Fresh and Clean came across this insigthful blog that we thought would be great to share. What better way to start off the new year than with these easy resolutions that you can stick to.
Enjoy!!
FreshandClean.ca
At the end of a year it is common practice for many people to want to start the new year off on the right foot. In order to help them do so they set resolutions for themselves. I personally decided that this year I am going to set twelve resolutions for going green. I am tired of being broke because of rising costs, and I have a growing concern about our environment. My thought is by going green I am addressing both of these issues.
1. Cut down on trash
When I take a close look at the amount of trash that I put out everyday even aside from the recyclables, I am shocked. I then realize that by doing some careful grocery shopping, for example, I could easily reduce the amount of trash by half.
2. Reduce electricity consumption
The hardest part here is that even though I am conscious of how much electricity we consume as being the bill payer of the house, the problem is convincing the rest of the family to conserve electricity. My resolution here focuses on getting the family to cooperate in this effort.
3. Cut down on water waste
I would have to say that this is one of my weakest areas. I have the habit of letting the water run while I brush my teeth, or rinsing the dishes with running water instead of filling the sink with rinse water. I personally can think of a multitude of steps to take here to not only save money, but reduce unnecessary waste of water.
4. Cut down on pollution
My focus here is going to be to have a family home inspection day on New Year’s day to determine how our way of living is contributing to pollution. Then throughout the year 2011, I hope to be able to implement some changes to help reduce this.
5. Buy eco friendly products
I have never given much thought to eco friendly products in the past. I have observed however that more of these products are becoming readily available on the market. There is really no inconvenience to taking a few minutes of extra time when shopping to seek out eco friendly products.
6. Find heating solutions
One of my major areas of focus is going to be on finding an alternative heating solution. I have no doubts that with my current system I am not only depleting precious commodities, but adding to the pollution.
7. Recycle
I go through the motions of recycling our weekly trash, but I have not given much thought of recycling other items in our daily living. For example, instead of taking my old tires to the dump, or throwing out clothes and furniture, these are certainly recyclable items that I have not given much thought to.
8. Give back to nature
This year instead of spending a fortune on plants that only last for the season, I am going to concentrate on planting trees and shrubs that are not only going to save me money in the long run, but are excellent for the environment as well.
9. Buy local produce
I have never given much thought before as to how much damage using imported produce for example can do to the environment. I still have much to learn about this area of going green. I have learned though that just the fuel consumption alone to transport these products is greatly adding to the air pollution alone.
10. Cut down on air pollution
I have a twofold goal here for this resolution. One is by not using my car as much, I am going to get some much needed exercise. Then, of course, there is the savings on the fuel, and the reduction of pollution that is going to fit in nicely with my going green resolutions
11.Educate
I have come to realize just by putting these resolutions together that there is much that I don’t know when it comes to going green. I can also say the same for my other family members. Therefore the focus this year will be to educate ourselves on environmental issues.
12. Sticking to it
My biggest resolution of all and the hardest is to remain determined to carry through will all of these much needed and very important resolutions that I have just outlined.
Everyone wants to better themselves, and I am hoping to do this for myself and my family by going green for 2011.
Got your own green New Year’s resolution? Let us know about it…
Source: sustainablog (http://s.tt/12wjY)
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
DIY Eco Friendly Christmas Decorations
This article was brought to you by http://ecobites.com/home/635?task=view
Deck the halls with real holly...drawing on an old age adage of having a natural eco - Christmas. Instead of spending money on artificial Christmas decorations that won't bio-degrade, let nature decorate your home this Christmas.
Christmas decorations can be made from organic, recycled and scrap materials. Try organic popcorn, dough, cinnamon sticks, bows, gingerbread, holly, seasonal berries, organic fruit and vegetables, ivy and evergreen branches, pine cones, gumnuts,painted eggshells, dried indian corn - after Christmas, store decorations for next year and put the branches in the composter.
Have arrangements of greenery from the garden and organic seasonal fruit, with bright red apples amongst the greenery. Using garden trimmings as decorations costs nothing and you have to prune them anyway. Hang greenery, twist into wreaths or garlands or make table arrangements, etc with greenery and bright fruit. Apples, oranges and other fruit can last for 2-3 weeks in decorations and can be eaten after that or used for cooking a pie or for juicing, in our home they get eaten and we replace daily.
Leave some greenery for last minute changes or replacements that will wilt, or as extra Christmas decorations closer to Christmas or for the Christmas table.
Make a homemade wreath from branches trimmed from your garden.
Decorate the outdoor trees and bushes in your yard with homemade decor that will survive a few weeks of weather.
An environmentally friendly Christmas need not be the traditional red and green. Let nature be the inspiration for your own unique, individual style.
ChristmasTree
If you require a real tree, purchase from a small-scale sustainable grower and choose a tree with roots so it can be replanted. If replanting isn't a option, most local councils run Christmas tree recycling schemes.
Wrap the potted roots with hessian and then start decorating with natural elements to create an eco sustainable Christmas decoration that is not only fun, but inexpensive to create.
Another alternative is to use a native tree or found dead twigs that you can decorate - a few branches gold burnished or splatted with white paint, decorated with bows, painted eggs, star cut-outs, wax dipped pine cones, home-made baubles, ginger bread decorations, etc.
Use your imagination and create a Christmas tree that is unique (Refer photo).
Hang colourful paper chains, popcorn and cranberry strings on your tree for a traditional touch, or lines of beads and buttons instead of tinsel.
Christmas Tree Ornaments
Use eggs, stars, moons, suns and other shapes, to make stars etc....
Draw a simple shape, or cut a shape from a magazine or old recycled card and use this as a silhouette to trace around. Cut the shape out of cardboard and paint with eco-friendly paint or cover with foil or re-use gift wrap. Shapes can include: suns, moons, stars, hearts, snowmen, angels, Santas, candles, bells, bauble shapes, gingerbread house, animal shapes, teddy bears, birds, candy canes, etc. Cut angels, peace doves or snowflakes out of scrap white paper (e.g. envelopes).
Christmas Tree Baubles
Use an old tennis ball. Wrap it in colourful twine. Add some holly and you have a beautiful bauble that is completely unique to you.
You can also fashion your own baubles out of foam balls and odd scraps of material or cord.
Use eggs. Have hard boiled organic eggs for breakfast. Neatly slice off the top either close to the top or half way, depending upon your design. Do not crack the eggshells. Clean out the egg shells of all remnant egg and very carefully wash the shells in soapy water. Allow them to dry. Once the egg is dry stick the shell together with a strip of tape (such as, masking tape - the tape needs to be able to be painted over).
Alternatively, pierce an uncooked egg at the top and bottom to remove the contents (use this for cooking) and rinse the shell in soapy hot water to clean it.
Then either paint the egg with eco-friendly craft paint or glue on pictures, etc (this will also help harden the eggshell). Thread wire from the bottom to the top of the egg, leaving 4cm at both ends. At the bottom tie the wire through a bead to anchor it and cut off any extra wire. At the top thread the wire through a bead, tie it, and then make a loop of the wire. Add decorations if desired, using paint or crayons, or even sequins or beads, etc. (if you want long lasting, heirloom eggs, check out "Faberge"eggs, and make versions for yourself!) To store eggs use an egg carton.
For unique, small eggs use quail eggs.
Grandma Novelty Decorations
Look in old sewing boxes to find cotton spools. Wrap them in tartan ribbon or recycled colourful paper. Thread together as indicated in the photo to make stunning, yet simple Christmas tree hanging decorations.
An alternative is to find old costume jewellery, decorate, paint or insert Christmas images from recycled paper. Old gift cards and wrapping paper can be turned into tree adornments with some clever cutting and string.
Origame Decorations
Make origame decorations out of scrap paper, either white or coloured. Note: if this sounds difficult, just stick to only making one shape (such as birds), and have a treefull of them – either in the same colour or in different colours. There are many craft books on origami available, including at the local libraries, so just choose a simple design and make it out of the paper you have collected.
Bows
Make bows out of old material, ribbon, anything. Do you have an old formal dress or shiny shirt that would make lovely bows? (Even a petticoat, or old curtains?) Otherwise check the remnant tables at fabric shops, including those that make formal outfits or wedding dresses - sometimes there are some intricate or spectacular pieces of fabric left over when a roll of material is sold also check op-shops.
Keep a sturdy shoe box for ribbons and bows - it is such a shame to throw such pretty garnishes away, especially when you can use them for any celebrations.
There are many ways to enhance the celebratory vibe around your home - with a little imagination. Tie lashings of ribbon to the backs of dining chairs, stair rails, candles or plants.Imagine a big shiny bow on the back of each chair - simply stunning!
Take the pictures down from your walls, wrap them up like a gift and put them back.It then looks like you have presents dancing merrily across the interior of your home.Wrap the front door with wide ribbon, to look like a gift.
Christmas Stockings
Make stockings out of spare material or your old and wearing out clothes. An old top can have a new life as a Christmas stocking, as can old cushion covers - or any old scraps of material. (Material can be painted if it’s the wrong colour).
Sew the stockings with bright, thick cotton or wool (e.g. from an old jumper). To decorate the stocking cut out a shape or design from material and sew or staple it to the stocking.
Add buttons, scraps of material or ribbon, etc, to make a design. (e.g. cut a Christmas tree shape from green material and put sequins or coloured small buttons on it for baubles; or some green material and two red buttons can become holly. Or a square of material with ribbons and a bow is a gift. Hint: plain white buttons can be coloured with indelible markers.)
