With renovations at the forefront of my mind, one idea that has caught my eye is the concept of a green kitchen. We are not just talking eco-friendly materials here, we are talking a living breathing space. Immediately it is clear that there are some logistics that need to be thought through to grow plants inside.There are also different levels you can take this theme to, from a pot on the windowsill to a kitchen jungle. So how can we integrate a living green kitchen into our plans?
Archive for the ‘Eco-innovation’ category
Ecorenovations Living Green Kitchens
August 19th, 2010Wind Turbines For The Home
July 30th, 2010
Wind turbines have historically been limited to rural areas. However, this is about to change as vertical axis wind turbines are being introduced for residential areas. Vertical axis wind turbines look more like an egg whisk than a windmill, the main benefit being that they are unaffected by wind direction so are better suited for urban areas. Residential turbines can be installed on the roof or tower and feed energy into the building through an inverter. Urban Green Energy is about to introduce the vertical axis wind turbines into Australia to provide another renewable energy option for the home.
Carbon Offset T-shirts
July 2nd, 2010
A T-shirt with a tonne of carbon locked up in it? That must be a pretty big T-shirt right? Not exactly. This new range of T-shirts has been created by Treecreds. Their objective is to save forests from being logged and encourages investment in avoided deforestation offset projects. The T-shirts each contain one tonne of carbon-dioxide equivalent emissions. That is, for every T-shirt purchased, Treecreds retires one carbon credit.
Evohe Sustainable Luxury Testing
June 3rd, 2010
Ethical, sustainable business practices, certified organic, fair trade ingredients, 100% Australian made and owned. Eco-product credentials don’t come much better than that. Evohe represents a new generation of independent businesses that are serious about sustainable life and business practices. Headed by Meg and Baz Forrester, this couple has created a range of eco-beauty products that provide true sustainable luxury. Products are free of palm oil and we’ve got a range of their products for you to try.
Using Waste to Heat Your Home
April 1st, 2010
As Summer ends it is time to think about what you are going to do to keep warm this Winter. Our neighbour who is renovating, gave us a pile of waste hardwood, to burn in our slow combustion wood fire. This would otherwise have been destined for landfill. Fuel pellets take this concept a step further. Fuel pellets created from waste sawdust and other organic materials, burn with greater efficiency and lower emissions than wood, so we were keen to find out more.
The Ethical Edge
April 1st, 2010
Doing sport makes you feel good. Buying ethical sports gear would surely make you feel even better. Etiko, a Melbourne based company specialising in Fairtrade and sustainable sports gear has captured a niche market. However, Nike, the sweatshop sinner of the 1990s, who actually inspired the creation of Etiko, is now rethinking its business. Find out what this means for smaller companies as the giants move to make ethical mainstream.
Renewable Energy Options in your Home
February 21st, 2010
Generating your own green electricity, decentralising power generation and removing reliance on power stations is another piece in the energy puzzle. You can now get hold of a green loan and generous government rebates to install photovoltaic panels using the abundant sunshine we enjoy in Australia. But what happens when the sun is not shining? There are a few options including generating electricity in your home from gas with new BlueGen fuel cells which are going to be available in Australia in the next few months. We have done the research for you.
People Power a New Twist
January 31st, 2010
Here’s a really interesting twist on people power. UK-based Pavegen Systems, have come up with a paving slab which can harvest the kinetic energy from pedestrian footsteps and convert it into electricity. The sustainable energy generated can be used for numerous activities including safety signs, lighting and even traffic lights.