Think how much time you spend inside: sleeping, working, watching TV, eating… Some of us spend as little as 1 hour per day outside.  Why all the fuss? Everyone knows about the dangers of outdoor air pollution from car exhaust fumes to emissions from factories.  But did you know that your home environment is actually worse? Sometimes by up to 5 times the levels found outside. Link to this post!

The festive season is the worst time of year for paper waste. From wrapping paper to gift packaging and Christmas cards.  All is not lost, you too can be mindful of your paper use of the holidays following these tips: Wrap presents in old newspapers & string for a traditional look Buy recycled or FSC wrapper paper Wrap presents in something reusable: cloth string bag, scarf, fabric For something rather artistic, learn the art of ′Furoshiki′, similar to origami this is wrapping presents in folded fabric Reuse old Christmas cards as gift tags Dig out some old maps, housing blueprints… Read More »

Bed Frames Conventional – Particleboard, plywood, MFC, MDF bed frames, divans contain formaldehyde, VOCs.  Fabric over divans is treated with fire retardants, mould inhibitors and other chemical treatments that offgas whilst you sleep.  Drawers underneath the bed don’t allow air to circulate when full of storage. Greener – Metal bed frame helps air circulate and bedbugs aren’t able to crawl up the legs.  Sustainable timber frame (e.g. softwood, bamboo) without chemical treatments or a salvaged bed frame to make use of someone else’s waste. Mattresses Conventional – Fabric is treated with stain repellents, moisture repellents, mould inhibitors, flame retardants e.g…. Read More »

Average heat loss with poor insulation • Walls – up to 35% • Roof – up to 25% • Floor – up to 15% • Windows and doors – up to 25% Benefits of insulation • Lower your utility bills by using less heating than without insulation • Reduce the amount of carbon emissions you create from your existing heating system • Reduce noise pollution between neighouring walls & other external sources • Insulation will keep you warmer in winter and cooler in summer • Regarded as a home improvement, insulation will add value to the price of your property • Adequate insulation will score a better ‘Building Energy Rating’,… Read More »

Formaldehyde is a cheap glue used widely in chipboard, plywood and pressed panels.  Conventional kitchen cupboards and worktops contain formaldehyde, with the following health risks: skin / respiration / eye irritant and  proven to cause cancer in animals. Health risks are generally after exposure over a long period of time, depending on the concentration level.  If you suffer with chemical sensitivities, breathing difficulties or asthma, formaldehyde can make the symptoms worse.  Adhesives are also petrochemical & solvent based, making them non renewable resources.  Prevention of exposure is the best idea for your health, by reducing the amount of formaldehyde in the home.  Non mechanical,… Read More »

Recycling bins stacked full with cardboard, newspapers, plastic, aluminium cans, foil etc. Glass jars, wine bottles and pasta sauces stacked up ready for recycling.  These are good intentions, but what is wrong with recycling?  We all know this term ′reduce, reuse, recycle′.  What′s being missed out is ′reduce and also review′. Recycling is the last process of a product – think about what goes on before the recycling bin and try to adapt your habits. Reduce what your household consumes the amount of landfill waste your household creates the amount of recycling your household creates the amount of products you… Read More »

Heating & cooling systems: Whether a conventional boiler or an air-conditioning system – how energy efficient is it? There are plenty of renewable energy systems now on the Irish market – with grants available through SEI. Become non-reliant on fossil fuels and do your bit for the planet. Insulation: Floors, walls & ceiling.  It′s no good having an energy efficient heating system if the heat is lost through the roof. Ensure you have adequate insulation to help reduce your heating bills & the energy resources you use. Energy efficient appliances: Appliances more than 10 years old could be using far… Read More »

1. Buy less Is there any need to buy new?  Reduce the demand on materials, resources and manufacturing.  Avoid buying for trend and fashion, and instead consider lifespan, quality and durability. 2. Waste less What are you throwing away unnecessarily or without thought?  Do what you can to recycle, compost, repair, renovate, recondition and reuse.  Save our landfill! 3. Lower & be smarter with your energy use Electricity, water, fuel – all using non renewable resources adding to your carbon emissions. What can you do to prevent heat loss, reduce energy use and convert to renewable energy systems? 4. Less… Read More »

Creating a safe environment for babies and infants to sleep in is vital as they can spend a lot of time asleep in the nursery. Their bodies and are unable to take on the same toxins that an interior has compared to adults, as their organs are still immature. Consider what the nursery is decorated with and note any possible finishes or fabrics that could contain toxic additives and offgas volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the nursery air. Soft furnishings like curtains and carpet trap different pollutants and encourage dust mites and mildew. It′s best to have more smooth surfaces… Read More »

Being British and still following The Daily Mail….. sorry Ireland, I read yesterday that Kirstie Allsop from Relocation, Relocation, Relocation had been promoting how we should all re-fall in love with our homes during the recession and redecorate, redecorate, redecorate.  Hoorah, at last the mainstream world is catching onto the eco world.  This is also in line with the interior design winter trend for 2008-2009 which is ′humble craft′, creating a better quality of life in your home by sprucing up what you have and going for the eclectic style.  Too many people just sell their homes and move onto… Read More »

