On a green shopping spree!

This World Environment Day, it is time to switch over to environment friendly bags

Gone are the days of plastic carry bags and shopping bags. Almost every day we do grocery shopping or make some purchases and many have shunned plastic while shopping and switched to paper bags today.

According to Nivil Xavier, self- marketer of paper products, “Paper bags are more hygienic than plastic ones. It may be a little costly but is the safe for the environment. And now with innovations like customization, it would be a good shift to an environment friendly concept.”

The government rule to avoid the use of plastic bags has also triggered the adoption of a new packaging system. The recycled paper bags are stronger than the normal brown paper bags. Besides, there are facilities available today to print designs and logos on the paper bags which helps to create a brand identity.

Sunil T P, proprietor, Onyx Vision, promotes paper bags made from various materials like art paper, duplex, maplisto, craft etc. “They are bio-degradable, can be re-cycled and re-used with no pollution to the environment. We make customised paper bags based on the requirement of the client,” he says.

With many nature enthusiasts starting home-based businesses selling eco-friendly products online and otherwise, it is becoming a trend now and is being promoted in a big way.

Lighting the eco way!

This environment day, let us turn to eco lighting in an effort to conserve energy as well as protect the environment

Lighting plays a very important role in the interior of a house or building. How we light up the places we live and work creates a big impact on the environment as well. While natural lighting is the best form of lighting a home or workspace, it is imperative to save energy and in turn the environment that we live in.

LED (light-emitting diode) lamps are the new in-thing in the world of lighting and offer a great amount of energy savings. The advantages of using LED lighting in homes are many. “It helps to save upto 90% of energy compared to incandescent lamps and 60% energy compared to fluorescent lights. This helps households to reduce their electricity bill considerably. Also, LEDs are estimated to last for 25000 to 35000 hours whereas CFLs lamps usually last for upto 6000 hours,” says Byju Chacko, managing partner, Ecolight.

As per the recent study by Department of Energy, LED lamps have a slight environmental edge over compact fluorescent lamps and a significantly lower environmental impact than incandescent lighting over the lifetime of the products. It is a fact that conventional radiant bulb converts only around five to ten percent of its consumed energy into light, the rest goes out as heat.

Apart from household, LED lighting offers wide scope in the industrial landscape from factory lighting to office lighting as well. “LED high-bay lights are now available from 50watts to 200watts to replace ubiquitous MH lamps and similar ones.  When it comes to LED flood-lights, a 100watt LED flood-light can easily replace a 500watts traditional type flood-light. LED outdoor lights come in waterproof assemblies which meets IP65 and IP68 standards and therefor can be used conveniently for playgrounds, parks and other outdoor applications,” adds Chacko.

LED lighting has revolutionised the world of lighting today. “It is a great product in terms of energy conservation, heat emission and appearance too. Though it is slightly expensive compared to CFL lamps, it is a great way to contribute to a eco-friendly environment,” says Kochi-based sales professional, Liby Zacharia. Similarly, LED light sources are flicker-free and therefore easy on the eyes, contributing to the feel good factor in a room with proper LED lighting.

To conclude, LED lights can brighten up your home and workspace with more natural light, thereby conserving energy, at the same time, saving environment. When it comes to how green your lighting can be, sky is the limit.


sherene.joseph@timesgroup.com

Wake up to a green day!

Today is World Environment Day. Let us pledge to protect and sustain our environment and create awareness about the goodness of eco-friendly products

05 June is celebrated as the World Environment Day (WED) the world over, reminding us of our duty to preserve the environment around us. It is also an opportunity to promote the use of environment friendly products in an effort to conserve nature.

Many media houses today are strongly advocating the need to protect the environment with campaigns like ‘Greenathon’ and ‘My Earth, My Duty’. These national campaigns have been eye-opener for many, who were unaware about the green concept and have found their way into the Limca Book of world records. Similarly, educational institutions are also taking up against environment conservation with many schools in the city, converting their premises into a plastic-free zone, banning the use of
plastic completely.

Build it up!

Eco-friendly being the need of the hour, even builders and realtors have become environment conscious today.  Abhay Kumar, managing director, Trium Marketing and Consultants (P) Ltd, is very particular about the products used in building construction and swears by eco-friendly building materials that uses limited energy. Besides, the manufacturing process and the building, therefore, is energy efficient as well. 

“For example, one of our products, Onduline, a roofing material made a waste material, does not emit heat and there is no drumming sound when it rains. Similarly, Terreal, clay panels used in the façade of a building, is energy efficient and provides good insulation. Clipso, a fabric false ceiling used in the interior of a building is light, can be recycled and needs no maintenance,” says Kumar.

Similarly, Rohit Babu, partner, Yashoram Builders, believes in converting the bio-degradable food waste into organic manure and using it for vegetable cultivation. “The organic vegetables produced in our own home garden give a mental satisfaction and is a great way to contribute to the conservation of environment,” adds Babu.  

Conserve Energy!

Switching to solar power is a great way to preserve energy. Shabu Khan, managing director, Falcon SAS agrees. “Solar power plants produce zero emissions. It does not cause pollution, it does not emit any greenhouse gases. Beyond initial installation and maintenance, solar energy is free. Depending on the size of the solar system you choose to install, you can save an average of 30% to 80% of your electricity bill. Or you can go 100% standalone with solar system,” he says. Thomson Thomas, proprietor, Saffron Sun Energy, also feels the same. “Nature is a god given gift and it is our duty to sustain it from environment pollution. And usage of solar energy is the best way to safeguard the nature for our future generation,” says Thomas.

When it comes to environment conservation, always remember the 3 R’s - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.  One need to reduce consumption of plastic, reuse the products as much as possible and recycle the waste. 

Inculcating certain eco-friendly habits like saving natural sources of energy like water and electricity could make a difference to the earth. Let us begin with individual contributions to conserve the environment. It is never too late for a new beginning. Go Green!

                                                                                                                                      sherene.joseph@timesgroup.com