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Water Tanks: Reasons Why You Should Own

TweetThere was a time – not that long ago – when almost every house had its own water tank and harvesting rainwater was something that just happened during the course of life, not a big environmen

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Water Tanks: Reasons Why You Should Own Them

Quality of tap water in South Africa

TweetPretoria – While sipping on bottled water has almost become something of a voguish statement, a survey has revealed that many South Africans are happy with the high quality water that comes

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Quality of tap water in South Africa

South African programmes to protect the

TweetSouth Africa has every reason to get excited about the theme of World Wetlands Day 2012. We are a worldwide tourism destination and a water-scarce country according to the statistics of the Ramsa

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South African programmes to protect the wetlands

Lifeline of a Healthy Ecosystem –

TweetThis year the theme of World Wetlands Day will be ‘Wetlands & Tourism,’ celebrated on Thursday 2 February 2012. This will celebrate the 41st anniversary of the Ramsar Convention, an inter

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Lifeline of a Healthy Ecosystem – World Wetlands Day 2012

Restored Wetlands Rarely Equal Condition

TweetWetland restoration is a billion-dollar-a-year industry in the United States that aims to create ecosystems similar to those that disappeared over the past century. But a new analysis of restorat

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Restored Wetlands Rarely Equal Condition of Original Wetlands

Greener Pet Care

by on May 14, 2011 at 5:39 pm



You’ve no doubt heard all about how to make greener home cleaning products using simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, salt and lemon juice.  But since these ingredients are non-toxic and safe to use around animals, they can also come in handy when looking for greener pet care options.  Here are just a few ideas to try on your furry friends.

Baking Soda

Great for odour control and cleaning up those inevitable accidents, baking soda also makes a great dry pet wash and is also good for tending to bee stings and maintaining healthy teeth.

Washing: Give your dog a dry bath by sprinkling him or her with baking soda.  Rub it in, then brush out the baking soda.  For a wet wash, combine 3 tablespoons baking soda with 1 teaspoon baby oil in a spray bottle.  Spritz your pet then wipe them dry.

Accidents: For those unfortunate accidents indoors, scrub the area with club soda and let the area dry.  Then sprinkle the area with baking soda and let it stand.  Afterwards, vacuum the baking soda.

Healthy Teeth and Gums: You can brush your pet’s teeth by dipping a damp, soft brush in baking soda and brushing gently.

Cat Litter: To eliminate odours from kitty litter boxes, sprinkle in half a cup of baking soda.  Clean the kitty litter pan by removing the litter and pouring in 1cm of vinegar.  Let it stand, then pour the material out and let dry.  Sprinkle baking soda over the bottom before adding fresh kitty litter.

Bee Sting Relief: After making sure that the stinger has been removed, cover a bee sting on your pet with a baking soda paste.

Bedding deodoriser: Sprinkle the bedding area with baking soda, let the baking soda stand, wait 15 minutes and then vacuum it up.

Salt, Garlic & Lemon

Next time you have problems with fleas why not give these greener options a try.

Carpets: If you’ve had a flea infestation in your home, sprinkle carpets or rugs with salt to help kill any flea eggs.  Let the salt remain for a few hours then vacuum.  Repeat this procedure weekly for six weeks.  Placing salt in your vacuum cleaner bag will help kill any flea eggs that may be picked up by your vacuum machine.

In their food: A little garlic juice in your pet’s food, and a dash of vinegar in their water will also help.

Flea collars: Try one teaspoon each of eucalyptus and teatree oil in a cup and a half of water.  Soak a strip of fabric or cord and tie around your pet’s neck.  Resoak once a week.  Fleas find these oils very unappealing.

Sprays: Cut up 4 or 5 lemons and boil in a litre of water.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Cool and keep in a bottle with a nozzle.  Spray on your pet’s fur, avoiding eyes, nose and mouth.

green petSource: Simply Green July/August 2010

Although dogs and cats are the more commonly referred to pets, a rabbit/bunny is a fantastic animal companion! Read more about why a bunny/rabbit makes a great green pet and  how to reduce your pet’s carbon pawprint.