Christmas light are part of the festive tradition, whether on the Christmas tree, out in the garden or down Grafton Street.  Consider the energy indoor Christmas lights use and rethink your Christmas decor.  Decorating your tree with about 300 conventional fairy lights will use 30 kw hours of energy, whereas 300 LED fairy lights will use 3 KW hours of energy in comparison.  That’s a mere 10% of the energy used and only 10% of carbon emissions created.  LEDs typically have a longer lifespan at around 50,000 hours and don’t get hot to touch.  They are slightly more expensive but as they last longer, this offsets the… Read More »

Tiles are traditionally made with a mixture of natural materials such as clay, glass, marble and hard minerals. Clay and stone are not renewable, even though they are currently in abundant supply. Tiles are easy to install, durable and provide a waterproof and hygienic finish for high moisture areas. Their environmental footprint can be quite intensive. Raw material extraction and mining carves the natural landscape, destroying eco systems.  Energy used in both extraction, processing and manufacture creates high levels of carbon emissions.  Tiles are fired in kilns where the temperature rises to around 1000 degrees Celsius. Natural materials may be… Read More »

If you have visited an interiors shop and looked through their range of carpet samples, have you ever wondered what happens to these?  Over 700,000 carpet samples are manufactured in the US every year – purely as a sample to help you choose and coordinate an interior scheme.  When they are no longer needed they are thrown into landfill. In 2008, a US competition was held to create a way to reuse or ′upcycle′ discarded carpet samples into redesigned products. The 2008 winners created a variety of innovative designs, which shows how a little creativity can achieve aesthetic, functional and… Read More »

With the current climate and tightening purse strings, how often do you hear ′I can′t afford green, not right now, I′ll just keep going as I am.  Shopping for eco products is just too expensive′.Whilst some things are going to be costly in the short term e.g. solar panels and renewable energy heating systems, what you fill your interior with is not just about buying the latest eco product. Consider a different perspective and approach greening your interior by making informed decisions.  Define your ethics and think about all of the different ′eco′ principles e.g. recycled content, use of chemicals,… Read More »

If grasscloth wall coverings don′t suit the style you want for the walls, there are other natural and more environmentally stable wallpaper types on the market.  Slim pickings of manufacturers in Ireland, most eco wallpaper ranges can be found in the UK.  Other wallpaper choices are: sustainable wood pulp, recycled paper, vinyl or PVC free, chlorine free, silk screened cotton, glass fibre, barkskin, organic, handmade and wallpaper printed with vegetable, soy or natural dyes.  These can be expensive, especially ranges that are hand-made or hand-printed.  Some conventional wallpaper manufacturers have environmental initiatives during the manufacturing process which focus on resources… Read More »

Designed for laziness! Top on the list of gadget and gizmo offenders are: electric whisks, electric tin openers, cordless phone bases, milk frothers, plug in alarm clocks, electric toothbrushes, electric carving knives, electric stapler, electric shaver etc. Unless you warrant assistance with opening tin cans or cutting up the Sunday roast, do you really need all of the gadgets you have in the kitchen and around the home?  Consider how these tasks were done before the age of clever designs and nifty time saving products.  Traditional methods are often far more environmentally conscious, as most jobs were done by hand… Read More »

Moving on from last week′s post and realising that most conventional wall coverings contain chemicals, it′s good to know what the alternatives are. Going completely natural is one way to avoid conventional wall coverings.Most natural materials e.g. arrowroot, bamboo, seagrass, jute, sisal and hemp are woven into wallpaper with either a fine or thick weave.  The backing is usually recycled paper.  They are not suited to damp areas, as because they do not contain any additives, they are susceptible to mould and mildew.  This makes them difficult to clean, and they can also harbour dust easier than a smooth surface…. Read More »

Over the last year at the forefront of all of the new eco gadgets and products, there is a collection of products that have broken a few boundaries. From a credenza unit that uses old cassette tapes for the carcass and the doors, a washing machine drum made into a coffee table, a partition wall made with old books and Perspex, old carpet tiles from offices used as a screen and even an old colander made into a clock.  Some of these items are not recognisable as their old function, as you are looking at them with a different pair… Read More »

Wallpaper has been used in interiors for thousands of years and is steeped in tradition.  Originally natural materials like rice paper were used to decorate walls, often to give the illusion of tapestries and expensive mouldings.  Wall coverings are a great way to disguise lumpy walls and are an easy way to bring texture into the home without using a plaster finish.  During the plastics era around the mid 1900s, PVC vinyl became a popular wall covering – wipe clean bliss.  Little then was commonly known about chemical processing, environmental damage, carbon emissions and volatile organic compounds (VOCS), landfill and recycling. … Read More »

A study in the US journal ′Environment & Urbanisation′ in October 08, reported that our cities are wrongly being held responsible for creating around 75-80% of greenhouse gas emissions.  That′s a lot of blame, and the reality is quite different.  Data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that cities only create around 40% of emissions.  30% comes from agriculture & deforestation with the remainder from industry, power stations and rural households.  What has been overlooked is how rural households tend to contribute more than living in the city.  Interesting!  Think of how much bigger rural homes are, generally wealthier occupants… Read More »