Priorities for Green Living

1. Minimize Energy Consumption    2. Reduce the Household Waste Stream    3. Conserve Water    4. Eat Less Meat    5. Reduce Use Of Toxic Chemicals    6. Decide Which Companies To Patronize    7. Grow your own Vegetables

1. Minimize Energy Consumption

* Wrap your geyser in an insulated blanket and turn it down to 55 degrees C

* Cool naturally. Plant shade trees on the south and west sides of the house. Use natural ventilation.

* Choose energy efficient appliances when replacing worn-out ones.

* Minimise air conditioner use

* Don’t make unecessary car trips, use car pools, use public transport, cycle.

* Use solar powered lights and heating wherever possible

* Get a ‘Hot Box” for preparing an evening meal. only 10 minutes on the stove –  then it cooks itself     In the end, the measure of a household’s “green-ness” comes in the water, electricity bills and at the filling station. The green household spends less for utilities.

2. Reduce the Household Waste Stream

Make “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” your mantra. Begin by reducing the amount of items you buy. You’ll be amazed how much you don’t need. Avoid styrofoam and other materials that don’t biodegrade. Build a backyard compost pile for disposal of organic and lawn wastes. Use on your veggie garden Understand the impact packaging has on the environment and choose the least-packaged option whenever you can.  Bring your shopping bags to the grocery shop Repair or give away appliances/clothes or re-useables, don’t just throw away

3. Conserve Water

More than five billion of us depend on less than five percent of the earth’s water. Conserving water is imperative for a healthy planet. Here are a few tips:

* If you think your water bill is higher than it should be, check around the house for leaks.

* Install rainwater tanks to catch the water from your roof. Use to water your garden

* Use showers, not baths – unless you have a grey water irrigation system feeding your garden

* Don’t run water unnecessarily for washing, shaving, or brushing your teeth.

* Wash only full loads of laundry.

* Install low-flush toilets, and low flow showerheads and tap aerators

4. Eat Less Meat

Meat is by far the most resource-intensive part of our diet. To produce one kg of beef takes 7kgs of grain and soybeans and 9400 litres of water – the energy equivalent of nearly 4 litres of petrol. Livestock production uses more than half the water consumed in the world. If living ecologically is high priority, eat less meat.

* Eat more organically-grown fruits and vegetables.

* Grow your own food to be sure of what you’re getting.

5. Reduce Use Of Toxic Chemicals

The amount of synthetic chemicals has burgeoned since World War II. Today, more than a quarter million new substances are introduced into the U.S. marketplace each year. There is no health information on 79%of them. No one can keep track of what they do, what they are, what they do to the environment. Among them are some that do save lives and improve our standard of living. Most however, harm our health. If you strive to live ecologically:

* Cut down on your use of synthetic chemicals.

* Don’t smoke cigarettes.

* Read labels so you know what is in the products you buy.

* Avoid purchasing clothes that need to be dry cleaned.

* Make your own pesticides and cleaning products.

6. Decide Which Companies To Patronize

The bottom line is what most manufacturers understand best. Hit them where they can feel it.

* Don’t buy products by known polluters.

* Don’t buy processed foods or anything with MSG or aspartame in them

* Buy superior products from manufacturers who value ecological living.

How long can the biosphere support our consumptive lifestyles? Each time we buy something we must ask ourselves, “Do we really need it?” “How much is enough?” We must begin to walk softly upon this earth we all call home.

Source: Green Living

The great thing about ‘going green’ is that not only are you saving the environment and living healthier, you invariably end up saving money too.  Do not try to go green in every facet of your life all at once; start small by changing habits and then progress to bigger things like installing water conservation systems and solar energy systems.

Water Rhapsody Water Conservation Systems Mpumalanga offers water tank and rainwater tank installation, rainwater harvesting systems, grey water recycling 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 today!