Water Rhapsody Water Conservation Systems Mpumalanga offers water tank and rainwater tank installation, rainwater harvesting systems (see rainwater FAQ), grey water recycling  (see greywater FAQ) and water-saving devices for swimming pools and toilet flush systems (see product demo ).  Our WWF Award-winning water systems can be retrofitted or built into new buildings and can be adapted to small households or large business blocks, hospitals, schools, lodges & hotels.

Water Rhapsody has incorporated Yes Solar- official distributor of German-made Solsquare solar water heating systems that are installed by Eskom-accredited solar installers (our solar geysers are eligible for Eskom solar energy rebates).  We are authorized JoJo Water Tank dealers and Atlas Plastics water tank suppliers in Mpumalanga and Limpopo Province (best water tank prices in the Lowveld!).  We are also able to supply sanitary hardware such as waterless toilets through our JoJo Tanks and Atlas Plastics dealerships.

Contact us for a FREE QUOTE on a solar water geyser, water tank or rainwater/gray water system.  South Africa now has eco-friendly insurance- another way to go green, switch to green insurance cover and reduce your carbon footprint today!

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The Eco Friendly Way to Wash a Car

by on April 14, 2011 at 10:12 pm

angry green girls washing carA foamy, clean-smelling mixture travels down your driveway into the street storm drain – you think that it’s clean and perfectly safe for the environment. After all, it’s soapy, unsoiled water that’s ending up in our streams and rivers, right? Wrong. Conserving water might be your biggest concern when washing your car in the summer months, but there are many other factors to consider, as well.

This liquid blend picks up dirt particles, oil and maybe pesticides from your lawn, as well as chemicals from conventional cleaners, and enters local streams and lakes. This can have a major negative impact on the environment and even fish and other marine life.

In order to avoid contaminating our natural water supplies and to conserve water in general, consider these tips when washing your car:

  • Since one home car wash can use up to 160 gallons of water, think about investing in a rain barrel. One rain barrel alone can hold up to 500 gallons of water. No “new” tap water will be wasted. Also if possible, use a low-volume, water-saving hose nozzle.
  • When picking a place to wash your vehicle, the driveway – which is a non-porous surface – is not ideal. If you can move the car onto your lawn, or another porous surface, the water will be able to be absorbed into the land, instead of running off into the storm drains. If you have some money to spend, consider investing in a porous concrete and vegetation-filled walkway and driveway. This way, your lawn won’t suffer the impact of the heavy automobile, but you’ll get the same absorbing affect.
  • When choosing cleaning supplies, always buy organic, naturally derived and eco-friendly products, such as those by Seventh Generation, or a glass cleaner by Method. These biodegradable formulas, often made with citrus-based solvents, won’t contaminate the runoff water or your lawn like chemically-derived cleaning agents would. You might even be able to make your own, safe cleaning products using basic items from your kitchen, such as baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice (note the acidic pH, this is the cleaning agent).
  • If you need to get rid of older, dried spots and dirt off your car, you can purchase a sponge made from natural fibers, which is also biodegradable and won’t scratch surfaces. Make sure to reuse it many, many times!
  • The absolute best thing for you to do is to buy waterless car cleaning products such as Eco Touch or Freedom; or use a steam-cleaner. These will eliminate the usage of water altogether.
  • When drying your car, either from washing it with rain water or wiping away the waterless car detergent, use durable microfiber towels instead of paper towels (saving trees and reducing 3000 tons of waste per day). eco friendly car wash

If you wish to go to a car wash instead of doing it on your own, that would be a great  choice! Commercial car washes are required by the International Carwash Association, to reuse their rinse water over and over again [USA], and to treat it before discharging it into the environment. The machines they use also monitor the amount of water released for each wash – this saves ‘needless’ water.

Whether you’re up for some soapy fun and like washing your car at home, or you’d prefer a hassle-free way of someone else doing it for you (even if it’s a machine), cleaning your car can certainly be eco-friendly. Please consider these options the next time you ‘suds up’ your car or visit your local car wash, and save the Earth from some not-so-friendly toxins.

Source: EcoPlum (Mike Greenwald)

South Africa’s commercial car wash regulations are not comparable to those of Europe and the USA.  However, whether commercial or private, washing cars can have a serious impact on the environment if not done in an eco-conscious way.  In South Africa’s rural areas, cars and pick-ups can often be seen at the edge or even in rivers while the owners wash them.  This is very bad practice as oils and other contaminants enter the water system and may harm humans and the ecosystem.  In urban areas, any reduction in stormwater runoff is good for the environment.