Stocking ideas: Red and green stockings; patchwork stockings made from scraps of material (including made from scraps of rich material such as velvet or silk, etc); lace painted gold and put on a white or any other coloured stocking; plain white stockings sewn around the edges with thick red wool from an old jumper, etc, and with a simple decoration added to the front (even a picture from a card).Hessian looks great decorated. Get ideas from the shops – and you can always paint the material to suit.
Material, including scraps, can become Christmas stockings or Christmas bon bons / crackers.
Jigsaw Decoration
Popsicle sticks, glue, jigsaw puzzle pieces, child's picture, light weight cardboard, ribbon Glue popsicle sticks together to form a triangle. Glue the puzzle pieces onto the triangle to make a frame. Glue the picture behind the frame, and then glue the cardboard behind the picture. Add a ribbon for hanging.
Wreath Decoration
Use green non-toxic eco friendly paint to colour seven pieces of paper towel or toilet paper tubes. When the paint is dry, thread a pipe cleaner through all the tubes and twist to secure them together. Cut out a red bow and glue it to the wreath. Thread a piece of red ribbon through the tube on top and tie to make the hanger for the decoration or wreath.
Pine Cone Decoration
Gather pine cones (they don't have to be large).
Dip in melted candle wax - preferably use soy based wax, beeswax or natural-based candles, or use your childrens old beeswax crayons - melt in oven. Cones can also be painted by hand by using a gold burnish or splatter them with white paint to create a frosted appearance. When the cones are dry, tie a beautiful ribbon around the top (ones that still have a bit of stem attached at the top work best), and you have a very unique decoration.
Keep some without ribbon for table decorations. Dip / paint gumnuts in melted wax too.
Candy Cane Decoration
Using beads thread onto a pipe-cleaner. Use two red beads then two white beads.Thread the beads so they nest together.When you like the length bend the pipe-cleaner to hold & cut. Bend the length to make a candy cane shape that will hang on the tree.
Popcorn Decoration
Here's a twist on a traditional Christmas trim. Instead of stringing popcorn on string for your tree. String it onto medium-gauge wire and bend the wire into shapes such as bells, hearts, or stars. Add a ribbon to the top!
Pipe Cleaner Decoration
You need pipe cleaners & even beads. Take the colourful pipe cleaners and create shapes to wrap around the Christmas tree or to hang from branches. Ideas are only limited by your imagination.
Combine with beads - use thread and make stars, diamonds, angels, etc.
Paper Tree Decoration
Cut out 4 triangle tree shapes. Fold each one in middle. Glue together. Add sequins or holes punched from coloured paper for decorations. Cut out circles or heart or shapes & do the same as the tree for different decorations.
Bear Decoration
Precut bear shape from any old cardboard - cereal boxes, cards etc. Make hole punches all around and allow the children to sew in and out of the holes with ribbon. Glue a pocket on the front of their bear and add a message in the pocket. One big bear hug. Just for you. Merry Christmas Love _______". We added a ribbon string for hanging. Also used old Christmas wrap cut into heart shapes to decorate the pocket etc.
Gingerbread Decoration
This will delight children, and give you unique heirloom decorations. Decorate the tree with gingerbread decorations made from cardboard. Add individual touches to the tree using gingerbread designs of your favourite items. E.g. gingerbread footballs, golf balls, tennis balls & tennis rackets, a bird, cat or dog, etc - you name it - what is their favourite toy/game.
Turn it into gingerbread decorations. Cut the shapes out of cardboard and paint with thick paint so they look like gingerbread. Have gingerbread Santas, stockings, snowmen, birds, etc. Have a gingerbread Christmas Tree on the table or mantelpiece. However, children may want to eat the cardboard decorations, so also provide some cooked gingerbread baubles that can be pulled out when guests arrive or on Christmas day.
Cinnamon and Salt Dough
Keep the designs simple and not too thick, so they won't dry out - they can be painted and varnished.
Salt Dough
2 cups plain flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water
Mix the dry ingredients then slowly add the water until you have a firm dough. Knead for 5 - 10 minutes. Bake decorations 165C (325F) depending on the thickness, can take up to 90 minutes.
Roll out the salt dough and cut gingerbread men in all diffferent sizes, bake slowly to dry out- if kept dry they last indefinitely. As they are quite light in colour, tint with a mix of PVA glue and Raw Sienna acrylic paint. You can sprinkle with aromatic spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. You can make squiggly lines with paint and hot glue bow ties. Cut holes in the raw dough to thread cord or cotton through for hangers, or glue these to the back when hardened.
Cinnamon Dough
1 1/2 cups ground cinnamon or mixed spice
1 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup PVA glue
Mix all the ingredients until a firm dough. Knead for 5 minutes, cover with wrap, stand for 30 minutes. Roll and make shapes with Christmas cookie cutters. Put on a cooling rack covered with gauze and let dry, turning occasionally.
Cinnamon Stick Bunches
4 cinnamon sticks per bunch
A few small pine twigs
Small (unbreakable) Fair-trade / recycled Christmas decoration
Red ribbon
wire
Bundle the cinnamon sticks in the centre with the twigs and decoration.
Wind wire around to secure.
Tie a bow of red ribbon around the bunch.
Hang on tree or great for place settings or a few for a table centerpiece.
Cinnamon Sticks - tie with fabric and place in your displays.
The Christmas Table
A table that is beautifully set out gives a meal shared with family and friends such elegance.
A table-runner down the centre, displays decorations and candles handsomely.Add a country-Christmas air with a plaid design and bowls of organic seasonal fruit and nuts.Enhance the setting with sprigs of pine or evergreen from the garden, colourful balls in red and silver, and lighted candles.
Centerpieces are best kept low, so as not to obscure your guests' view of each other across the table. A bowl of red roses in the centre for a splash of colour and rose petals scattered on each place setting,is simple to do, and gives a sweet scented aroma.
Candles
Paraffin candles are made from petroleum residues so neither do your health or the environment any good. Soy, beeswax or natural vegetable-based candles are better because they biodegrade, are smoke-free, and so more eco-friendly.
Grab all your clean jam jars and turn them into stunning luminaries. Put coloured old marbles or stones and a candle in the centre , then lash satin ribbon around the top for a festive glow!
Dinner by candlelight makes the meal magical.
Candles, fresh flowers, ribbon, greenery, organic fruit and vegetables, heartfelt written messages, decorations made with love, are the perfect ingredients for your Eco - Christmas celebration!
Choosing a theme can simplify the decorating process as it gives you a focal point to concentrate on and get ideas from.
Traditional Christmas
Deck the halls, tables, your home with boughs of greenery from the garden or from your nature walks with your children, add bright red organic apples and the occasional non-paraffin candle. Dot the Christmas tree with red & white decoartiions. Hang Christmas stockings, and add bows or other decorations to the tree if desired.
For something different as a centrepiece make a "Christmas tree" pyramid of red apples. Dot this with green leaves or use red and green organic apples.
Twinkle Twinkle Litle Star
Make stars from wool felt, cardboard covered with foil or painted with silver or gold or even match-sticks and raffia. Have silver stars and gold stars. Or try blue and gold. Have big and small ones so it looks like the tree is covered with a constellation of stars.
Hang stars from the windows at different levels, and using different size stars. For decorations also use candles, or candles and a few stars with soft greenery.
Try different colour and texture combinations, such as having a variety of golds with textures, or those with ruby, deep blue and green finishes, or stars with a bit of a pastel tone. Another idea is to cut out the centre of the stars so that they are only silhouettes. Have them in gold, cream, silver, or any other colour schemes. These will look more delicate on your tree.
On the tree hang cardboard stars and suns, eggs or bows painted gold, bronze, or copper. Put one or two with garlands of greenery and arrangements of greenery, pears, apricots and other gold fruit on the table, or around candles. Hang stockings and for trim on the stockings use scraps of lace, painted gold trim if desired.
Paint old sandpaper or textured cardboard for textured stars. Even torn and damaged cardboard creates an interesting textured effect when painted.
Inspiration From Nature
Have lemons or oranges or peaches (what ever is on your tree or at the farmers' market) with tropical flowers frangapani / hibiscus and bright greenery. If you have broad leaved plants use large leaves as the base for table decorations.
Red bottle brush flowers make a wonderful addition for your Christmas decorations.
Decorate with fruit, nuts and pinecones. Or just nuts, candles and pinecones with the occasional gold leaf or gold foil covered nut or candle wax dipped pine cone as a highlight. Paint a branch gold and add nuts and pinecones. Tie smaller pine cones on the tree with wide gold ribbons.
Use cherries, plums, purple grapes and peaches in arrangements with gold trim. For the tree use rich red, blue and gold painted eggs, perhaps decorated with gold and silver crayons or sequins. For a truly rich effect put table arrangements on some draped cloth such as velvet or silk, check the Op shop for scarves, old formal dresses and shirts etc.
Include your old kitchen utensil collection in the decor with mixing bowls. colanders, scales, sifters as part of the theme. Embellish the display with ribbons, green garlands and berries, along with rusty bells and other kitchen tools like wood rolling pins and spoons.Fill with gingerbread figures and fabric bows to complete the look.
Silver with pale blue or aqua or silver with metallic lime green and aqua. Purple and gold, or burgundy with gold. Tie organic fair-trade chocolates in their foil onto a small branch as a decoration. Leave the branch as it is or paint it white, gold or silver.
Cut potato shapes with Christmas cookie cutters and paint sheets (white sheets from Op shops) using organic beetroot juice, the occasional child beetroot dipped hand print is lot's of Christmas fun! Great for your Christmas tablecloth, make matching cloth napkins and trim with coloured ribbon.
