Archive for May, 2012

Recycling Industrial Equipment

Essential parts are simple to find online

There is a large debate going on at the moment about the use of industrial machinery and the most economic way to implement green change in a way that will have a positive effect on the environment without damaging the structure of industries like agriculture. One thing that is grossly overlooked when it comes to most forms of industry is the use of recycled equipment and machinery. It is very possible to repair, upgrade and improve old machinery in order to make it apply to new standards on safety, efficiency and functionality.

One of the reasons that this has been overlooked in the past is because it can be hard to procure precisely the right materials. But since the advent of the internet it is perfectly possible to buy used tractors very cheaply and to upgrade them with parts like catalytic converters to make them more energy efficient. The cost of this process is far lower than it would be to purchase a brand new tractor, yet the finished result is the same.

Recycling your old machinery online, repairing it or repurposing it yourself helps to greatly reduce the huge scrapping crisis that we are facing from industry in particular as the scrap large machines and a lot of the working parts end up on the scrapheap or getting melted down unnecessarily. What may have become useless to you may be very valuable to somebody else just because their needs are different. The B2B trade market can benefit greatly from the mutual trade of industrial equipment.

Rather than letting these machines fall into disrepair through neglect and underuse, if you realise that an item has become surplus to requirements, you can get a very decent price for equipment through the second hand market. Taking the time to research the value of what you are selling is essential, just as it would be if you were in the market to buy. It is important to make sure that you have all the knowledge and will get a good deal.

The importance of practices like these can not be understated and has already been seen to make a considerable difference in an industry that can be the most environmentally damaging of all. In Europe they have noticed the rise of ‘green agriculture‘ as farmers and producers take it upon themselves to make a positive difference to the environment with the hope that policy makers will take notice and actually catch up with them rather than waiting for slow systematic change. The benefits of recycling equipment is that it does not have to make a difference to your day to day routine and with enough research and time devoted to maintenance it can result in a cheaper solution for the farmers that take it on board.

Keep Reading →

Popularity Of Biomass Boilers Is Predicted To Go Through The Roof

Biomass heating is certainly nothing new, wood was used for fuel long before fossil fuels became our main source of generating heat. The benefits in using biomass is the amount of carbon dioxide released is the same as when the trees and plants were growing, providing those plants and trees used for biomass fuel is continually replaced to ensure the process is sustainable.

There are different types of biomass heating systems that can burn wood, chips, logs and pellets.  As well as biodiesel boilers which run off animal fats and oils. Which one you choose is mostly led by the need as these boilers can heat one room to providing power to hot water boilers and central heating for an entire house. However, like all renewable heat technologies, for optimal performance it is vital a home is well insulated and is as energy efficient as it can be.

In addition, this maybe an obvious point to make, but whichever heat generating system you prefer to opt for, it’s crucially important to have the correct capacity as the wrong capacity can result in increased fuel consumption and a reduction in the systems efficiency.
If installing one of the renewable heat technologies is of interest then it’s worth taking advantage of the financial reward scheme currently in place, which is the second phase of the renewable heat premium payment scheme operated by the UK Government. This one off grant payment is only available up until the 31 Mar 2013, which is then expected to be replaced by the renewable heat incentive scheme sometime in 2013. Although it is worth noting pellet and log stoves are not eligible for the renewable heat premium payment scheme, and they are not expected to be supported by the renewable heat incentive scheme either.

A report mapping out the future for renewable heat technologies supported by the renewable heat incentive scheme has recently been published by Sustainable Venture, the report’s findings suggests the renewable heat market and in particular biomass boilers should expect steady but not spectacular growth between now and 2014, with significant growth expected from 2015 onwards. The report also suggests air source heat pumps could potentially see explosive growth in the commercial sector if that technology is part of the renewable heat incentive scheme. Based on this reports research, the UK’s future is looking positive in its efforts to further reduce its CO2 emissions.

Simon Colley writes on behalf of Renewables Guide, the UK’s leading resource to find MCS accredited installers of renewable heat technology such as biomass boilers.

Keep Reading →

Earth’s Environment Getting Worse Ahead Of Rio +20 Meeting

20 years after the Rio Earth Summit, and shortly before this year’s Rio +20 meeting of leaders a report has shown that the worlds environment is getting worse. It has confirmed a huge 30% decline in wildlife across the globe since 1970.

The Living Planet Report has been compiled by the WWF and uses data from more than 9,000 animal populations across the globe. The diversity of animals and plants has been hit the hardest, affecting the basis of such resources as clean water.

Increasing population, urbanization, migration to cities, increased energy use, soaring carbon dioxide emissions and many other factors have all contributed to the squeeze on the planets resources.

The latest Living Planet report has estimated grim figures for the future. It says that global demand for resources has doubled since 1996 and it now takes 1.5 years to regenerate the renewable resources which are used in one year. The report predicts that by 2030 the current demand on resources will require the equivalent of two planets to supply.

It also states that many of the changes have accelerated over the past decade, despite numerous summits and meetings over this time designed to slow this change. For example, Carbon emissions have increased 40% in the past twenty years, with two thirds of it happening over the last ten.

Looking to the future, one of the major points is sustainable population growth. Although the global population hit 7 billion in 2011, the population growth rate has dropped, from 1.65% to 1.2% since 1992, which is a step in the right direction to decrease our impact on the planet.

Keep Reading →

Environmental Awareness For Business Advertising

When most people think of a businesses priorities, environmental awareness would traditionally be at the bottom. Constantly increasing pressure from government legislation and charity groups have forced businesses to be more environmentally aware, from the disposal of their everyday waste to energy consumption.

Recycling helps cut our resource usage drastically

The number and type of items that can be recycled is always increasing, as is the ease of recycling for the everyday user. These factors encourage people to conserve resources and help slow the damage we cause to the planet.

Conservation and environmental awareness is a hot topic and people are increasingly aware of their impact on the planet. Recycling has been increasing rapidly over many years now, with numerous items now made partly or wholly from recycled products. Sourcing products from more local areas has also increased as people try to do their bit to help the environment from the bottom up.

Businesses big and small can take advantage of these changes in trends by producing products which are more considerate of the environment and take advantage of peoples moral convictions. This is not always possible for every business, but even gestures of good intent and incentives within businesses can be publicised in a positive manner to help you.

Recycled pencils made from old newpapers

 

A good way to promote your company and it’s morals is to produce environmentally friendly promotional items. Companies that deal in promotional gifts offer wide ranges of products to suit all tastes, from recycled pens to re-usable bags which can come in handy in many ways. These types of product are often made from recycled materials which have been collected in large quantities, such as rubber from tyres or paper from magazines. Some items utilise otherwise wasteful material and turn them into functional items, helping reduce waste products. Others can simply be more efficient versions of everyday objects, such as wind-up torches, radios and solar powered items.

Keep Reading →

What Is Global Dimming?

Many cities suffer problems with smog, a factor in global dimming.

Everyone has heard of global warming (Whether you agree with it or not is an argument for another time), but not many people will have heard of global dimming.

When the suns energy reaches the earth, it can often get reflected or absorbed, changing the climate of certain areas. Pollution such as aerosols, car fumes and other human activities are thought to be the main cause of this phenomenon.

The amount of sunlight affected by this varies over the globe, being higher in the northern hemisphere than the southern. There are many factors thought to contribute to this; including the earths natural atmospheric changes and variations in the suns energy. These factors have probably been increased by the affect of mankind on the planet, as the data over the past 50 years backs up.

This could create problems in the future, but for now it is something that should be monitored and taken into consideration when global warming patterns are looked at. There is a full article here with more information.

Keep Reading →