Water Rhapsody Water Conservation Systems and Yes Solar Mpumalanga offer eco-friendly rainwater collection systems, rainwater tanks, grey water recycling, swimming pool backwash recycling, water-saving toilet flush mechanisms and high quality Solsquare solar water geysers.

Contact us for a FREE QUOTE on a solar water heater, rainwater harvesting system (see rainwater FAQ), gray water recycling system or water tank (we are authorized South African JoJo Water Tanks dealers and supply the full range of JoJo water tanks and JoJo tank stands).  Our water tank prices are hard to beat in the Mpumalanga & Limpopo Lowveld.

Water conservation and renewable energy such as solar energy are two issues that affect the global community; make a difference and start conserving water and switch to renewable energy today.  Another way of reducing your carbon footprint is to switch to green insurance, now available in South Africa.

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iziWasha… Conserving Water, Improving Lives!

by on March 22, 2011 at 7:42 pm

This product has nothing to do with food, but it’s a stroke of ingenious frugal engineering, designed and developed in South Africa, that could greatly enhance the lives of billions of women and is thus worthy of exposure to all audiences!

eco friendly laundry

Introducing the iziWasha, an innovative low-cost manual clothes washing device for women in emerging markets that has just won a major global competition.

water conservation inventions

The iziWasha has won the Africa-Asia final of the Global Social Venture Competition, the world’s biggest student competition for social projects. It is the first time an Africa team has progressed to the global final of this prestigious competition, which will be held next month in Berkeley, California.

iziWasha is a handheld clothes washing device which is aimed at improving the lives of millions of women in low-income communities whilst saving water. Five billion of the world’s people do not have access to an automated washing machine. As a result, millions of women spend hours every week washing their families’ clothes by hand. This chore is extremely time-consuming and can cause health complaints such as back ache and skin problems.

Rebecca Harrison wins international award for iziWasha

iziWashaiziWasha is a low-cost, patent, copyright and trademark-protected, manual clothes washing device which makes laundry quicker, less onerous and saves water. It requires neither running water nor electricity and is used with a simple bucket.

The iziWasha team comprises GIBS alumni Rebecca Harrison and Lebogang Poonyane, who recently graduated with an MBA in Entrepreneurship from the Gordon Institute of Business (GIBS) in Jo’burg. Rebecca and Lebo beat teams from across the region, including from Asia’s top business schools, during the regional finals in Hyderabad, India, held in early March. For the global final at Haas Business School in Berkeley, Rebecca and Lebo will compete on behalf of GIBS, South Africa and the Africa-Asia region against teams from around the world, including from elite business schools such as Harvard, London Business School and Stanford University.

Participants will compete for $45 000 in prizes, and will have the chance to showcase their venture to a seasoned panel of investors and specialists for the fast-growing social investment field. It is the first time an African team has reached the final. Previous participants include R-Motion Designs, whose low-cost lower limb prostheses for the developing world were featured by Time Magazine, CNN and BusinessWeek as a major innovation.

iziWasha has already been endorsed by the United Nations through a 2010 SEED prize for sustainable entrepreneurship, and was the winner of the GIBS 2010 business case competition.

eco friendly laundry deviceiziWasha, which is manufactured in South Africa, uses 20% less water per wash than a traditional hand wash, up to 40% less than an automated machine, and no electricity. The product, which will be sold across Africa and Asia, has been rigorously tested in the South African market. In surveys, 100% of women surveyed chose iziWasha over the cash equivalent, and 2 000 units have already been sold.

The team is in distribution talks with a major retailer, and has received interest from distributors in South Africa, India and from other African countries. The product is the first in the iziLife suite of products, which will improve the lives of women in the emerging world whilst making a positive environmental impact.

Rebecca previously worked as a foreign correspondent and manager at international news organisation Reuters. She graduated with distinction from her GIBS MBA programme and was the top student in her class. Lebo is a former investment banker and experienced entrepreneur, who has started three businesses. Lebo was awarded a scholarship for the MBA course and also graduated earlier this month.

For further details, please contact Rebecca Harrison on rebecca@iziwasha.co.za or 072 720 0681 (South Africa).

