Chose Durable Products

The obvious solution for reducing waste around the house is to work with what is available. Believing in reusing I have article and helpful video demonstrating increasing aesthetic appeal to a room without spending a lot of money on upgrades or throwing out a lot of materials. In "Exposed: Wood Floors" the carpet is thrown out, yet the carpet is over a decade old.

There are several tips throughout the series to save money and install everything properly so it lasts longer. Durable products are the best method for reducing waste. Though there is an argument about deforestation it is smarter to buy solid furniture that will last at least a decade before wearing out.

Maintaining durable products requires assistance. I enjoy the new static microfiber dust towels. These towels can be washed and reused several times. Every few months it is nice to apply a spray to preserve and oil wood. Saddle soap and oils for woods also protect the varnish, yet it does not have to be applied every day. It is like waxing and polishing a car. A car is less likely to scratch after an ample coat of wax is applied and polished. I like to spray it with a clear coat so the wax has protection from deterioration by wind and rain.

Mentioning spray polishes for furniture and cars these are products that will be thrown away. These products are consumable because after the can is empty it has to be replaced. Packaging is a method to limit waste. More products are being packaged in clear plastic. Several companies are attempting to make packaging according to acceptable recycling rules. Paper, cardboard and plastic are recyclable, yet paper and cardboard covered in plastic is not recyclable. Occasionally, I see cardboard that looks as though it has plastic coating though it has a recycle symbol. While similar it is actually treated with a type of clay.

Several treatments equal more air pollution. Treatments also decrease durability so it has to be replaced sooner. Shipments from the other side of the world burns fossil fuels during transport. Recyclable products go through several energy burning processes including a large blender that needs an incredible amount of electricity to turn blades. Water is distilled by boiling and water is toxic after use. On the other hand recycling metals equals less mining or rummaging through dumps to find metals to be melted and reprocessed into new metal products. This premise is also true of other materials.

Seeming lazy, I do not worry too much consumable packaging. I avoid buying things to throw away. Food is usually packaged. I enjoy recyclable plastic bags though sack cloth bags are probably better. Computer companies make packaging materials recyclable are impressive. There are several stores and electronics manufactures that accept old products like keyboards, lithium batteries, monitors and cell phones for recycling. Though great, it would be nice if computers lasted longer.

The Technological Age wants everything to be faster and hold more memory. Software companies are also participating in this process. Anytime there is a RAM or memory upgrade Software Encoders triple code. The program is essentially the same, sometimes less efficient. It just runs slower on older machines. There is an incentive to buy the latest computer with SDSRAM and a terabyte of hard memory. These computers are more attractive when the older computer's mother board magically gets fried on the fifth year. Implying there might be a conspiracy, computers are becoming a consumable, yet they should be durable.

Difficult for everyone to build a home or own a home there are an increasing number of ideas to conserve energy. Newer appliances need less electricity. Upgrading appliances decreases the amount of fossil fuels being burnt for electricity and there are several claims a person will see a monetary return in lower utility bills.

Several years ago people wanted to make homes super durable and built individual homes like skyscrapers. Homes were built with metal beams. Though smaller they still need the additional support in the foundation; otherwise, it slowly sinks into the ground. These homes are incredibly heavy though space for windows and door frames do not change size.

While people promote new insulation, temperature sensitive glass, recyclable everything and ambient heat; think about the environmental expense. Chances are a field of peanuts, corn or trees are the basic ingredients. It is actually less environmentally expensive to build a home with durable wood.

Many people want big plans to make everything work. Chances are methods will improve over time, yet living holistically like predecessors is the best solution. I have a simple solution to waste. I buy an inexpensive hard plastic cup at the corner convenience store and reuse it. Hand washing it occasionally I drink tea and water. One plastic cup lasts over a year. Eventually it goes into the recycle bin even though I am not completely sure recycling organically based products saves the environment.

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