Valentine’s Day The Eco-Friendly Way

Hayley Cowlishaw 11th February 2022 No Comments Blog

Valentine’s Day can have a huge impact on the environment. Over 40 million of people in the UK are expected to celebrate this year. So that’s over 40 million cards covered in glitter, glue and metallics that are not recyclable. We also spend over £1 billion on gifts like balloons, teddy bears and decorations that are impossible to recycle. Consequently these end up in landfills.

But, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate the day of love! We should just be more mindful of how we choose to. Here are a few ideas for a more sustainable Valentine’s Day.

Eco-Friendly Cards

Why not give the ultimate personal touch, and make your own card? Have a rummage through your recycle bins and junk drawers for things you could use and let your artistic side run wild. Another option is buying from an eco-friendly company. I have found a fantastic business that hand makes cards from 100% recycled paper and seeds. After use the card can be planted in your garden and will grow into beautiful flowers! Check them out here – Eco Friendly Cards.

Did you know, ash from your fire can be a useful additive to your compost heap? or, it can be applied directly to fallow ground and dug in.

Get Your Bake On!

Show how much you love someone by spending a couple of hours in the kitchen making them a sweet treat. Cupcakes are really simple to make and perfect for sharing too. You can’t go wrong with cookies, and you can decorate them to your recipients taste. If you don’t have much time, chocolate-dipped strawberries are a guaranteed winner. Drizzle white chocolate over milk chocolate for the extra wow factor!

Swap Flowers For A Plant

Cut-flowers are a beautiful gift to receive, but unfortunately they don’t last. Wouldn’t it be much better to receive a house plant, that with care and attention, will stay alive. House plants act as a natural filter to indoor pollution, research found that there are over 50 houseplant types that remove pollutants and gases. And that’s not all, it’s a gift that keeps on giving! Plants have also shown to lower stress levels and help to improve your wellbeing.

So show the planet some love this Valentine’s Day and opt for the eco friendly way!

Happy Valentine’s Day ♥

How to Help The Environment in 5 Simple Steps

Hayley Cowlishaw 29th June 2021 No Comments Blog

It is important that we all know how to help the environment. Just a few simple changes to the way we live can have a huge impact, not only the environment but your bank account too! Being mindful of your consumption habits can save you money.

Being environmentally friendly can be a fun challenge for all the family, so get the kids involved too! Just think how much cleaner the planet would be if everyone adopted even 1 or 2 of the following changes…

1. Leave the car at home

Ditch the car for short journeys in favour of walking or cycling. For your commute to work, could you use public transport or car share?

2. Re-use

Not only will this save you money it will save resources and energy to manufacture new ‘stuff’. When shopping, always use a reusable bag. Plastic bags end up in landfills or other parts of the environment, which can then become harmful to animals. You can also minimise the use of disposable cups and bottles by always carrying a reusable alternative.

3. Recycle

Recycling is so simple, always make use of your recycling bins at home and visit your local recycling centre regularly.

4. Shop local

Shopping locally not only supports small businesses but reduces your carbon footprint too! Check out local retailers before you click for that next day shipping. You can visit your local farmers market for fresh, package-free food.

5. Save water

Conserving water at home is easy, simply turning of the tap when brushing your teeth makes a difference. Collecting rainwater to water your plants and only turning on your dishwasher when it’s full are great habits too.

Undoubtedly, big changes are needed, but little ones do add up. Knowing how to help the environment by following these simple lifestyle choices can reduce your carbon footprint and make a major impact on the planet.

How To Look After Indoor Plants

Jess Hill 6th March 2020 No Comments Blog

With spring approaching and new plants, flourishing you may be thinking of adding extra things to your home to spruce it up. Well, why not get some indoor plants, they have so many benefits and make your home feel very cozy.

Benefits of indoor plants

Boost mood, productivity, concentration and creativity
Reduce stress, fatigue, sore throats and colds
Clean indoor air by absorbing toxins, increasing humidity and producing oxygen
Add life to a sterile office, give privacy and reduce noise levels

Succulents

These are very trendy and easy to find. Popular succulents are living stones, lithops, money plant and crassula ovata.

How to keep them alive

they need plenty of light but don’t let them get chilled or sunburned.
If your plant starts to stretch or get tall it is not getting enough light
Grow them in gritty free-draining compost and allow them to dry out completely between watering
Never let them stand in water

Cactus

There are so many different types of cactus. Bunny eared Opuntia cacti produces prickly pads and the Barrel Cactus with its bright yellow spines are perfect for growing on windowsills. Moon cactus are also popular and especially with children as they are fun and funky plants that have a small round top cactus, which can be red, orange of yellow, grafted on top of a taller green base specimen.

happiest in a sunny spot
Don’t overwater them
Place in gritty, free-draining compost and water with tepid rainwater
Wait till the compost has dried before watering again

Fern

These come in different varieties but not all make good houseplants. Maidenhair, asparagus and sword ferns will grow in cool shady spots like the bathroom or kitchen.

grow best in bright light with some shaded spots midday
Poor light can be tolerated for short periods
The plant will die if room temp is below 10 degrees
Keep the compost permanently moist
In hot dry air mist those leaves to prevent browning and drying to a crisp
Throughout spring and summer give ferns some dilute liquid feed every couple of weeks.