Source: ecovitality

This South African invention is simple and effective and saves water and electricity- two precious commodities in rural households.  The iziWasha could also be a boon to outdoor enthusiasts, campers and field technicians (I would have appreciated one of these devices when I was working as an environmental officer in Mozambique, often far from civilization for weeks).

Water Rhapsody Water Conservation Systems and Yes Solar Mpumalanga offer eco-friendly rainwater collection systems, rainwater tanks, grey water recycling, swimming pool backwash recycling, water-saving toilet flush mechanisms and high quality Solsquare solar water geysers.

Contact us for a FREE QUOTE on a solar water heater, rainwater harvesting system (see rainwater FAQ), gray water recycling system or water tank (we are authorized South African JoJo Water Tanks dealers and supply the full range of JoJo water tanks and JoJo tank stands).  Our water tank prices are hard to beat in the Mpumalanga & Limpopo Lowveld.

Water conservation and renewable energy such as solar energy are two issues that affect the global community; make a difference and start conserving water and switch to renewable energy today.  Another way of reducing your carbon footprint is to switch to eco-friendly insurance.


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Eco-Friendly Bathroom Practices

by on March 11, 2011 at 9:25 am

eco friendly bathroom

An eco-friendly bathroom should not only save on water, but should avoid all harsh chemicals which are deadly to wildlife and eco-systems and aim to save energy. A geyser is often heated to far higher than necessary, wasting electricity used to heat the water inside. Reducing the temperature setting on a geyser saves electricity, as does using a geyser blanket which keeps the geyser heated with less energy.

There are a variety of organic cleaning products available which will clean a bathroom without expending harmful toxins into the water and environment. A simple way of preventing mildew is to install a fan above a bath or shower to remove excess moisture in a bathroom, eliminating the need to use heavy chemicals to remove the substance.

Bathroom cabinets should ideally be made of wheatboard, wheatstraw or other natural materials which do not contain a binding substance as these usually contain formaldehyde. Ceramic tiles for bathroom floors and to decorate the areas around the bath, shower and basin are eco-friendly, especially is made from recycled materials. Bamboo floors are also an eco-friendly option for bathroom flooring. A shower curtain made from fabric is far more environmentally friendly than a plastic curtain.

A grated cover over the plughole of a shower, bath and washbasin will prevent materials from becoming clogged in drains and avoiding the need to clear out blockages with extremely heavy corrosives which are extremely harmful to the environment.

Every individual living on the planet has a responsibility to help with the preservation of natural resources. A bathroom can be extremely taxing on the environment, and if each person instituted some eco-friendly practices into their bathroom, the world would save water, have less pollution and greater hope for the future.

Design need not be compromised, as many bathroom fitting specialists have turned their focus onto producing luxury, designer fittings that have a dual purpose: designer look and eco-friendly.

A little goes a very long way when people recycle grey water, purchase water conservation products and sustain eco-friendly bathrooms.

Source: Hansgrohe South Africa

Whilst attempting to avoid harmful chemical cleaning products, consider doing the same for your skin/hygiene practices. There are a wide range of eco-friendly and skin-friendly body products available (both locally and internationally), and it is becoming easier to make conscious eco-shopping choices! Visit www.ecovitality.co.za & consider ePore ecodeodorant as just one example of how this is possible…

Water Rhapsody Water Conservation Systems and Yes Solar Mpumalanga offer eco-friendly rainwater collection systems, rainwater tanks, grey water recycling, swimming pool backwash recycling, water-saving toilet flush mechanisms and high quality Solsquare solar water geysers.

Contact us for a FREE QUOTE on a solar water heater, rainwater harvesting system (see rainwater FAQ), gray water recycling system or water tank (we are authorized South African JoJo Water Tanks dealers and supply the full range of JoJo water tanks and JoJo tank stands).  Our water tank prices are hard to beat in the Mpumalanga & Limpopo Lowveld.

Water conservation and renewable energy such as solar energy are two issues that affect the global community; make a difference and start conserving water and switch to renewable energy today.

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Getting Rid of Household Pests the Natural Way!

by on December 5, 2010 at 3:10 pm

FLIES… place a handful of dried cloves in a bowl and sprinkle them with a few drops of clove oil, lavender oil, & citonella/peppermint oil. Recharge with additional oil from time to time. A great idea for fly control at this year’s Christmas lunch table too!! (more…)

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