Keep it simple - check out Op shops / garage / yard sales for fabric (curtains, sheets etc) we found some beautiful gold curtains, cut the gold curtain for a Christmas table runner and made napkins with the curtain lining, made napkin rings from toilet roll holders and newspaper, placed a gold pinecone in each recycled wine glass with a table centre decoration of gumnuts, pinecones, gold ribbon and fresh flowers with lychees and cherries scattered throughout. A few willow branches for the Christmas tree decorated with gold and red bows, baubles and fairy lights, don't forget to turn off fairy lights! Bowls of gumnuts and pincecones, fresh flowers, candles and fruit scattered throughout our home, a big ribbon going horizontal and vertical on the front door to look like a parcel wrapped, and a wreath made from twigs in the garden and dried apples, big hessian bows with raffia and ribbons tied on our trees and bushes in the yard, with solar rope Christmas lights.
Napkin Rings - http://ecobites.com/eco-arts-crafts-activities/diy-napkin-rings.html
Dried Apple Wreath -
http://ecobites.com/eco-arts-crafts-activities/potpourri-lavender-gifts-3.html
Have a happy Eco Christmas!
Deck the halls with real holly...drawing on an old age adage of having a natural eco - Christmas. Instead of spending money on artificial Christmas decorations that won't bio-degrade, let nature decorate your home this Christmas.
Christmas decorations can be made from organic, recycled and scrap materials. Try organic popcorn, dough, cinnamon sticks, bows, gingerbread, holly, seasonal berries, organic fruit and vegetables, ivy and evergreen branches, pine cones, gumnuts,painted eggshells, dried indian corn - after Christmas, store decorations for next year and put the branches in the composter.
Have arrangements of greenery from the garden and organic seasonal fruit, with bright red apples amongst the greenery. Using garden trimmings as decorations costs nothing and you have to prune them anyway. Hang greenery, twist into wreaths or garlands or make table arrangements, etc with greenery and bright fruit. Apples, oranges and other fruit can last for 2-3 weeks in decorations and can be eaten after that or used for cooking a pie or for juicing, in our home they get eaten and we replace daily.
Leave some greenery for last minute changes or replacements that will wilt, or as extra Christmas decorations closer to Christmas or for the Christmas table.
Make a homemade wreath from branches trimmed from your garden.
Decorate the outdoor trees and bushes in your yard with homemade decor that will survive a few weeks of weather.
An environmentally friendly Christmas need not be the traditional red and green. Let nature be the inspiration for your own unique, individual style.
ChristmasTree
If you require a real tree, purchase from a small-scale sustainable grower and choose a tree with roots so it can be replanted. If replanting isn't a option, most local councils run Christmas tree recycling schemes.
Wrap the potted roots with hessian and then start decorating with natural elements to create an eco sustainable Christmas decoration that is not only fun, but inexpensive to create.
Another alternative is to use a native tree or found dead twigs that you can decorate - a few branches gold burnished or splatted with white paint, decorated with bows, painted eggs, star cut-outs, wax dipped pine cones, home-made baubles, ginger bread decorations, etc.
Use your imagination and create a Christmas tree that is unique (Refer photo).
Hang colourful paper chains, popcorn and cranberry strings on your tree for a traditional touch, or lines of beads and buttons instead of tinsel.
Christmas Tree Ornaments
Use eggs, stars, moons, suns and other shapes, to make stars etc....
Draw a simple shape, or cut a shape from a magazine or old recycled card and use this as a silhouette to trace around. Cut the shape out of cardboard and paint with eco-friendly paint or cover with foil or re-use gift wrap. Shapes can include: suns, moons, stars, hearts, snowmen, angels, Santas, candles, bells, bauble shapes, gingerbread house, animal shapes, teddy bears, birds, candy canes, etc. Cut angels, peace doves or snowflakes out of scrap white paper (e.g. envelopes).
Christmas Tree Baubles
Use an old tennis ball. Wrap it in colourful twine. Add some holly and you have a beautiful bauble that is completely unique to you.
You can also fashion your own baubles out of foam balls and odd scraps of material or cord.
Use eggs. Have hard boiled organic eggs for breakfast. Neatly slice off the top either close to the top or half way, depending upon your design. Do not crack the eggshells. Clean out the egg shells of all remnant egg and very carefully wash the shells in soapy water. Allow them to dry. Once the egg is dry stick the shell together with a strip of tape (such as, masking tape - the tape needs to be able to be painted over).
Alternatively, pierce an uncooked egg at the top and bottom to remove the contents (use this for cooking) and rinse the shell in soapy hot water to clean it.
Then either paint the egg with eco-friendly craft paint or glue on pictures, etc (this will also help harden the eggshell). Thread wire from the bottom to the top of the egg, leaving 4cm at both ends. At the bottom tie the wire through a bead to anchor it and cut off any extra wire. At the top thread the wire through a bead, tie it, and then make a loop of the wire. Add decorations if desired, using paint or crayons, or even sequins or beads, etc. (if you want long lasting, heirloom eggs, check out "Faberge"eggs, and make versions for yourself!) To store eggs use an egg carton.
For unique, small eggs use quail eggs.
Grandma Novelty Decorations
Look in old sewing boxes to find cotton spools. Wrap them in tartan ribbon or recycled colourful paper. Thread together as indicated in the photo to make stunning, yet simple Christmas tree hanging decorations.
An alternative is to find old costume jewellery, decorate, paint or insert Christmas images from recycled paper. Old gift cards and wrapping paper can be turned into tree adornments with some clever cutting and string.
Origame Decorations
Make origame decorations out of scrap paper, either white or coloured. Note: if this sounds difficult, just stick to only making one shape (such as birds), and have a treefull of them – either in the same colour or in different colours. There are many craft books on origami available, including at the local libraries, so just choose a simple design and make it out of the paper you have collected.
Bows
Make bows out of old material, ribbon, anything. Do you have an old formal dress or shiny shirt that would make lovely bows? (Even a petticoat, or old curtains?) Otherwise check the remnant tables at fabric shops, including those that make formal outfits or wedding dresses - sometimes there are some intricate or spectacular pieces of fabric left over when a roll of material is sold also check op-shops.
Keep a sturdy shoe box for ribbons and bows - it is such a shame to throw such pretty garnishes away, especially when you can use them for any celebrations.
There are many ways to enhance the celebratory vibe around your home - with a little imagination. Tie lashings of ribbon to the backs of dining chairs, stair rails, candles or plants.Imagine a big shiny bow on the back of each chair - simply stunning!
Take the pictures down from your walls, wrap them up like a gift and put them back.It then looks like you have presents dancing merrily across the interior of your home.Wrap the front door with wide ribbon, to look like a gift.
Christmas Stockings
Make stockings out of spare material or your old and wearing out clothes. An old top can have a new life as a Christmas stocking, as can old cushion covers - or any old scraps of material. (Material can be painted if it’s the wrong colour).
Sew the stockings with bright, thick cotton or wool (e.g. from an old jumper). To decorate the stocking cut out a shape or design from material and sew or staple it to the stocking.
Add buttons, scraps of material or ribbon, etc, to make a design. (e.g. cut a Christmas tree shape from green material and put sequins or coloured small buttons on it for baubles; or some green material and two red buttons can become holly. Or a square of material with ribbons and a bow is a gift. Hint: plain white buttons can be coloured with indelible markers.)
Stocking ideas: Red and green stockings; patchwork stockings made from scraps of material (including made from scraps of rich material such as velvet or silk, etc); lace painted gold and put on a white or any other coloured stocking; plain white stockings sewn around the edges with thick red wool from an old jumper, etc, and with a simple decoration added to the front (even a picture from a card).Hessian looks great decorated. Get ideas from the shops – and you can always paint the material to suit.
Material, including scraps, can become Christmas stockings or Christmas bon bons / crackers.
Jigsaw Decoration
Popsicle sticks, glue, jigsaw puzzle pieces, child's picture, light weight cardboard, ribbon Glue popsicle sticks together to form a triangle. Glue the puzzle pieces onto the triangle to make a frame. Glue the picture behind the frame, and then glue the cardboard behind the picture. Add a ribbon for hanging.
Wreath Decoration
Use green non-toxic eco friendly paint to colour seven pieces of paper towel or toilet paper tubes. When the paint is dry, thread a pipe cleaner through all the tubes and twist to secure them together. Cut out a red bow and glue it to the wreath. Thread a piece of red ribbon through the tube on top and tie to make the hanger for the decoration or wreath.
Pine Cone Decoration
Gather pine cones (they don't have to be large).
Dip in melted candle wax - preferably use soy based wax, beeswax or natural-based candles, or use your childrens old beeswax crayons - melt in oven. Cones can also be painted by hand by using a gold burnish or splatter them with white paint to create a frosted appearance. When the cones are dry, tie a beautiful ribbon around the top (ones that still have a bit of stem attached at the top work best), and you have a very unique decoration.
Keep some without ribbon for table decorations. Dip / paint gumnuts in melted wax too.
Candy Cane Decoration
Using beads thread onto a pipe-cleaner. Use two red beads then two white beads.Thread the beads so they nest together.When you like the length bend the pipe-cleaner to hold & cut. Bend the length to make a candy cane shape that will hang on the tree.
Popcorn Decoration
Here's a twist on a traditional Christmas trim. Instead of stringing popcorn on string for your tree. String it onto medium-gauge wire and bend the wire into shapes such as bells, hearts, or stars. Add a ribbon to the top!
Pipe Cleaner Decoration
You need pipe cleaners & even beads. Take the colourful pipe cleaners and create shapes to wrap around the Christmas tree or to hang from branches. Ideas are only limited by your imagination.
Combine with beads - use thread and make stars, diamonds, angels, etc.
