Speaking of green culture, eco furniture is one of the ‘all the rage’  things happening in home and office design. Eco home furniture offers different styles from the traditional solid wood designs, to quite hip, modern and modular furniture.

Environmentally friendly furniture does not only help a good cause, it is specially crafted (often by hand) in such a manner that it has minimal negative impacts on the environment. It is sourced from renewable resources with limited or no chemicals used that harm the environment. Herbal oils and polish  minimise the toxicity levels. Furniture which is crafted from recycled material and in turn can also be recycled falls under the same category.

Green living ensures that we do not place unnecessary pressures on the environment. It is easy to find great modern, traditional home designs in furniture that is unique, economical and as desirable as any other furniture made from ‘conventional’ sources. Green furniture has in the past unfairly been seen as boring and unexciting. But that is certainly not the case, it is possible to find many creative designers producing fabulous pieces of furniture for not just those who have a passion for environment friendly products but the wider ‘uninitiated’ who care less about their choices.

Certification : There are many different certifying bodies in this area which you should look out for when buying furniture like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and LEED certification. Also you should note other factors such as whether the furniture is sourced from renewable or recyclable sources and whether the furniture is recyclable, when you decide it is time for a change!!  This time does come eventually! Here are some points you may like to consider when making furniture buying decisions:

• The furniture can be made from rapid renewable or sustainable material such as bamboo. Also, recycled materials includes any material previously used such as factory scraps, salvaged or post-consumer material (old furniture or items people are disposing off). In addition, materials that have gone through very little processing - natural granite, stone, slate, and wood are also considered green, as little energy has been using during the manufacturing process.

• Non-toxic: The furniture should be free from harmful chemicals. The production process should reduce or better still completely eliminate the use of toxic chemicals for production.

• Packaging: Green products should be minimally packaged, preferably with recycled materials.

• There is a eco-friendly stream of building products that reduce the impact on the environment to create a healthy and green system. Bamboo for example is a fast growing grass and when used as a building material like flooring etc, can contribute in eco-friendly homes and construction.

There are some simple facts about environment-friendly furniture. We all can (even if only in a small way) contribute to the green culture that is not just in fashion, but also the correct/moral thing. As the designers follow trends and develop more creative and functional products path, we can all embrace green living.

As I have just finsihed my daily yogurt I have come to the conclusion that this must stop - I am just creating far too many pots. Up until now I have found several avenues for reuse - starting seedlings, storage pots, etc. However I no longer have any other uses for them. The local authority, as is the case with many, do not take them for recycling as they are commonly made out of polystyrene and not eligible for plastic recycling.

So I am looking for a little help here - does anyone have any other usage suggestions for them? I am thinking they could possibly be used for some artwork but not sure what yet.

In the meantime I am going to have to revert to buying bigger pots and splitting them for each day to cut down on landfill waste.

Household produce waste runs not into kg but tonnes!  The vast majority of which then goes as landfill or incineration with resulting negative environmental impacts.  What can we as individuals do to alleviate this situation?  The key is to recycle, re-use and reduce (consumption).

Here are some simple basic tips to help you on your way:

Recycle:

• An average UK individual uses the equivalent of 6 trees of paper annually.  Despite efforts we are not becoming a paperless society.  So what can we do?  The first is obvious; we must recycle paper.  When printing do you print on both sides? No?!?! Well start.
• Secondly, sort out your waste.  Keep paper separate and take to your local authority for recycling (shredding anything that is confidential).  In certain circumstances it is also possible to compost this paper – although you need to measure this carefully with other contents in your compost bin (more on this in another article)
• All organic waste – vegetable peelings, grass cuttings, tea bags – should also be sorted and set aside for the compost bin.
• Glass, plastic, aluminium, like paper should all be set aside before going in the dustbin and taken to the local authority for recycling.  For larger items that you need to dispose of try www.freecycle.org and/or charity shops.  It is much better for the environment to pass clothes onto someone in need rather than throw them out to end up in landfill.

Reuse:

• Clothes that are not fit to be used by someone else can be used for another purpose – rags for the garage, dusters for the house, etc. 
• When shopping try and minimise need for plastic bags.  Plastic bags are very difficult to recycle.  So acquire sustainable shopping bags that you can re-use time and time again.  If applicable make sure you always have bags in your car for all those last minute shopping trips.
• If products you purchase come in tubs – such as ice cream – then re-use for packed lunches rather than using clingfilm.
• Use scrap paper for jotting down notes.  Similarly for used envelopes (if you cannot reuse them to send out)

Reduce:

• Reducing energy consumption is key for environmental sustainability.
• Switch off all lights when not in the room, switch off electrics rather than use standby mode.
• Use rechargeable batteries where possible - they will last several hundred uses!

These are just a few of many tips on doing your bit for the environment and inhabiting the world in a more sustainable manner.  More tips are likely to follow on this blog, in the meantime I would like to hear your ideas and tips.