.

If you’re stuck using a washing machine like many of us, then this Bosch is considered up there with the best of them. The Nexxt Washer earned the highest Energy Star rating possible. The statistics are pretty impressive: the machine uses only thirteen gallons of water per load compared to 50 gallons for the average top-loading machine.

But let’s look into the future. There are some really exciting developments coming. The Electrolux SHINE washing machine concept ‘addresses the issue of shrinking domestic space’ with a tiny, wall-mountable design. They’ve focused on the simplicity and purity ‘to make the appliance look more like bathroom furniture than just a washing machine’.

and why not lets imagine a washing machine that uses no water. That would be pretty incredible right? But using 90% less water would still be a a pretty good step in the right direction. Thanks to a new technique using dirt-busting plastic pellets, this Xeros does just that. It also uses one third of the detergent ordinarily needed thanks to the scrubbing capabilities of the nylon beads.

Looking further into the future, the Pebble is a concept for the year 2022 from designer Ning Ning Lee addressing the ‘age-old problem of washing machine cycles that take too long’. It washes, steams and dries quickly, and it’s going to look great on your wall.

Coming again from the clever people at Electrolux, the KaionWAVE washing system aims to use ultraviolet-C light for cleaning nano-coated fabrics many believe will make the clothing in the future. It’s ideal for houses with limited space and involves no water or chemicals. I can’t wait for this egg shaped beauty.

But for something a little more imminent, the Swirl concept is something just around the corner. The spherical design means you can transport the tub to a water source. The ball then becomes a plaything you can roll, throw or kick, simultaneously cleaning the clothes. It can also be used as a simple water carrier, making it ideal for less developed areas.

So there you go. The future of the washing machine looks a little environmentally cleaner – hopefully just like your clothes!

By oliver | Filed in Fabrics, General, Technology/ Energy Saving, Water saving | Comments (0)

January 12, 2012

Recycling your old kitchen: ingredients for better living

Designing a new kitchen is an exciting opportunity to really focus on reducing your future use of resources in one of the most energy-hungry rooms in the house. But just what do you do with your old kitchen?

It’s shocking how many kitchens are replaced before the end of their useful life, and this is particularly true of high-end kitchens. This report, by US organisation the National Association of Home Builders, gives a more detailed breakdown of the lifespan of kitchen appliances. For example, the average lifespan of a microwave oven or dishwasher is only a meagre nine years.

When designing a new kitchen, I work hard to specify materials, fixtures and fittings that can be easily recycled when they reac the end of their useful life. Of course, durability is the key, but often kitchens are replaced at key moments, such as when houses are bought and sold. Materials such as solid timber and stainless steel are readily recyclable but this will also require some energy use. But what if we could reuse kitchens and minimise the energy used to recycle them?

It’s an idea that’s firmly behind the work of Kitchen Synch (oh clever name – what they’ve done there?!). They offer a ‘simple and convenient way to release money from decent but unwanted goods’ by helping you to sell more or less your whole kitchen. Of course it also means that you can get your hands on a high end kitchen at a fraction of the cost ……. if it fits!

The recycling of electrical goods is now, thankfully, subject to legislation. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive makes producers and importers of electronic goods responsible for recycling their products. Covering the whole of the EU, manufacturers, importers and retailers of electronic and electrical goods are obliged to create systems that allow customers to recycle obsolete goods free of charge. Usually through store ‘take-back’ schemes on a like-for-like basis.

Companies like Boots operate these schemes when you purchase new white goods. It’s the same story at Appliance Direct. Although, they both make clear there is a small charge for transportation of goods, not the recycling itself. It’s a small fee and well worth it when you consider the alternative is trying to dispose of the item yourself. Plus you know that it’s going to be recycled properly. You don’t want your appliance ending up in a landfill either in the UK or abroad, do you?

When it comes to using reclaimed timber, you should always try your local wood recycling centre. Brighton’s National Wood Recycling Project’s website helps you to find your nearest centre. Or you could even have a go at reusing some of your old bits of furniture yourself, like using your old kitchen drawers for storage in the garage or the attic. It’s a similar idea to what I’ve been doing on numerous projects over the years.

Or you could even try something a little more creative, like Will Shannon‘s Chip-Board Factory that transforms unwanted furniture into a paste then used to fabricate new pieces of furniture- bonkers but brilliant.

And for those items that you can’t find a second home for, or that are difficult to recycle, the Bank Locator can point you in the direction of your local recycling point. Simply enter your postcode and the material you want to recycle and it will tell you where to go. Very handy indeed.