Paper Tree Decoration
Cut out 4 triangle tree shapes. Fold each one in middle. Glue together. Add sequins or holes punched from coloured paper for decorations. Cut out circles or heart or shapes & do the same as the tree for different decorations.
Bear Decoration
Precut bear shape from any old cardboard - cereal boxes, cards etc. Make hole punches all around and allow the children to sew in and out of the holes with ribbon. Glue a pocket on the front of their bear and add a message in the pocket. One big bear hug. Just for you. Merry Christmas Love _______". We added a ribbon string for hanging. Also used old Christmas wrap cut into heart shapes to decorate the pocket etc.
Gingerbread Decoration
This will delight children, and give you unique heirloom decorations. Decorate the tree with gingerbread decorations made from cardboard. Add individual touches to the tree using gingerbread designs of your favourite items. E.g. gingerbread footballs, golf balls, tennis balls & tennis rackets, a bird, cat or dog, etc - you name it - what is their favourite toy/game.
Turn it into gingerbread decorations. Cut the shapes out of cardboard and paint with thick paint so they look like gingerbread. Have gingerbread Santas, stockings, snowmen, birds, etc. Have a gingerbread Christmas Tree on the table or mantelpiece. However, children may want to eat the cardboard decorations, so also provide some cooked gingerbread baubles that can be pulled out when guests arrive or on Christmas day.
Cinnamon and Salt Dough
Keep the designs simple and not too thick, so they won't dry out - they can be painted and varnished.
Salt Dough
2 cups plain flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water
Mix the dry ingredients then slowly add the water until you have a firm dough. Knead for 5 - 10 minutes. Bake decorations 165C (325F) depending on the thickness, can take up to 90 minutes.
Roll out the salt dough and cut gingerbread men in all diffferent sizes, bake slowly to dry out- if kept dry they last indefinitely. As they are quite light in colour, tint with a mix of PVA glue and Raw Sienna acrylic paint. You can sprinkle with aromatic spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. You can make squiggly lines with paint and hot glue bow ties. Cut holes in the raw dough to thread cord or cotton through for hangers, or glue these to the back when hardened.
Cinnamon Dough
1 1/2 cups ground cinnamon or mixed spice
1 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup PVA glue
Mix all the ingredients until a firm dough. Knead for 5 minutes, cover with wrap, stand for 30 minutes. Roll and make shapes with Christmas cookie cutters. Put on a cooling rack covered with gauze and let dry, turning occasionally.
Cinnamon Stick Bunches
4 cinnamon sticks per bunch
A few small pine twigs
Small (unbreakable) Fair-trade / recycled Christmas decoration
Red ribbon
wire
Bundle the cinnamon sticks in the centre with the twigs and decoration.
Wind wire around to secure.
Tie a bow of red ribbon around the bunch.
Hang on tree or great for place settings or a few for a table centerpiece.
Cinnamon Sticks - tie with fabric and place in your displays.
The Christmas Table
A table that is beautifully set out gives a meal shared with family and friends such elegance.
A table-runner down the centre, displays decorations and candles handsomely.Add a country-Christmas air with a plaid design and bowls of organic seasonal fruit and nuts.Enhance the setting with sprigs of pine or evergreen from the garden, colourful balls in red and silver, and lighted candles.
Centerpieces are best kept low, so as not to obscure your guests' view of each other across the table. A bowl of red roses in the centre for a splash of colour and rose petals scattered on each place setting,is simple to do, and gives a sweet scented aroma.
Candles
Paraffin candles are made from petroleum residues so neither do your health or the environment any good. Soy, beeswax or natural vegetable-based candles are better because they biodegrade, are smoke-free, and so more eco-friendly.
Grab all your clean jam jars and turn them into stunning luminaries. Put coloured old marbles or stones and a candle in the centre , then lash satin ribbon around the top for a festive glow!
Dinner by candlelight makes the meal magical.
Candles, fresh flowers, ribbon, greenery, organic fruit and vegetables, heartfelt written messages, decorations made with love, are the perfect ingredients for your Eco - Christmas celebration!
Choosing a theme can simplify the decorating process as it gives you a focal point to concentrate on and get ideas from.
Traditional Christmas
Deck the halls, tables, your home with boughs of greenery from the garden or from your nature walks with your children, add bright red organic apples and the occasional non-paraffin candle. Dot the Christmas tree with red & white decoartiions. Hang Christmas stockings, and add bows or other decorations to the tree if desired.
For something different as a centrepiece make a "Christmas tree" pyramid of red apples. Dot this with green leaves or use red and green organic apples.
Twinkle Twinkle Litle Star
Make stars from wool felt, cardboard covered with foil or painted with silver or gold or even match-sticks and raffia. Have silver stars and gold stars. Or try blue and gold. Have big and small ones so it looks like the tree is covered with a constellation of stars.
Hang stars from the windows at different levels, and using different size stars. For decorations also use candles, or candles and a few stars with soft greenery.
Try different colour and texture combinations, such as having a variety of golds with textures, or those with ruby, deep blue and green finishes, or stars with a bit of a pastel tone. Another idea is to cut out the centre of the stars so that they are only silhouettes. Have them in gold, cream, silver, or any other colour schemes. These will look more delicate on your tree.
On the tree hang cardboard stars and suns, eggs or bows painted gold, bronze, or copper. Put one or two with garlands of greenery and arrangements of greenery, pears, apricots and other gold fruit on the table, or around candles. Hang stockings and for trim on the stockings use scraps of lace, painted gold trim if desired.
Paint old sandpaper or textured cardboard for textured stars. Even torn and damaged cardboard creates an interesting textured effect when painted.
Inspiration From Nature
Have lemons or oranges or peaches (what ever is on your tree or at the farmers' market) with tropical flowers frangapani / hibiscus and bright greenery. If you have broad leaved plants use large leaves as the base for table decorations.
Red bottle brush flowers make a wonderful addition for your Christmas decorations.
Decorate with fruit, nuts and pinecones. Or just nuts, candles and pinecones with the occasional gold leaf or gold foil covered nut or candle wax dipped pine cone as a highlight. Paint a branch gold and add nuts and pinecones. Tie smaller pine cones on the tree with wide gold ribbons.
Use cherries, plums, purple grapes and peaches in arrangements with gold trim. For the tree use rich red, blue and gold painted eggs, perhaps decorated with gold and silver crayons or sequins. For a truly rich effect put table arrangements on some draped cloth such as velvet or silk, check the Op shop for scarves, old formal dresses and shirts etc.
Include your old kitchen utensil collection in the decor with mixing bowls. colanders, scales, sifters as part of the theme. Embellish the display with ribbons, green garlands and berries, along with rusty bells and other kitchen tools like wood rolling pins and spoons.Fill with gingerbread figures and fabric bows to complete the look.
Silver with pale blue or aqua or silver with metallic lime green and aqua. Purple and gold, or burgundy with gold. Tie organic fair-trade chocolates in their foil onto a small branch as a decoration. Leave the branch as it is or paint it white, gold or silver.
Cut potato shapes with Christmas cookie cutters and paint sheets (white sheets from Op shops) using organic beetroot juice, the occasional child beetroot dipped hand print is lot's of Christmas fun! Great for your Christmas tablecloth, make matching cloth napkins and trim with coloured ribbon.
Keep it simple - check out Op shops / garage / yard sales for fabric (curtains, sheets etc) we found some beautiful gold curtains, cut the gold curtain for a Christmas table runner and made napkins with the curtain lining, made napkin rings from toilet roll holders and newspaper, placed a gold pinecone in each recycled wine glass with a table centre decoration of gumnuts, pinecones, gold ribbon and fresh flowers with lychees and cherries scattered throughout. A few willow branches for the Christmas tree decorated with gold and red bows, baubles and fairy lights, don't forget to turn off fairy lights! Bowls of gumnuts and pincecones, fresh flowers, candles and fruit scattered throughout our home, a big ribbon going horizontal and vertical on the front door to look like a parcel wrapped, and a wreath made from twigs in the garden and dried apples, big hessian bows with raffia and ribbons tied on our trees and bushes in the yard, with solar rope Christmas lights.
Napkin Rings - http://ecobites.com/eco-arts-crafts-activities/diy-napkin-rings.html
Dried Apple Wreath -
http://ecobites.com/eco-arts-crafts-activities/potpourri-lavender-gifts-3.html
Have a happy Eco Christmas!
Green Christmas: Tips for an Eco-Friendly Holiday
Cameron Walker
for National Geographic News
December 20, 2004
Yes, the holidays draw out the best in most of us each year. But they also bring what seems like an environmentalist's worst nightmare: tons of extra garbage, millions of chopped-down trees, and megawatts of flashing lights. With a little tweaking, however, everything from holiday gift-giving to light-stringing can celebrate the environment, too. Here's how:
Giving Green
So why not recycle holiday gift wrap? Lilienfield, who has published a newsletter on reducing waste since 1996, notes that if every family reused just 2 feet [0.6 meter] of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles [61,000 kilometers] of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet.
And not all gifts need wrapping. "Think back to your three favorite holiday memories," Lilienfeld said. "I'm willing to bet that they all involve time you spent with your family and friends."
By giving gifts that can be experienced, like tickets to a baseball game or a homemade dinner, you can minimize wrapping and still win points with the receiver. "People like these gifts just as much," he said.
Fake Fir
For many, Christmas wouldn't be the same without a live, fragrant Christmas tree in their home. Today nearly all of the trees sold at seasonal Christmas-tree lots are grown on tree farms. So forests aren't hurt by choosing a cut tree, said Jeff Olson, the vice-president of marketing and development for American Forests, a Washington, D.C.-based conservation nonprofit.