Geranium

The best ones to grow inside are those with scented leaves. Some popular choices are the rose-scented pelargonium capitatum and lemon-scented pelargonium citronellum.

grow them in a sunny position but not in a spot hit by the full midday sun
Water moderately during spring and summer
Avoid the compost becoming too wet
Feed plants every 10- 14 days with high nitrogen fertilizer in spring
Pinch out the shoot tips in late winter to encourage growth
Once flowers start to form switch to a high potassium fertilizer such as tomato feed.

5 Reasons Wood Burners Are Good For You

Jess Hill 24th January 2020 No Comments Blog

As people are becoming more aware of pollution wood burners are getting a lot of heat [pun not intended] from the media and activist groups. However, there are benefits to wood burners and ways to decrease any potentially harmful particulates.

Drying the air

Wood burners are very good at drying out damp environments which will make your home more pleasant and breathable. By keeping the air in your home free from moisture will prevent mold from forming which could lead to health problems.

Repelling allergens

Log fireplaces can help reduce the number of allergens in the air. These can get caught in the updraft of hot air from the fire. This will carry them out through the chimney or flue.

Providing relaxation

When it is cold and miserable outside there’s nothing better than sitting by a warm fire. A wood burner can really make a house feel more homely. You can also use your fire to cook on adding another element to your wood burner.

Cut down on heating bills

As heating bills rise more people find it hard to heat their homes. Having a wood burner can be very economical by saving you money on your heating bills. While you may have to still use your heating in other rooms having the option to lessen your heating bill while keeping warm is a win-win.

Good for the environment

Wood is carbon-neutral fuel, the amount of carbon dioxide given off when burnt is equal to the amount consumed by other trees which absorbs the carbon dioxide and releases oxygen.

There are other alternative fuels like coffee logs that are made from used coffee beans. Both wood and coffee logs work well with firemizer which will reduce your fuel consumption, reduce particulates and creosote in your flue.

Pollution

firemizer_admin 2nd February 2018 No Comments Blog, News

The Dangers of Pollution:

As of the 21^st century, growing levels of pollution have contributed to 6.5 million deaths per year. Air pollution in particular (the release of pollutants into the air) causes skin and lung irritation and lasting blood disorders. Dioxins, lead and mercury pollutants can also cause significant damage to the immune, reproductive and central nervous systems.

The origin of these pollutants ranges from wildfires to the release of industrial chemicals to burning fossil fuels resulting in harmful smog, radiation, increased pollen production and the extreme weather. However, the most destructive consequence of pollution is the rising of global surface temperatures – this causes sea levels to rise and the transmission of infectious diseases far more probable. Cities of dangerously high pollution levels are no longer limited to industrial powerhouses like New Delhi and Beijing; London and Los Angeles are rapidly catching up. As the ‘State of the Air’ Association reported in 2017, 125 million Americans lived in counties of elevated particle pollution. Escalated surface temperatures could be one of the prime contributors of the devastating natural disasters that hit America in 2017.

Combating pollution doesn’t have to start on a global scale – we can start it ourselves at home. It can be as simple as cycling to work, or recycling waste goods and generating electricity via solar panels. Buying locally-sourced food and products also reduces the levels of fossil fuels needed in transportation, so it also pays to shop with small businesses too.

Wood-Burning Pollution:

The process of burning wood and coal also contributes to higher levels of air pollutants within our homes. London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Environmental Secretary Michael Gove have both expressed disdain towards the 1.5 million wood stoves already fitted in Britain (with a further 200,000 sold every year). Gove shows an interest in the banning of house coal and unseasoned wood, despite smokeless alternatives being considerably more expensive.

In 2015, 40% of the UK’s particulates originated from domestic stoves and fireplaces, double what was produced by diesel cars. Khan has outlined his ideas for awarding local governments the authority to fine those in high pollution areas who continue to use wood or coal as their primary heating source. Firemizer has backing from Nottingham and Cambridge Universities who have independently tested and confirmed the product’s claims of conserving solid fuel resources whilst improving heat output.

Omni-Test Laboratories in Oregon also concluded that it reduces pollutants (produced by burning wood and coal) by up to 72%. This means that Firemizer can not only help you save up to a third of your wood or coal costs (meaning less solid fuel used overall and less fossil fuel used on transportation if sourced locally), but also it can significantly reduce the harmful pollutants released into your home and potentially prevent those in high-emission areas from receiving fines.

Tag: environment