So, if it really is time to get yourself a new kitchen, now you know there are plenty of better options than simply throwing the old one in a skip. Just think of them as raw ingredients that could make a delicious piece of furniture for somebody else.

By oliver | Filed in General, Materials, Recycling / upcycling, Vintage | Comments (0)

December 16, 2011

Nanotechnology – tiny solutions to big problems facing eco homes?

Most people have heard of nanotechnology but cant quite picture the benefits. That’s hardly surprising when you consider that nanotechnology refers to actions below a scale of 110 nm (where one nm is one-billionth of a metre). And to put that into perspective, a hazelnut is roughly one-billionth the size of Earth.

That’s pretty tiny but we are just waking up to the massive potential of working at this scale. It’s pretty incredible to think how this could change almost every area of our lifestyles, particularly in the areas of conduction (electrical stuff), insulation and cleanliness (health and virus control).

The man considered the grandaddy of nanotechnology is Dr. Kim Eric Drexler, an American engineer, who first popularised the potential of molecular nanotechnology in the 1970s. Dr. Drexler proposed the idea of a nanoscale ‘assembler’ that could build a copy of itself and other complex items- could this be the rebirth of potential home industry?

Today, we’re just seeing the beginning of what Dr. Drexler hypothesised coming into the commercial world. One area where nanotechnology seems to be of particularly use is in paints. The waterproof paints from Paint Protection Systems, based on chemical nanotechnology, are not only durable and highly water repellent but also fungus/algae/bacteria resistant. Their thermal and stretchable capabilities make them perfect for painting where water is involved – swimming pools, water tanks and the like.

Nutshell Natural Paints are also using a nanotechnology additive in their nano emulsion as a means of adding insulation and moisture repellence in the home. By blocking thermal- and moisture-transfer, they can be used to keep heat in, and moisture and mould out. Pretty exciting to be able to simple paint this onto walls – easy and less upheaval for home owners.

You might not have heard of titanium dioxide but the chances are you’ve seen it, especially if you’re a tennis fan. Used in toothpaste, solar cells and as pigment for white paint (hence its use as court markings at Wimbledon), this stuff is revealing brilliant eco-credentials. Not only does it self-clean, by drawing water across its surface, removing grime, but it can also be used to remove pollutants from the air. The ultraviolet light from the sun frees up electrons, producing ‘free radicals’. These then actively work to break down pollutants. In paint form, it’s being used in pioneering projects across the world, including being applied to walls in Camden and reducing pollutants by as much as 65% in those areas. It’s forming an important part of the Europe-wide LIFE+ project PhotoPAQ, aimed at providing new solutions for improving air quality.

One of the biggest problems people can face is not having access to clean drinking water. The health implications are enormous. But scientists at Stellenbosch University in South Africa believe they might have found the solution. By using the same material used to produce teabags, and lining the inside with ultra-thin nanofibres, it is possible to filter out contaminants and bacteria. After a couple of days, the bags are simply removed with no adverse environmental effects. What’s even better is that the bags are so cheap to produce -costing only a few pence – that this could be a genuine worldwide solution to one of our greatest problems.

As you can see, the potential benefits of nanotechnology are colossal but it doesn’t stop there. A research team at the US Department of Energy is looking into nanosensors that can energise themselves simply through the tiniest movements, such as a breeze or being carried in a pocket. This could mean an end to the age of the battery.

Nanotechnology is also being used to create new window technology, notoriously the weakest point of any building’s energy profile. Creating glass that automatically changes colour when the sun shines, it can block or allow heat to enter. Norwegian company EnSol AS has created a spray that can be applied to windows allowing them to generate solar power without clouding the view.

Silica aerogel can also be used as a means of thermally insulating windows. Producing it in a weightless environment reduces the Rayleigh scattering effect that occurs when making silica gel, making glass cleaner and less blue.

And if all that doesn’t sound good enough, then how about if I told you that nanotechnology could even mean you wouldn’t have to wash your socks? A similar nano particle coating, applied to wool and silk fabrics, could help them to self-clean stains and smells when exposed to sunlight. That means when it’s laundry time, all you have to do is go for a walk in the sunshine. Sounds a lot better than putting a wash on doesn’t it?

So remember when someone tells you that bigger is better, that may be true but it’s likely to be the really small things in life that will making the biggest changes in years to come. Watch this space – very, very closely.

By oliver | Filed in General, Materials, Technology/ Energy Saving, Water saving | Comments (0)

December 13, 2011

Are You Flushing Money Down The Toilet? Eco homes need water management

It’s shocking to think that the average toilet uses between six- and nine-litres per flush, with some older cisterns using up to thirteen-litres. Imagine that quantity of plastic mineral water bottles stacked up and it’s even more shocking. This is, after all, drinking quality water, and actually accounts for around 30% of the total water usage in a household.