While potted trees might seem like a green option, they often don't fare well in unseasonably warm homes. "The last thing you want to do is bring it into the house," Olson said. He plans to get a potted tree this year and keep it outside for the holidays.
Artificial trees, he noted, consume significant energy and petroleum-based materials during their manufacture.
But Lilienfeld, the Use Less Stuff co-author, noted that a one-time purchase of an artificial tree can save gas otherwise used for annual trips to the local tree farm.
Tree Recycling
Recycling fresh trees after Christmas can make a huge difference in reducing holiday waste. Instead of taking up space in the landfill, trees can be ground into wood chips, which can be used to mulch gardens or parks or to prevent erosion at a local watershed.
The National Christmas Tree Association, an organization which represents Christmas tree growers, has teamed up with Scottsdale, Arizona-based conservation group Earth 911 to point consumers in the right direction with their trees. On their Web site, you can enter your zip code to find the nearest of 3,800-plus spots nationwide that accept old trees.
Low-Energy Lights
The newest energy-saving stars on the holiday scene are Christmas lights made with light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. First introduced in 2001, LEDs incorporate the same computer-chip technology used to light calculators and watches. The lights, which use semiconducting material rather than incandescent filaments, are 90 percent more efficient than traditional Christmas lights.
According to one U.S. Department of Energy study, if everyone replaced their conventional holiday light strings with LEDs, at least two billion kilowatt-hours of electricity could be saved in a month.
The savings would be enough to power 200,000 homes for a year, according to Littleton, Colorado-based Holiday Creations, which makes and distributes a popular line of LED light strings.
Karyn Atwood, Holiday Creations' director of domestic and commercial sales, notes other added bonuses: The LEDs release little heat, and they last about 200,000 hours. In the unlikely event that one does burn out, she said, the rest of the lights keep on glowing.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1220_041220_green_christmas_2.html
for National Geographic News
December 20, 2004
Yes, the holidays draw out the best in most of us each year. But they also bring what seems like an environmentalist's worst nightmare: tons of extra garbage, millions of chopped-down trees, and megawatts of flashing lights. With a little tweaking, however, everything from holiday gift-giving to light-stringing can celebrate the environment, too. Here's how:
Giving Green
So why not recycle holiday gift wrap? Lilienfield, who has published a newsletter on reducing waste since 1996, notes that if every family reused just 2 feet [0.6 meter] of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles [61,000 kilometers] of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet.
And not all gifts need wrapping. "Think back to your three favorite holiday memories," Lilienfeld said. "I'm willing to bet that they all involve time you spent with your family and friends."
By giving gifts that can be experienced, like tickets to a baseball game or a homemade dinner, you can minimize wrapping and still win points with the receiver. "People like these gifts just as much," he said.
Fake Fir
For many, Christmas wouldn't be the same without a live, fragrant Christmas tree in their home. Today nearly all of the trees sold at seasonal Christmas-tree lots are grown on tree farms. So forests aren't hurt by choosing a cut tree, said Jeff Olson, the vice-president of marketing and development for American Forests, a Washington, D.C.-based conservation nonprofit.
While potted trees might seem like a green option, they often don't fare well in unseasonably warm homes. "The last thing you want to do is bring it into the house," Olson said. He plans to get a potted tree this year and keep it outside for the holidays.
Artificial trees, he noted, consume significant energy and petroleum-based materials during their manufacture.
But Lilienfeld, the Use Less Stuff co-author, noted that a one-time purchase of an artificial tree can save gas otherwise used for annual trips to the local tree farm.
Tree Recycling
Recycling fresh trees after Christmas can make a huge difference in reducing holiday waste. Instead of taking up space in the landfill, trees can be ground into wood chips, which can be used to mulch gardens or parks or to prevent erosion at a local watershed.
The National Christmas Tree Association, an organization which represents Christmas tree growers, has teamed up with Scottsdale, Arizona-based conservation group Earth 911 to point consumers in the right direction with their trees. On their Web site, you can enter your zip code to find the nearest of 3,800-plus spots nationwide that accept old trees.
Low-Energy Lights
The newest energy-saving stars on the holiday scene are Christmas lights made with light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. First introduced in 2001, LEDs incorporate the same computer-chip technology used to light calculators and watches. The lights, which use semiconducting material rather than incandescent filaments, are 90 percent more efficient than traditional Christmas lights.
According to one U.S. Department of Energy study, if everyone replaced their conventional holiday light strings with LEDs, at least two billion kilowatt-hours of electricity could be saved in a month.
The savings would be enough to power 200,000 homes for a year, according to Littleton, Colorado-based Holiday Creations, which makes and distributes a popular line of LED light strings.
Karyn Atwood, Holiday Creations' director of domestic and commercial sales, notes other added bonuses: The LEDs release little heat, and they last about 200,000 hours. In the unlikely event that one does burn out, she said, the rest of the lights keep on glowing.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1220_041220_green_christmas_2.html
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Top 5 eco-friendly gifts for kids
This article was brought to you by greenonlineshopping.com
Let’s face it, Christmas is all about the kids. Luckily, there are some great gift ideas around this year that don’t involve large amounts of plastic and ridiculous packaging.
Only 5 gifts could make the final list, but there’s a great choice to choose from this Christmas. For more ideas from sustainable wooden toys to solar powered helicopters, take a look at our shop directory for more gifts for kids ideas.
These are our top 5 green gifts for kids this Christmas.
5: Cardboard Rocket Play House
This ticket to outer space is made from recycled cardboard, and comes in a plain design so kids can decorate it to their liking. Folds away flat for easy storage, so can be chucked in the boot of the car to transport (just don’t leave it outside in the rain!). Suitable for toddlers, up until about 7 years of age.
Cardboard Rocket Play House, £29.99 from Nigel’s Eco Store
Read more on Nigel’s Eco Store
4: Mr Robot Head
The old classic given a Doctor Who type twist. All you need to do is direct the wire from one side of the head to the other, without touching the wire. Easy, eh? But be careful, if you do touch the wire, Mr Robot will buzz at you and his eyes will flash.
This is a wind-up toy so does not require batteries. It does, however, require a very steady hand!
Mr Robot Head, £19.99 from Nigel’s Eco Store
Read more on Nigel’s Eco Store
3. My First Eco Radio
Another wind-up toy. This toy radio plays a host of sounds to entertain the young ones, and has enough nobs and dials to keep them twiddling away for ages.
My First Eco Radio, £14.99 from Ethical Superstore
Read more on Ethical Superstore
2. Milk-O Mini Bag
Made by Doy’s women’s cooperative in the Philippines, these fun bags are fashioned from food and juice cartons that would otherwise head straight to the tip when emptied.
Milk-O Mini Bag, £4.99 at Natural Collection
Read more on Natural Collection
1: Recycled Aircraft Tyre Horse Swing
You would never guess that this was made from an old rubber tyre. Who would have thought something so simple could keep the kids entertained for a very long time. Can be hung outside, or on a frame inside. Beats Playstations hands down!
Suitable for children ages 3 and upwards (tree for hanging not included)!.
Recycled Aircraft Tyre Horse Swing, from Ethical Superstore, £79.95 at Ethical Superstore
Read more on Ethical Superstore
Let’s face it, Christmas is all about the kids. Luckily, there are some great gift ideas around this year that don’t involve large amounts of plastic and ridiculous packaging.
Only 5 gifts could make the final list, but there’s a great choice to choose from this Christmas. For more ideas from sustainable wooden toys to solar powered helicopters, take a look at our shop directory for more gifts for kids ideas.
These are our top 5 green gifts for kids this Christmas.
5: Cardboard Rocket Play House
This ticket to outer space is made from recycled cardboard, and comes in a plain design so kids can decorate it to their liking. Folds away flat for easy storage, so can be chucked in the boot of the car to transport (just don’t leave it outside in the rain!). Suitable for toddlers, up until about 7 years of age.
Cardboard Rocket Play House, £29.99 from Nigel’s Eco Store
Read more on Nigel’s Eco Store
4: Mr Robot Head
The old classic given a Doctor Who type twist. All you need to do is direct the wire from one side of the head to the other, without touching the wire. Easy, eh? But be careful, if you do touch the wire, Mr Robot will buzz at you and his eyes will flash.
This is a wind-up toy so does not require batteries. It does, however, require a very steady hand!
Mr Robot Head, £19.99 from Nigel’s Eco Store
Read more on Nigel’s Eco Store
3. My First Eco Radio
Another wind-up toy. This toy radio plays a host of sounds to entertain the young ones, and has enough nobs and dials to keep them twiddling away for ages.
My First Eco Radio, £14.99 from Ethical Superstore
Read more on Ethical Superstore
2. Milk-O Mini Bag
Made by Doy’s women’s cooperative in the Philippines, these fun bags are fashioned from food and juice cartons that would otherwise head straight to the tip when emptied.
Milk-O Mini Bag, £4.99 at Natural Collection
Read more on Natural Collection
1: Recycled Aircraft Tyre Horse Swing
You would never guess that this was made from an old rubber tyre. Who would have thought something so simple could keep the kids entertained for a very long time. Can be hung outside, or on a frame inside. Beats Playstations hands down!
Suitable for children ages 3 and upwards (tree for hanging not included)!.
Recycled Aircraft Tyre Horse Swing, from Ethical Superstore, £79.95 at Ethical Superstore
Read more on Ethical Superstore
Have a Merry Green Christmas
Nigel's Top 10 tips for a Green, Sustainable and Eco Friendly Christmas
http://www.canadianfamily.ca/blog/familyjewels/
Here's my top 10 Green Christmas tips that'll help you to save money, reduce your Christmas carbon footprint and have a more eco friendly and sustainable noel.
