Tag: Sustain

Is It Possible To Source Wood Sustainably?

Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and STEM. Wood has been an important natural resource which dates back to ancient times. In today’s world, with the demands across the globe, sustainability is a major concern. The following contributed post is entitled, Is It Possible To Source Wood Sustainably?

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If you’re looking at starting a business and you have sustainability on your mind, then getting your hands on materials that cause as little waste and disruption to environments as possible might well be part of your agenda. However, when it comes to products that are made of wood, what are your options? Can you source wood sustainably, and how do you do it while reducing your impact on the environment as much as possible?

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Using recycled trees

One of the ways to reduce wood waste is to make sure that we are making more use of wood that has already been used. Recycled wood, also known as reclaimed wood, has previously been harvested and used for one purpose, and may be used for another. This naturally decreases the number of new trees being felled and can reduce the cost of wood resources by a significant degree. The only issue is that previously used wood has usually already been processed for very specific purposes, so finding the wood that fits the purpose of your own products can take a lot of time.

Selective tree harvesting

If you’re looking to use wood from newly cut trees, then there are ways to make sure that you’re still sourcing them sustainably. For instance, many companies have moved from what is known as “clear cutter,” aka cutting down entire swathes of trees, to selective tree harvesting. Trees are selected based on their viability for the product as well as how much environmental impact removing them might have, marked with tree marking paint, and cut down individually. As such, this can ensure that logging operations don’t lead to environmental devastation.

Know your sustainably managed forests

Of course, for those who don’t plan to harvest the wood themselves, you have to be much more selective about where your wood comes from, in that case. Checking where your suppliers source their wood can reveal a lot about the environmental impact of their operations. Sustainable wood supply is a growing trend in the supply industry, and you can ask about whether or not the company sources their wood from sustainably managed forests, which means that the supplier takes care to ensure that the forest isn’t being over-used or at risk of clear-cutting.

Managing pollution

It’s not just the clearing of too many trees that can cause problems with a forest via the wood trade, of course. Harvesting best management practices have been introduced across the globe to prevent issues such as increased water run-off, sediment flows in forests, as well as plant litter, all of which can impact a natural environment a lot more than you might assume at first. To that end, improving things such as waste management at logging sites and the logistics around those sites to prevent litter and overly high disturbance of the environment have been helping a lot.

With the tips above, hopefully, you can find your methods of using wood for your products sustainably, whether it’s recycling it, selectively harvesting trees, or ensuring you do as much to preserve eco-systems as you take from them.

7 Tips To Help You Become More Sustainable

Three focuses of my blog are Business/Entrepreneurship, Organizational and Management Discussions, and STEM. An important considerations for many individuals and business is sustainability. Our lives and activities can be done, while still maintaining the environment. The following contributed post is entitled, 7 Tips To Help You Become More Sustainable.

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Photo by Akil Mazumder from Pexels

Throughout the years there have been numerous reports stating how humans are damaging the environment. This has led to people wanting to discover the ways in which they can do their bit for the environment. However, despite many businesses starting to implement sustainable practices, many people still aren’t doing this at home.

A key way of improving poor air quality and pollution, as well as ensuring clean water is accessible to communities, it’s important to realize that sustainability really does start at home.

If you’re wanting to boost your sustainability, here are 7 simple tips that you could use:

1) Upgrade to Solar Energy

Although many newer properties might have solar panels already installed, older houses might still require regular electricity. However, there are so many benefits that come with upgrading to solar panels.

Not only will you see a reduction in your monthly energy bills, but solar panels require little maintenance. Not to mention the biggest pro of all – that it’s a renewable energy source and it’s a big step towards making your home more sustainable.

Although many people worry that solar panels are expensive, as there are now so many providers supplying them and they have been around for several years, the cost is probably lower than you think.

2) Ditch The Plastics

There are so many reasons why you should ditch plastic within your home. Not only is it really harmful to wildlife (the majority ends up in the ocean), but it’s bad for humans and is typically only single-use – meaning that it will end up in landfill after you throw it away.

To become more environmentally-friendly, sustainable flexible packaging is a great choice. With an aim to reduce waste, lower transportation costs (the smaller the truck/the fewer trucks, the less pollution that’s created) and align with sustainability practices, it’s easy to switch to.

3) Buy Locally

Although it might be tempting to always shop in a chain grocery store, it’s far more sustainable to switch to smaller, local stores. By doing this, you’ll reduce your carbon footprint as you won’t be contributing to congestion and pollution.

Also, many local products tend to be organic and pesticide-free, an extra bonus that leads the way to a more sustainable planet.

4) Recycle, Recycle, Recycle

One of the easiest ways to become more sustainable within your home is to recycle. However, you need to do it properly in order for it to be effective.

When done correctly (i.e. you put the plastics and other materials in the right boxes), then you’re helping to reduce the amount of landfill, reduce financial expenditure (products can be created out of recycled products instead of raw materials) and help to reduce the pollution that’s caused by waste.

5) Consider Different Ways to Travel

Although in the short term you could make travel alternatives such as ditching your car and opting for your bike, in the future, it might be time to consider cutting down on the number of flights you take.

Flying as a whole is a very carbon-intensive form of transport and causes incredible amounts of pollution. However, shorter flights tend to take the cake, emitting more carbon emissions than longer flights,

So instead of flying, why not opt for a more eco-friendly mode of transport such as a train. There are so many trains available that can take you far distances, without you having to step foot on a plane.

6) Try Not To Buy More Than You Need

This is an issue that if fixed, could help to reduce waste significantly. Many people buy way more than they need – whether this is grocery shopping or other items. But by buying more, it’s only causing damage to the planet. Therefore, try and only purchase the essentials.

7) Unplug The Electronics

Even when you’re not using every electronic device, those that are still plugged in will consume energy. And because of this not only is it costing you hundreds of dollars every year, but it’s not beneficial for the environment. Therefore, it’s a good idea to unplug them or turn off the switch on the wall when you stop using them.

Final Thoughts

So, there you go! Those are 7 simple tips that you can use to make your home more sustainable. No matter which changes out of the above you make, you’re one step closer to creating a sustainable environment, lowering your carbon footprint and helping the world to become healthier and a better place to live.