Is Glass a “Green” Material?

glass cityGlass. When you look around you, it is very likely that you see some type of glass. It is everywhere. For “green” conscious people, it also means that they wonder if the creation of the glass that we depend on is actually good or bad for our Earth. It has come up several times, people wanting to know, “Is glass a “green” material?” Here is our reply.

How Glass is Formed

First and foremost, glass in itself isn’t a natural product. It is most often made from heating sand to make it melt. The reason it doesn’t happen on a beach is that even in the blazing sun, it doesn’t get hot enough. It has to reach temperatures of around 3090-degrees Fahrenheit. This can only be done by using a special furnace and creating an outstanding amount of heat.

When the heated sand cools, it becomes a liquid that never quite solidifies. Ash and limestone are materials that can make it grow firmer. It can also be formed into panes of glass.

Is It Green?

glassGlass isn’t necessarily a green product because it has to be heated, melted, and made into the form that we recognize as “glass”. This does not mean that it is “bad” for the environment though. By using glass windows on “green” buildings, we are still enabling those buildings to use less power to heat with. Windows can also help natural light flow inside, it conducts solar power, and more. Glass is NOT a bad thing.

However, it should be used in the right circumstances. When providing natural light, it can be awesome. For providing natural heat, it works very effectively. To cover an old wooden table? You may have better options. For instance, the protection of glass” without the actual glass could be something along the lines of using a glass epoxy. Epoxy applies a glass top to any flattened surface and it is not harmful to the environment or even foods that may come into contact with it.

Other Glass Alternatives

glass top tableIf you are absolutely sure that you want to avoid glass by getting an unbreakable, but clear material, you have options. There are plastics such as polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, Polypropylene, or Polyethylene. Each of these options is an ideal solution for glass alternatives. For greenhouses, green buildings, and other options, they can be used effectively to do the same job as glass. However, they may be less environmentally friendly than using actual glass.

When deciding which is best for your needs, you have to look at the pros and cons of each. In most cases, glass is the most effective and the most green, but this doesn’t make it right for every situation.

 

Ideas for Reusing/Recycling Bar & Restaurant Equipment

abandoned barOver the last decade or so, we have seen a lot of changes. Many of them are happening still in our own neighborhoods. Just think about how many times your favorite “Mom and Pop” restaurant has changed ownership or may have closed its doors permanently. Or how that bar you used to enjoy going to on a Friday night has closed its doors and maybe been transformed into something totally unrelated to the bar you loved. These things are happening all over the U.S. You can benefit from these closures and keep a piece of it for yourself if you want. Here are a few ideas for reusing or recycling bar and restaurant equipment.

Why Neighborhood Are Losing Small Night Spots?

refinishing an old bar topThe simplest answer to this question is that as a general rule, people want more. Some people may love the smaller, more intimate settings, but not everyone embraces it. The rest want bars that also serve food, restaurants that are family-friendly with a little adult beverage thrown in. If not that, then they want nightclubs or higher-class establishments.

Keep Pieces of Your Favorite Establishments

commercial kitchenOften, when a bar, club, or restaurant closes its doors for good, there are things that get left behind. If the owner loses it to bankruptcy, they may have to auction off what is left, especially the equipment such as stoves, stainless steel work tables, sinks, and tables. However, not all parts can be taken away without damages, so they are unworthy of auctioning. This can often include bartops, countertops, and other things.

In other situations, everything may be removed so that the building can be turned into something else. Often, the new owner has no real need for the stuff that is left behind. They may be happy to see you take it away for a small fee and a little bit of elbow grease.

These are the times when it is easiest for you to take it home. You can then add to your home. For instance, if your favorite restaurant has a large commercial stove, you may be able to install it in your kitchen with a few modifications of the space. If they are getting rid of freezers, you may be able to put it in your garage for food storage. Most of the time, these items are in fantastic working order and it can be a shame to see them go to waste.

A bar that closes is a true treasure for you to discover. You can use bar top epoxy to preserve a piece of your favorite bar’s history. They may leave taps behind which can be used in your own private bar. There may be tables, fun lighting fixtures, and even old pool tables that could be recovered and enjoyable by your family and friends.

Think Outside of the Box!

Our landfills are overflowing with things that could have served another purpose. If you find yourself lucky enough to be in an area where a bar or restaurant is making its very “Last Call”, don’t fail to consider the beauty that may soon be in the county landfill. Do your part to keep our world green and take home something beautiful. All you need is a little creativity.

 

 

 

Working with Eco Friendly Materials

treesWe all have to think about sustainability. We don’t want want to deplete natural resources, but we all need to have different things. This makes working with eco-friendly materials vital to our existence and the existence of our Earth. However, many people worry that working with wood could actually cause more damage than it is worth. They want to know if it is sustainable or if we are simply causing more damage than good. Here is the truth.

Is Wood Sustainable?

forest of treesThere should be no doubt that wood is one of our most valuable resources. It is proven by the fact that deforestation is something we hear about often. However, there is proof that wood is very sustainable. In fact, many people say that wood should be used over concrete and steel and it would be just as durable.