Read more in my free guide: How to Have a Good Christmas. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD.
Don't forget to turn off your fairy lights
Ever since I found out that 15% of household electricity is wasted by leaving TVs, Hi-fi's and other appliances on standby – costing each of us an average of £37 per year – I make sure I turn things off when I’m not using them. In general lighting accounts for 15% of household electricity, and 100-string Christmas tree lights left on for 10 hours a day over the 12 days of Christmas produce enough carbon dioxide to inflate 60 balloons - so make sure you get energy saving light bulbs for your house, and at Xmas, try these solar powered rope lights or these outdoor solar powered christmas fairy lights for some winter sparkle without adding to your carbon footprint.
Christmas cards
An estimated 1.7 billion Christmas cards are sent each year in Britain, the equivalent of 200,000 trees, and around 1 million Christmas cards are thrown away every year. I try to send recycled Christmas cards (like these designer ones), but you could make your own, or send texts or e-cards instead. After the big day, make sure your Christmas cards don't go to waste – take them to a Woodland Trust recycling point. I like to buy recycled Christmas cards from charities and donate up to 20% to less fortunate people at the same time.
Recycled wrapping paper
There's no point recycling rubbish if you don't buy recycled products! It's estimated that 83 square kilometres of wrapping paper end up in our rubbish bins each year, that's enough to wrap up Guernsey, so I also make sure that I use recycled wrapping paper, and try to wrap presents with ribbon or string instead of sticky tape. Try our designer recycled wrapping paper, by Lisa Jones.
Candles
Paraffin candles are made from petroleum residues so neither do your health or the environment any good. Soy, beeswax or natural vegetable-based candles are better because they biodegrade, are smoke-free, and so more eco friendly.
You can buy some: here
Deck the halls with real holly
Instead of spending money on artificial Christmas decorations that won't biodegrade, let nature decorate your home. House decorations can be made from organic, recycled and scrap materials. Try popcorn, dough, cinnamon sticks, bows, gingerbread, holly, seasonal berries, ivy and evergreen branches – once you have finished with them, you can put them in the composter. You can also get Christmas decorations made from recycled CDs and computer parts from us!
Christmas trees
If you've been wondering which is better, the simple answer is that real trees are the more eco friendly choice. Although artificial trees last for many years they are made from metal and derivatives of PVC, which requires large amounts of energy to make, and also creates by-products such as lead which can be harmful to both the environment and human health. The average life of an artificial tree is just 6 years and given that they are not naturally biodegradable they will potentially pollute a landfill site for many years to come. Most artificial trees sold in the UK are now made in Taiwan and China and so have additional energy costs associated with transport. Real trees are carbon neutral, absorbing as much carbon dioxide as they grow as they will emit when burnt or left to decompose. They are also a wildlife habitat and a naturally renewable resource, and generally feel much nicer in your home. They can be planted in your garden after Christmas, and even used again next year. In 2006, six million Christmas trees took pride of place in British homes and offices. Of these only 10% were recycled and fewer than 5% planted to be re-used next year, so...
Tree Buying Tips
Buy from a small-scale sustainable grower and/or make sure the tree has Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accreditation, you can go to www.soilassociation.org/christmas for a list of producers.
And choose a tree with roots so it can be replanted. If replanting isn’t an option most local councils run Christmas tree recycling schemes. Contact yours or go to www.letsrecycle.com
Or this year, why not start growing your own?
Be battery wise
Families can get through a lot of batteries, particularly at Christmas. Batteries contain toxic chemicals, don't biodegrade and are difficult to recycle. Instead use rechargeable ones or try our new battery wizard, it'll charge even ordinary batteries, or you could try these AA size USB rechargeable batteries. By opening the cap and plugging into a USB connector, you can recharge them pretty much anywhere there's a USB socket. You'll never have to search for a charger again.
Buy an organic turkey
10 million turkeys are eaten every Christmas. If you can, try to make sure it has been reared in humane conditions. Organic turkeys taste better too. I try to buy my Christmas food locally, shopping at farmers markets or buying direct from the farmer is far cheaper than buying organic in the supermarket. Think of the benefits – the taste of chemical-free food, the reduction in food miles and CO2 emissions, and reduced dependence on oil. Buying locally produced food also boosts rural jobs.
Recycle your unwanted presents
Unfortunately everyone receives at least one unwanted gift at Christmas. I often recycle my unwanted presents to charities. Local hospitals and hospices are often very pleased to receive unwanted smellies to give to patients. Or you could try our regifting forum - and swap them for other people's unwanted gifts!
Give a charity or environmentally friendly gift
Sponsor an animal or give a membership to a charity or environmental organisation for Christmas. Or of course, you could buy an eco friendly gift from Nigel's Eco Store!
With a little planning anyone can give presents that are thoughtful, original and make a difference to the environment too, and...
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD my FREE E-BOOK: How to Have a Good Xmas.
http://www.canadianfamily.ca/blog/familyjewels/
Here's my top 10 Green Christmas tips that'll help you to save money, reduce your Christmas carbon footprint and have a more eco friendly and sustainable noel.
Read more in my free guide: How to Have a Good Christmas. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD.
Don't forget to turn off your fairy lights
Ever since I found out that 15% of household electricity is wasted by leaving TVs, Hi-fi's and other appliances on standby – costing each of us an average of £37 per year – I make sure I turn things off when I’m not using them. In general lighting accounts for 15% of household electricity, and 100-string Christmas tree lights left on for 10 hours a day over the 12 days of Christmas produce enough carbon dioxide to inflate 60 balloons - so make sure you get energy saving light bulbs for your house, and at Xmas, try these solar powered rope lights or these outdoor solar powered christmas fairy lights for some winter sparkle without adding to your carbon footprint.
Christmas cards
An estimated 1.7 billion Christmas cards are sent each year in Britain, the equivalent of 200,000 trees, and around 1 million Christmas cards are thrown away every year. I try to send recycled Christmas cards (like these designer ones), but you could make your own, or send texts or e-cards instead. After the big day, make sure your Christmas cards don't go to waste – take them to a Woodland Trust recycling point. I like to buy recycled Christmas cards from charities and donate up to 20% to less fortunate people at the same time.
Recycled wrapping paper
There's no point recycling rubbish if you don't buy recycled products! It's estimated that 83 square kilometres of wrapping paper end up in our rubbish bins each year, that's enough to wrap up Guernsey, so I also make sure that I use recycled wrapping paper, and try to wrap presents with ribbon or string instead of sticky tape. Try our designer recycled wrapping paper, by Lisa Jones.
Candles
Paraffin candles are made from petroleum residues so neither do your health or the environment any good. Soy, beeswax or natural vegetable-based candles are better because they biodegrade, are smoke-free, and so more eco friendly.
You can buy some: here
Deck the halls with real holly
Instead of spending money on artificial Christmas decorations that won't biodegrade, let nature decorate your home. House decorations can be made from organic, recycled and scrap materials. Try popcorn, dough, cinnamon sticks, bows, gingerbread, holly, seasonal berries, ivy and evergreen branches – once you have finished with them, you can put them in the composter. You can also get Christmas decorations made from recycled CDs and computer parts from us!
Christmas trees
If you've been wondering which is better, the simple answer is that real trees are the more eco friendly choice. Although artificial trees last for many years they are made from metal and derivatives of PVC, which requires large amounts of energy to make, and also creates by-products such as lead which can be harmful to both the environment and human health. The average life of an artificial tree is just 6 years and given that they are not naturally biodegradable they will potentially pollute a landfill site for many years to come. Most artificial trees sold in the UK are now made in Taiwan and China and so have additional energy costs associated with transport. Real trees are carbon neutral, absorbing as much carbon dioxide as they grow as they will emit when burnt or left to decompose. They are also a wildlife habitat and a naturally renewable resource, and generally feel much nicer in your home. They can be planted in your garden after Christmas, and even used again next year. In 2006, six million Christmas trees took pride of place in British homes and offices. Of these only 10% were recycled and fewer than 5% planted to be re-used next year, so...
Tree Buying Tips
Buy from a small-scale sustainable grower and/or make sure the tree has Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accreditation, you can go to www.soilassociation.org/christmas for a list of producers.
And choose a tree with roots so it can be replanted. If replanting isn’t an option most local councils run Christmas tree recycling schemes. Contact yours or go to www.letsrecycle.com
Or this year, why not start growing your own?
Be battery wise
Families can get through a lot of batteries, particularly at Christmas. Batteries contain toxic chemicals, don't biodegrade and are difficult to recycle. Instead use rechargeable ones or try our new battery wizard, it'll charge even ordinary batteries, or you could try these AA size USB rechargeable batteries. By opening the cap and plugging into a USB connector, you can recharge them pretty much anywhere there's a USB socket. You'll never have to search for a charger again.
Buy an organic turkey
10 million turkeys are eaten every Christmas. If you can, try to make sure it has been reared in humane conditions. Organic turkeys taste better too. I try to buy my Christmas food locally, shopping at farmers markets or buying direct from the farmer is far cheaper than buying organic in the supermarket. Think of the benefits – the taste of chemical-free food, the reduction in food miles and CO2 emissions, and reduced dependence on oil. Buying locally produced food also boosts rural jobs.
Recycle your unwanted presents
Unfortunately everyone receives at least one unwanted gift at Christmas. I often recycle my unwanted presents to charities. Local hospitals and hospices are often very pleased to receive unwanted smellies to give to patients. Or you could try our regifting forum - and swap them for other people's unwanted gifts!