There are around 45 million toilets in UK homes, using an estimated two billion litres of fresh water every day. Of course, there are some really simple ways to reduce the water flow, such as using a Water Hippo. Cistern displacement devices (CDD) like these could save up to 5,000 litres a year (based on the average 5,000 flushes a year for each toilet). That’s a pretty significant saving.

If your refurbishing your bathroom then changing your toilet could make a big difference to your water consumption. The ES4 siphon flush toilet combines ‘ergonomic Swedish design and innovative British leak-free flushing technology. The ES4 is robust and easy to fit, and with a four-litre flush and dual flush option, it’s a really great way to keep water usage down.’

Of course, for a really cutting edge design, why not invest in this water recycling toilet and integral washbasin? The combined basin and WC represents ‘innovation, design and sustainability, all in a single solution’. The cistern is refilled with reused water from the basin. It’s such a simple idea I’m amazed no one has thought of it before.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to go to the expense of ripping out your old toilet and replacing it, Save-a-Flush is another simple, cost-effective way of limiting consumption. It swells over a five or six hour period to displace about a litre of water, saving you money every time you flush.

Part of the problem with toilets is that very often they continue to flush even after the waste has gone. By flushing only what is needed, you could save huge amounts of water. Retro-fitting a Saver-Siphon allows you to control how much water is actually flushed. And with an ‘everlasting trap door’ diaphragm, this might be the last adjustment you’ll ever need to make.

You can also convert your toilet into a dual flush using MJSI’s Drop-In Dual Flush Converter. It uses up to 70% less water and installs without tools in five to ten minutes. It also works with all standard flush valves.

This publication in “ecological sanitation” by Sida -a Swedish Organization, also caught my eye. It talks about Sanitize-and-Recycle, which is basically addressing urine separation in toilets and excreta recycling. Urine is rich in phosphorous, which is currently in short supply, so there’s an emerging market for it as a fertlilser. Separating urine from other waste could turn the toilet as a guzzler of energy into a net producer, an activity that is already quite popular in Sweden and similar procedures have been widely practiced in China and Japan since the 12th century. If you’re interested then check out ‘The Big Necesity’ a book written by Rose George, former editor of the COLORS magazine; its had some great reviews, and even been called “great fun”! Worth a peek it seems.

We all have to flush the toilet but that doesn’t mean we should just accept things because that’s how they’ve always been. Just a few simple and cost-effective measures could save you thousands of litres a year. If your flush is wasting water, you could be quite literally flushing money down the toilet.

By oliver | Filed in General, Recycling / upcycling, Technology/ Energy Saving, Water saving | Comments (1)

December 9, 2011

My favourite Eco-Friendly Christmas Decorations for this Year

What’s not to love about this mid winter festival of ours, although every year I get hit with a pang of just how am I going to do all this decorating and Christmassy stuff and still make it sustainable.

Creativity, inspiration and upcycling is what’s called for. When it comes to decorating my own tree I’ve opted for a simple but sparkling vintage pieces, such as droplets from a broken chandelier, numerous £1 costume jewellery pieces from the market, old watch faces and just a glint of light coming from my very own colour changing LED lights which I designed for John Lewis a few years ago.

And I’m not the only one to turn to a spot of recycling or upcycling for sustainable decorations; here are some of my current favourites to feast your seasonal eyes on:

In Kaunas, Lithuania where artist Jolanta Šmidtienė created an enormous 13-meter tall Christmas tree made from nearly 40,000 recycled green bottles and zip ties. At night the tree is lit from the inside turning into a glowing, translucent, emerald green monumental beauty.

Ok so this next one was from last year but for all cycling enthusiast out there this one is for you – called the Tree-Cycle this Australian Christmas tree is made of recycled bicycle parts.

And from London, our favourite cardboard designer Giles Miller has produced this really elegant take on cardboard trees.

Now getting more into the decorative side, we loved the vision that it took to see how recycled ice hockey sticks could be transformed into these super sized Incredible Snowflakes.

And on the micro scale, these tiny but sweet moss terrariums are all about bringing a delicate touch of nature into the home.

And if you’re wondering what to use all your recycled paper for, well why not get folding and make these fun origami water bomb led fairy light shades…just don’t fill them with water at the same time!

Happy decorating!

By oliver | Filed in General, Materials, Natural stuff, Recycling / upcycling, Vintage | Comments (0)