Conservation Tips & Props

As the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI) celebrates the 41st anniversary of Earth Day, investing member companies remind consumers about the sustainability benefits and superior recycling attributes of steel – making it the most cost-effective, durable option for all market applications.

The North American steel industry has invested billions of dollars in new technologies over the past two decades. Expenditures directed towards these investments have had notable results, including reductions in energy consumption, reduced CO2 emissions, a reduced life cycle impact and increased recycling.  Since 1990, the industry has reduced energy intensity per ton of steel produced by 30 percent and CO2 emissions by 35 percent.

“Steel is integral to a modern society that enjoys a high quality of life, as we do in America. From the cars we drive to the bridges we cross, steel plays an essential role. It also provides safe packaging for the foods we eat, is a central material in the appliances we use and is the framing structure for the buildings in which we live and work. All of these steels will be recycled and re-appear as even better products, ensuring a safe and secure future,” Lawrence W. Kavanagh, president of SMDI, said. “In addition to being the world’s most recycled material, steel provides consumers with a number of benefits, such as improved fuel economy and reduced emissions in today’s vehicles, up to 40 percent cooling cost savings for buildings with reflective metal roofs, and reliable and recyclable steel utility poles that withstand wind and ice.”Kavanagh concluded that companies that select steel for their products are making the environmentally responsible choice.

SMDI, a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute, grows and maintains the use of steel through strategies that promote cost-effective solutions in the automotive, construction and container markets, as well as for new growth opportunities in emerging steel markets.  For more information, visit www.smdisteel.org.

In the not-too-distant future it’s possible, and even likely, that new subdivisions or “sustainable community” developments will follow a blueprint similar to Serosun Farms in Hampshire, IL.

This residential development located on 410 acres in Kane County and about 65 miles west of Chicago features custom homes that emphasize environmentally sustainable living.

But it also offers surroundings that fit right in with that concept, giving the title of “sustainable community” some significant meaning, while establishing what many believe will be a growing trend.

The buyers of these homes will be working closely with the developer, John DeWald & Associates, when discussions take place about design and construction. Architects and builders at Serosun Farms incorporate passive design elements that take into effect wind and sun patterns.

Another key green feature is a rainwater collection system, and geothermal heating and cooling.

With the homebuilders focusing on building and design aspects that aid the environment, those who live in the community will notice plenty of other “green” aspects will become part of daily life.

The community offers a farmer’s market with fresh produce, flowers, free-range poultry, grass-fed beef and other specialty items.

Wildlife habitats and prairie restoration will be incorporated into the grounds and surrounding areas.

Hay will be produced to support an equestrian center in the community, while permeable driveways and prairie grasses will ease rainwater runoff.

Residents will have access to community garden plots, allowing them the option of growing their own vegetables and fruits.

In ever-increasing numbers, American consumers are deciding that it’s important to be clean and green. A recent survey from the Soap and Detergent Association shows that Americans are taking numerous steps to make their laundry habits more environmentally friendly.

The National Cleaning Survey reveals that more U.S. households are laundering in cold water and switching to multi-purpose cleaning products. Echo Research questioned 1,000 American adults, including 500 men and 500 women, asking what changes, if any, they have made to their cleaning routines in the past year.

According to the survey:

• 58 percent are washing laundry in cold water more frequently.

• 41 percent have switched to multi-purpose cleaning products.

• 38 percent use refillable cleaning products.

• 36 percent bought high-efficiency or energy-efficient washers or dryers.

• 29 percent do laundry less frequently.

• 12 percent make their own cleaning products.

“Consumers are making conscious decisions about cleaning products and practices that support their beliefs,” says Nancy Bock, SDA Vice President of Education. “They are not choosing products as they did in the past.”

Additionally, Americans seem to be reading their detergent label directions a lot more than in the past. The 2010 SDA survey shows 62 percent of respondents say they have read the directions on a package of laundry detergent, vs. 38 percent who say they never have read the package. When SDA last asked that question in 2003, 49 percent said they had not read the detergent directions.

“Cleaning products are changing. Reading the label takes the guesswork out of dosage,” says Bock. “With newer detergent products introduced in recent years, it’s more important than ever to read the label and use the proper amount of detergent in the washer.”

Visit SDA’s website for information on laundry and fabric care products at:

http://www.cleaning101.com/laundry

One of the most common kitchen appliances is becoming more affordable for those who are green conscious, especially in the area of energy savings, and will soon be available in the United States with models that cut down on chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) or hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant emissions.

Known more commonly as Freon, the CFC emissions were common in refrigerators that Americans purchased prior to 1966 and considered a threat to the ozone layer. More recently, refrigerators have used the HFC refrigerant that has been tied to global warming. Since the 1990s, environmentalists have been pushing to stop emissions of CFCs or HFCs into the atmosphere by encouraging the use of a hydrocarbon refrigerant, which is a more natural combination of hydrogens and carbons that do not degrade the ozone and are easily broken down by the sun.

Refrigerator manufacturers have responded in recent years by making it more affordable to purchase a “green” refrigerator, one using high-efficiency motors and vacuum insulated panels that consume less power. Within the next year, the use of hydrocarbons will become more commonplace as well. Germany is credited by environmentalists with starting this trend toward hydrocarbon refrigerants in 1993, which was about the same time that the U.S. began embracing HFCs as a replacement for CFCs.

Although refrigerators account for far less global consumption of HFCs than air-conditioners in automobiles, it is believed that an HFC refrigerator’s impact on the climate is nearly 4,000 times more potent over a 20-year period than the far more common greenhouse gas of carbon dioxide.

Since the first Greenfreeze refrigerator was sold in Germany early in 1993, it is estimated that more than 400 million hydrocarbon household units have been sold by major manufacturers such as Whirlpool, Haier and Sanyo.