Give a charity or environmentally friendly gift
Sponsor an animal or give a membership to a charity or environmental organisation for Christmas. Or of course, you could buy an eco friendly gift from Nigel's Eco Store!
With a little planning anyone can give presents that are thoughtful, original and make a difference to the environment too, and...
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD my FREE E-BOOK: How to Have a Good Xmas.
Monday, December 20, 2010
10 Brilliant Weekend Ideas
This article was brought to you by Canadian Family
http://www.canadianfamily.ca/articles/article/10-brilliant-weekend-ideas/
think outside the pumpkin patch and discover some new, offbeat family adventures. We’ve got 10 cool weekend ideas to get your fall moving and shaking.
1 Hunt for some ’shrooms
Add a twist to a traditional hike and forage for some edible (non-psychedelic!) fungi. “Our kids, aged eight and 11, are expert at identifying chanterelles,” says Alison Dyer of St. John’s, Nfld. “Chanterelle hunting is done furtively – you don’t want to give your spot away. When one of us finds them, we yell our code word: ‘custard.’” (For links to mushroom-related sites, including safety, check out fungi.ca.)
Or consider fall’s other booty. Blackberries are everywhere, but so are blueberries and salmonberries in B.C., Saskatoon berries in the prairies, and partridgeberries in Newfoundland and Labrador.
2 Rock out together
Music is a great way to bond as a family. “I first took my daughter to a Def Leppard concert when she was nine, and she’s 20 now,” says Jill McNulty of Calgary. “Last year, we even drove to California to catch an Aerosmith gig.” Whether your tastes run to classical or hip hop, there’s probably an all-ages show happening near you. Consider the Canadian Deep Roots Festival in Wolfville, N.S., featuring all-ages rhythm workshops and family singalongs, or a Bunch Family Dance Party held in locations like Toronto’s über-hip Drake Hotel.
3 Go gallery hopping
While the idea of unleashing your little monsters on fine art may seem ridiculous, the wide-open spaces of most public art galleries are practically made for families. “People assume we’re like a library – that you have to be completely quiet and that young children aren’t welcome,” says Lora Carroll, education program coordinator at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria in B.C. Their range of programs for kids from two to 12 aims to break down those barriers and to get kids hooked on art. At monthly “Family Sunday” events, kids and their parents let loose with paint, sculpture, collage and even Chinese brushwork. Check out similar programs at public galleries near you.
4 Host a fall fiesta
Counter cool nights with a hot and spicy Mexican-themed party. Kids can dress up with sombreros and play games like pin the tail on the burro while adults chill with margaritas. (Just don’t drink too many before taking a whack at the piñata.) Pick some tunes to suit the mood – anything by Calexico or Ry Cooder would be perfect – and kick up your heels. Chelsea Donaldson of Guelph, Ont., relishes the end-of-summer bbq held by a beloved ex-babysitter every year. “The kids compete to eat the most corn, and the grown- ups play catch-up in the backyard.”
5 Start your own breakfast club
Start a family ritual of going out for breakfast on Sunday mornings, giving everyone a turn choosing where to go. If your five-year-old picks a gelato place, so be it; next time you can choose somewhere healthier. “Ever since my four daughters were very young, we’ve gone for brunch together on the weekends,” says May Yeung of Unionville, Ont. They started with breakfast at Burger King, then moved to dim sum and bistro fare as their taste buds matured.
6 Tweak the apple-farm tradition
Sure, it’s traditional, but even too-cool-for-you teens enjoy an outing to the orchard. “It’s a family tradition for us,” says Sally Erskine Doucette of Dartmouth, N.S. “When my kids were small, they would take a pony ride at the farm. They’re teenagers now but still like going.” Once home, extend the activity by turning your harvest into a yummy pie or heating up some cider.
7 Be department-store divas
Take your little princesses and princes to a department store to score perfume samples and look at all the chic grown-up stuff. Try on hats and gloves, ride the escalators (over and over), and splurge on fresh-squeezed juice and fancy cookies in the cafe. What’s ordinary to you may be a magical palace to your preschooler. Bonus: if the kids see that shopping can be fun, your next trip could be drama free.
8 Get snap happy
Turn your tots on to photography with a Polaroid or digital camera session. “Go with a format that gives instant results, and they’re hooked,” says photographer Adam Greaves, who runs classes for kids at Vancouver community centres. Greaves suggests setting up a photo shoot in your living room, where the kids can direct the rest of the family in a fashion shoot or re-enactment of a story they want to tell. You’ll giggle over the snaps for years to come. Or, get outside and capture the fall flora and colours super-up-close, pop-art style.
9 Learn a wild new skill together
Why not mix up the extracurricular scene and take a class with your child for a change? Think West African drumming at Vancouver’s Britannia Community Services Centre or sushi making at Niagara College in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. While many community centres and schools offer Saturday workshops aimed at families, an adult-learning class may still be suitable for your big kid. Talk with the instructor to see if tweens or teens are welcome.
10 Get up with the birds
Fall is the perfect time to bid adieu to the migrating birds. “Our kids are eight and five now, but we’ve been going up north for years,” says Jim Chliboyko of Winnipeg. “They probably couldn’t care less about the flocks of birds and Vs of geese, but since it means eating at – gasp – McDonald’s and a chance to stay up slightly later, they’re in!” Hey, if it takes a bit of french-fry grease to get closer to nature, we can live with that.
http://www.canadianfamily.ca/articles/article/10-brilliant-weekend-ideas/
think outside the pumpkin patch and discover some new, offbeat family adventures. We’ve got 10 cool weekend ideas to get your fall moving and shaking.
1 Hunt for some ’shrooms
Add a twist to a traditional hike and forage for some edible (non-psychedelic!) fungi. “Our kids, aged eight and 11, are expert at identifying chanterelles,” says Alison Dyer of St. John’s, Nfld. “Chanterelle hunting is done furtively – you don’t want to give your spot away. When one of us finds them, we yell our code word: ‘custard.’” (For links to mushroom-related sites, including safety, check out fungi.ca.)
Or consider fall’s other booty. Blackberries are everywhere, but so are blueberries and salmonberries in B.C., Saskatoon berries in the prairies, and partridgeberries in Newfoundland and Labrador.
2 Rock out together
Music is a great way to bond as a family. “I first took my daughter to a Def Leppard concert when she was nine, and she’s 20 now,” says Jill McNulty of Calgary. “Last year, we even drove to California to catch an Aerosmith gig.” Whether your tastes run to classical or hip hop, there’s probably an all-ages show happening near you. Consider the Canadian Deep Roots Festival in Wolfville, N.S., featuring all-ages rhythm workshops and family singalongs, or a Bunch Family Dance Party held in locations like Toronto’s über-hip Drake Hotel.
3 Go gallery hopping
While the idea of unleashing your little monsters on fine art may seem ridiculous, the wide-open spaces of most public art galleries are practically made for families. “People assume we’re like a library – that you have to be completely quiet and that young children aren’t welcome,” says Lora Carroll, education program coordinator at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria in B.C. Their range of programs for kids from two to 12 aims to break down those barriers and to get kids hooked on art. At monthly “Family Sunday” events, kids and their parents let loose with paint, sculpture, collage and even Chinese brushwork. Check out similar programs at public galleries near you.
4 Host a fall fiesta
Counter cool nights with a hot and spicy Mexican-themed party. Kids can dress up with sombreros and play games like pin the tail on the burro while adults chill with margaritas. (Just don’t drink too many before taking a whack at the piñata.) Pick some tunes to suit the mood – anything by Calexico or Ry Cooder would be perfect – and kick up your heels. Chelsea Donaldson of Guelph, Ont., relishes the end-of-summer bbq held by a beloved ex-babysitter every year. “The kids compete to eat the most corn, and the grown- ups play catch-up in the backyard.”
5 Start your own breakfast club
Start a family ritual of going out for breakfast on Sunday mornings, giving everyone a turn choosing where to go. If your five-year-old picks a gelato place, so be it; next time you can choose somewhere healthier. “Ever since my four daughters were very young, we’ve gone for brunch together on the weekends,” says May Yeung of Unionville, Ont. They started with breakfast at Burger King, then moved to dim sum and bistro fare as their taste buds matured.
6 Tweak the apple-farm tradition
Sure, it’s traditional, but even too-cool-for-you teens enjoy an outing to the orchard. “It’s a family tradition for us,” says Sally Erskine Doucette of Dartmouth, N.S. “When my kids were small, they would take a pony ride at the farm. They’re teenagers now but still like going.” Once home, extend the activity by turning your harvest into a yummy pie or heating up some cider.
7 Be department-store divas
Take your little princesses and princes to a department store to score perfume samples and look at all the chic grown-up stuff. Try on hats and gloves, ride the escalators (over and over), and splurge on fresh-squeezed juice and fancy cookies in the cafe. What’s ordinary to you may be a magical palace to your preschooler. Bonus: if the kids see that shopping can be fun, your next trip could be drama free.
8 Get snap happy
Turn your tots on to photography with a Polaroid or digital camera session. “Go with a format that gives instant results, and they’re hooked,” says photographer Adam Greaves, who runs classes for kids at Vancouver community centres. Greaves suggests setting up a photo shoot in your living room, where the kids can direct the rest of the family in a fashion shoot or re-enactment of a story they want to tell. You’ll giggle over the snaps for years to come. Or, get outside and capture the fall flora and colours super-up-close, pop-art style.