We gain a lot from wood. It is under your feet, a material that keeps you warm, and more. Other benefits of wood include:

  • Allowing us to reduce, reuse, and recycle. If we were to build more often with wood, we could recycle scraps rather than toss them out. We could also keep them for future projects.
  • Use Renewable Resources. Wood is one of the most renewable resources we have. It does not deplete the Earth because we can replant trees. It can be grown and harvested repeatedly.
  • Wood Lasts A Long Time! It may surprise people to know, but basically for as long as people have walked the Earth, wood has been something that we used for all types of things. It lasts a long time. Admittedly, there are some things that can cause it to suffer damages (fire, flood, etc.), but for the most part, once built, the item will last longer than you will.

Which Wood is Best?

old wooden schoolhouseIf you are curious about which type of wood people feel is the most eco-friendly and which one that builders favor the most, you have a few choices. Some trees do grow quicker than others, which may make them a better choice. The fastest-growing trees are: Hybrid Poplars, Weeping Willows, Aspen, and Maple.

Beyond the wood, many woodworkers also want to use eco-friendly things to protect their wood furnishings. One great example is epoxy. When using woodworking epoxy, you are using organic plant sources to protect the wood. This makes it one of the best protective coatings available.

Love Your Wood!

Embrace the wood furniture you have at home. Create your own wood projects and discover the true beauty of wood. There are many reasons for you to do it, and we promise that you will not be damaging the world in any way. In fact, there are enough National Forests and conservation areas around the globe to protect more than 20% of the trees we have now. We will not run out anytime in the near future. As an added bonus, each year people are planting more trees where they take trees from. It is basically an endless supply if we use it responsibly.

Going Green Off The Grid

life off the gridIn today’s world, many people are starting to go off-the-grid as a way of living a greener lifestyle. It works. By doing this, we do lessen our overall negative affects on our world. It is a great idea, but going green off the grid isn’t something that is easy to do for all.

What is Required to Go Off the Grid?

off the gridThe first step and requirement for going off the grid for greener existence is the right mindset for it. You have to be committed to the overall lifestyle change that you are about to enjoy. You have to decide if you want the full rustic experience or power when you need it the most.

Here are four other things that you must consider before living off the grid.

The Perfect Place to Call Home

Not every area allows people to set up their home off the grid. It can violate certain codes. This means that you want to choose more rural areas or small towns with very few residents. Mountain tops and other secluded areas also work well. Depending on the type of home you hope to use, you may be able to find a campground that will allow you to stay an extended period of time, but even some of them may have restrictions on how long you can stay. For instance, some may have a restriction that you cannot set up a house for more than six months, so to avoid issues you have to leave with your tiny home for a week every so often.

The Right Power Generators

Even those who live off the grid want a little convenience. This means that you need a dependable, portable power source for charging your phone. If not a generator, then solar panels or wind turbines. However, most off-the-grid lovers opt for solar or wind with a gasoline-powered generator for a backup.

prepare to live off the gridWaste Disposal Options

Whether you want to or not, you will produce waste. Whether it is because you answer nature’s call or have some trash to get rid of. You need to plan ahead for how you will deal with it. A compost bin, burn barrels for paper trash, the right composting toilets, etc. are all important.

Water Collection Systems

In most cases, you will have to be hooked up to a well of some sort to provide yourself with clean water to drink. However, when watering your garden or flushing your toilet can be done with a rain barrel type water collection system. It is one of the best off grid water supply options available and people are beginning to use them throughout the world.

Live Your Life with Sustainability

The key to living off the grid is to find a way to make your life as full and as satisfying as it can be. This way, you will not miss anything that you once had while living in the city. Living with sustainability is far from easy, but it can be extremely rewarding for those who choose to thrive through it.

Goin’ Green

stop violenceWhen you think of today’s world, what is it that you think about first? For many of us, it is the violence that we see talked about on the news and among friends that is most prevalent in our minds. The truth is, as a nation and as a world, we seem determined to embrace the violence. However, there is a hope that we will one day learn to change it. It comes in the form of government officials, our leaders, deciding to redirect anger into more positive emotions. That is the purpose of groups like DC Green State.

Our Government’s Responsibility

stop the violenceHow prepared should we be for war? We live in a world where weapons of mass destruction are waiting to be aimed and fired at opposition. Some people feel it is warranted, and indeed, it may be. But how much preparation is too much?

Perhaps it is time for our government to promote non-violent methods toward enemies? We have to recognize that enemies are everywhere, but when we bring our military out, are we overstepping? It has been said for years that the U.S. sends military personnel into areas where they do not belong. Is the key to world peace as simple as saying, “Let’s talk this out”? If we do the same things in our community, we may stand a better chance of working out our issues without violence as well.

The Ultimate Goals

love our differencesYou cannot choose a book by it’s cover. The same is true for people on a global level. Think of all that we fight for or against. We may shoot people for having different cultural values than we have. We judge because they choose to love someone of the same sex, their skin is a different color, they choose to embrace a religion that isn’t yours, and more. No one is exempt from our persecution of them if we feel it is justified, but who really gets to choose what is best or worst?

The truth is, you look at a toddler or other small children. They do not see color, sex, or other differences unless they learn it by watching how others react. Our government, city leaders, and other authoritative figures have to look at it in the same way. Be cautious, but you should not go crazy with it.

Live a Happier Life!

No one can erase all violence or all negativity. As humans we are imperfect, but we should strive to acknowledge that we are different and it is okay. We live, we love, we grow, we change, we die. We may embrace Christianity or Muslum. We may be different colors. We are what we are. The sooner we make peace with it, the happier we will all be.