While Americans wait for that option, they can still obtain energy-efficient models and do their own maintenance to keep the appliance from draining unnecessary power. Vacuuming the refrigerator coils at least once a year helps maintain energy-efficient operation. The seal around the refrigerator door can be checked by closing the door on a dollar bill. Replace the gasket if the bill falls out or can be easily removed without opening the door. Keep door gaskets clean of mold and mildew with mild detergent and water, not bleach, say the experts.

When an international food service makes a change in its process that is “green friendly,” it can equate to saving money as well as the environment. This is of particular importance for school districts, and the Geneva School District in Illinois is about to benefit from a new policy by Sodexo, Inc., a leading provider of integrated food services and facilities management.

The district recently announced that Sodexo will begin using reusable plastic baskets instead of the disposable Styrofoam trays that were used to serve lunch in all of the district’s six elementary schools.

Sodexo estimates that it feeds more than 1,000 elementary students and goes through approximately 195,000 Styrofoam trays in a school year. In addition to keeping all of those trays from ending up in landfills, the school district stands to save about $8,000 a year in food service costs.

A press release from the school district cited the benefits from a Sodexo official at the district.

“Using the plastic basket will reduce the amount of waste we produce, reduce garbage collection, and save time in the lunch room at clean-up,” said Sodexo General Manager Becky Selcke.  “This is a positive direction for us to be moving in and a positive step for the environment.”

A plastic food basket is common at fast-food and family restaurants, or bars and pubs that offer food, and the baskets used in the elementary schools will have some of the same features.

The baskets will be lined with wax paper and will be washed and sanitized daily.  Students’ hot lunch items will be placed on the wax paper, and sides like salads can either be put in the basket or into a paper “boat,” which is poly coated to prevent food from leaking out. The school district reported that its middle schools already use plastic baskets for lunch service, and its high school has also replaced the use of Styrofoam plates with paper “boats” to serve pizza, deli sandwiches, and other meal choices.

Sodexo policies can have significant impact on environmental initiatives as it carries out green-friendly measures with many of its clients. The company employs 355,000 people worldwide and is present on 30,600 sites (private corporations, hotels, hospitals, schools, military bases, correctional facilities, etc.) in 80 countries. In North America, the company employs 120,000 people.

This is a program run by the U.S. Green Building Council. The USGBC is non-governmental organization, with over 20,000 members and 79 chapters. Its sole purpose, to promote green buildings.

Here’s a simplified look at how LEED works. Architects, developers and builders who want their buildings to be green work towards getting LEED certification. LEED certification comes when they earn a certain number of points. Points are awarded when they meet certain goals in six areas:

Sustainable Sites – that means they choose the right place to build their building, and work to make sure their building fits the site. Frank Lloyd Wright would have approved of this one – he was known for making his structures fit into the site, rather than changing the site to fit the structure.

Water Efficiency – obviously, that they take into consideration water usage of the building. Using landscaping that doesn’t need too much water, planning ways for rainwater to be efficiently taken care of, maybe even finding ways to use “brown” water for plantings.

Energy and Atmosphere – that the building is energy efficient, doesn’t create of lot of air pollution, maybe uses solar panels.

Materials and Resources – LEED emphasizes using recycled materials and sustainable materials – such as bamboo floors instead of regular hardwood floors, kitchen countertops made from recycled glass rather than granite, and carpets made from recycled plastic pop bottles rather than from virgin petroleum, etc.

Indoor Environmental Quality – this means the air the occupants breathe is fresh, so they use paints with low volatile organic compounds, they use adhesives that don’t release noxious fumes, they put in more hard floors than carpets, and when they do put in carpets, they’re the kind that don’t have a lot of fumes.

Innovation and Design Process – this is a category that allows LEED points to be earned for going above and beyond the other requirements.
To learn more: http://www.usgbc.org

The Forest Stewardship Council is a non-profit organization that makes sure wood products bearing its logo come from properly managed forests and ecologically sensitive logging practices. The Council works with third-party auditors who track the wood products – including paper– from the forest to the consumer to make sure they are properly handled the whole way. Learn more about FSC’s paper certification process at:

http://www.fscus.org/paper/.

An energy audit is a great way to discover places for you to save energy – and money. The first step in an energy audit is to talk to your power company. Many offer free audits that attempt to weed out energy wasting habits. Second, consider energy management software. These programs track your usage and help you identify areas of waste. Take a demo of the Energy Lens program at: http://www.energylens.com

If neither of those steps satisfy you, you may want to call in a pro. Many consultants these days conduct energy audits that identify air leaks, wasteful equipment, places that need more insulation,and such. Look online under “energy consultants” to find one near you.

Using wind turbines has been a major trend in alternative energy. Unfortunately, research from the University of Texas at Austin is looking at how the rising temperatures caused by global warming are reducing wind speeds, making turbines an uncertain investment. Winds occur when there is a strong temperature contrast, but with increasing temperatures, the discrepancy is decreasing. But researchers state that this data shouldn’t discourage wind turbine use, rather we should invest now, to utilize wind potential.
http://news.discovery.com/earth/wind-power-fading-with-climate-change.html

Summer is a time for pools, popsicles, and parching pavement. Fortunately engineers at the University of Rhode Island are researching methods to use this hot heat to melt ice off roadways in the winter, power street lamps and signs, and heat buildings. Because asphalt temperatures can reach up to 140 degrees harnessing the heat would be very practical. Engineers are looking at a variety of methods including placing photovoltaic cells on highways and water-filled pipes under the road that would be heated. These methods promise another method of alternative energy use, diminishing dependence on fossil fuels.
http://www.uri.edu/news/releases/?id=5584