9 Learn a wild new skill together
Why not mix up the extracurricular scene and take a class with your child for a change? Think West African drumming at Vancouver’s Britannia Community Services Centre or sushi making at Niagara College in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. While many community centres and schools offer Saturday workshops aimed at families, an adult-learning class may still be suitable for your big kid. Talk with the instructor to see if tweens or teens are welcome.
10 Get up with the birds
Fall is the perfect time to bid adieu to the migrating birds. “Our kids are eight and five now, but we’ve been going up north for years,” says Jim Chliboyko of Winnipeg. “They probably couldn’t care less about the flocks of birds and Vs of geese, but since it means eating at – gasp – McDonald’s and a chance to stay up slightly later, they’re in!” Hey, if it takes a bit of french-fry grease to get closer to nature, we can live with that.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Eco Friendly Homes and Housing in Canada
This article has been brought to you by www.EcoFirms.org
http://www.ecofirms.org/journal/eco-friendly-homes-and-housing-in-canada/
Eco friendly, or green homes have come a long way in just a short time. Ten years ago, the idea of an eco friendly home created images of large solar panels rising from rooftops. To many people, making a home “green” meant having to turn their lives over to mother nature. Eco friendly homes were for tree huggers, not for the everyday person.
Perception of an eco friendly home
Today, the perception of what an eco friendly home is has changed dramatically, and the results have brought the idea into mainstream society. There is more to an eco friendly home than a series of solar panels. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, an eco friendly home is one that “uses less energy, less natural resources, and releases fewer toxic chemicals.” Additionally, an eco friendly home should be indistinguishable from traditionally constructed homes (Max).
Demand for eco friendly homes
The demand for eco friendly homes is rising across the world. In some places, eco friendly homes are being built from the ground up, while in others, individuals and families are simply upgrading existing homes by using insulating foam, painting with non-toxic paint, and installing wooden floors from sustainable yield forests to make them greener. The benefits of these eco friendly homes can be seen in the amount of money that is saved on energy costs. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a typical home can lose anywhere from 15-20 percent of its cool or warm air as a result of air duct leaks. Eco friendly homes save money by reducing the amount of energy that is wasted through the use of energy efficient appliances and construction materials.
The popularity of eco friendly homes is not limited to the United States. In recent years, there has been a noticeable rise in the demand for eco friendly homes and housing in Canada (Davis). Across the country, individual homes and larger housing complexes are making the decision to go green. In South Ottawa for example, real estate developers are working together with architects, engineers, homeowners, and eco friendly housing experts to help build new eco friendly homes. The goal is to eventually move from building individual green homes to building entire green communities. In this particular South Ottawa effort, the eco friendly homes feature everything from a method of harvesting rainwater to be used for irrigation and a built-in recycling center, to natural ventilation, and fluorescent lights throughout the home.
Another program in Toronto is taking existing homes and converting them to eco friendly ones. The project, known as The Now House project, is taking homes built during World War II and converting them to eco friendly homes. The push toward green homes is so strong in Canada that there is a strong effort not just to create green homes, but to create near-zero or zero energy homes. These homes are designed to produce just as much energy as they use, making for an overall energy use of zero. In fact, the goal is to have every single home in Canada be zero-energy by the year 2030 (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation). The goal seems extremely ambitious, but with contests that boast $50,000 and $100,000 awards for the winning design, the Canadian government feels that a net zero energy house design is not too far away (Dunn).
More and more individuals across the planet are becoming willing participants in the move toward greener, more eco friendly living. Whether it means driving a hybrid vehicle or living in an eco friendly home, the general goal is to minimize the amount of energy wasted and the amount of carbon that is released into the environment. With a drive toward eco friendly homes and housing in Canada and everywhere else, progress is definitely being made.
Written by Martin Jauregui
REFRENCES:
Davis, K. “Eco Friendly Prefab Home Gets Attention.” The Toronto Sun 01 October 2005.
Dunn, C. “All Canadian Homes to be Zero-Energy Homes by 2030.” Design & Architecture 18 July 2006.
Max, S. “Your Home: Is Going Green Worth the Cost?” Money 21 June 2007.
United States Department of Energy. 5 July 2008. U.S. Department of Energy. 1 July 2008 http://www.doe.gov/energyefficiency/
United States Green Building Council. 7 July 2008. U.S.G.B.C. 7 July 2008 http://www.usgbc.org/
http://www.ecofirms.org/journal/eco-friendly-homes-and-housing-in-canada/
Eco friendly, or green homes have come a long way in just a short time. Ten years ago, the idea of an eco friendly home created images of large solar panels rising from rooftops. To many people, making a home “green” meant having to turn their lives over to mother nature. Eco friendly homes were for tree huggers, not for the everyday person.
Perception of an eco friendly home
Today, the perception of what an eco friendly home is has changed dramatically, and the results have brought the idea into mainstream society. There is more to an eco friendly home than a series of solar panels. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, an eco friendly home is one that “uses less energy, less natural resources, and releases fewer toxic chemicals.” Additionally, an eco friendly home should be indistinguishable from traditionally constructed homes (Max).
Demand for eco friendly homes
The demand for eco friendly homes is rising across the world. In some places, eco friendly homes are being built from the ground up, while in others, individuals and families are simply upgrading existing homes by using insulating foam, painting with non-toxic paint, and installing wooden floors from sustainable yield forests to make them greener. The benefits of these eco friendly homes can be seen in the amount of money that is saved on energy costs. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a typical home can lose anywhere from 15-20 percent of its cool or warm air as a result of air duct leaks. Eco friendly homes save money by reducing the amount of energy that is wasted through the use of energy efficient appliances and construction materials.
The popularity of eco friendly homes is not limited to the United States. In recent years, there has been a noticeable rise in the demand for eco friendly homes and housing in Canada (Davis). Across the country, individual homes and larger housing complexes are making the decision to go green. In South Ottawa for example, real estate developers are working together with architects, engineers, homeowners, and eco friendly housing experts to help build new eco friendly homes. The goal is to eventually move from building individual green homes to building entire green communities. In this particular South Ottawa effort, the eco friendly homes feature everything from a method of harvesting rainwater to be used for irrigation and a built-in recycling center, to natural ventilation, and fluorescent lights throughout the home.
Another program in Toronto is taking existing homes and converting them to eco friendly ones. The project, known as The Now House project, is taking homes built during World War II and converting them to eco friendly homes. The push toward green homes is so strong in Canada that there is a strong effort not just to create green homes, but to create near-zero or zero energy homes. These homes are designed to produce just as much energy as they use, making for an overall energy use of zero. In fact, the goal is to have every single home in Canada be zero-energy by the year 2030 (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation). The goal seems extremely ambitious, but with contests that boast $50,000 and $100,000 awards for the winning design, the Canadian government feels that a net zero energy house design is not too far away (Dunn).
More and more individuals across the planet are becoming willing participants in the move toward greener, more eco friendly living. Whether it means driving a hybrid vehicle or living in an eco friendly home, the general goal is to minimize the amount of energy wasted and the amount of carbon that is released into the environment. With a drive toward eco friendly homes and housing in Canada and everywhere else, progress is definitely being made.
Written by Martin Jauregui
REFRENCES:
Davis, K. “Eco Friendly Prefab Home Gets Attention.” The Toronto Sun 01 October 2005.
Dunn, C. “All Canadian Homes to be Zero-Energy Homes by 2030.” Design & Architecture 18 July 2006.
Max, S. “Your Home: Is Going Green Worth the Cost?” Money 21 June 2007.
United States Department of Energy. 5 July 2008. U.S. Department of Energy. 1 July 2008 http://www.doe.gov/energyefficiency/
United States Green Building Council. 7 July 2008. U.S.G.B.C. 7 July 2008 http://www.usgbc.org/
Monday, December 6, 2010
Eco-friendly cement becomes standard in Ontario, Quebec
Ontario and Quebec recognize Holcim Inc’s. PLC cement in building regulations
BY Canadian Manufacturing Daily Staff
MISSISSAUGA‑Holcim Canada Inc. will manufacture a new class of cement called Portland Limestone cement (PLC) that has been written into the Ontario Building Code (OBC) and the Régie du Bâtiment in Quebec as an alternative to general use (GU) cement.
Holcim’s plants in Mississauga and Joliette, Que. have manufactured PLC for customer trials with ready-mix producers and concrete product manufacturers in both provinces.
The PLC manufacturing process is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 130,000 tonnes, the equivalent to taking more than 25,000 cars off the road or planting 3,300,000 trees, and will reduce the dependence on virgin materials, according to the company.
Reductions are achieved because up to 15 per cent of the clinker used to produce regular cement is replaced by limestone. PLC also shows comparable strength performance and can carry similar amounts of supplementary cementing material as GU.
PLC was referenced in the National Building Code of Canada last November and was adopted by Ontario building code on Feb. 17.
BY Canadian Manufacturing Daily Staff
MISSISSAUGA‑Holcim Canada Inc. will manufacture a new class of cement called Portland Limestone cement (PLC) that has been written into the Ontario Building Code (OBC) and the Régie du Bâtiment in Quebec as an alternative to general use (GU) cement.
Holcim’s plants in Mississauga and Joliette, Que. have manufactured PLC for customer trials with ready-mix producers and concrete product manufacturers in both provinces.
The PLC manufacturing process is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 130,000 tonnes, the equivalent to taking more than 25,000 cars off the road or planting 3,300,000 trees, and will reduce the dependence on virgin materials, according to the company.
Reductions are achieved because up to 15 per cent of the clinker used to produce regular cement is replaced by limestone. PLC also shows comparable strength performance and can carry similar amounts of supplementary cementing material as GU.
PLC was referenced in the National Building Code of Canada last November and was adopted by Ontario building code on Feb. 17.
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