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. PBDEs, some treatments contain heavy metals associated with cancer.  Polyurethane foam & memory foam mattresses off gas whilst asleep associated with various medical conditions, especially respiration e.g. asthma. 
Greener – Natural latex, corn based plastic, organic wool, organic cotton
N.B. Flame retardants are mandatory on shop bought mattresses, although the level depends on country.

Duvets
Conventional – Polyurethane, polyester, and various chemicals that are toxic on your skin and offgas toxic vapours.
Greener – Down (natural but harbours dust mites & harvesting down is questionable), kapok, camel hair, organic cotton, organic wool, wood pulp.

Bed linen & Blankets
Conventional – Chemical dyes, stain resistant treatment, permanent press treatments (containing formaldehyde).
Greener – Patchwork recycled blankets, vegetable based, organic wool, organic cotton, organic bamboo, hemp, organic silk,

Pillows
Conventional – Polyurethane, polyester, down – all harbouring dust mites.  Any chemical based materials are in direct contact with your skin for 6-8 hours per day.
Greener – Organic wool helps deter dust mites. Dow, kapok, horse hair, natural latex, buckwheat, organic cotton, recycled polyester (this is still chemical based and will offgas)

Don’t forget transportation – a natural material from overseas will not be as eco as it seems when you add shipping carbon emissions!

Creating a sustainable interior is simply about cutting out chemical based materials and products and opting for natural, organic and treatment free.

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’, making your home more attractive to house buyers and renters
• Insulate with eco-friendly products e.g. recycled paper or sheep’s wool uses less energy to manufacture than conventional insulation = less carbon emissions
• Save up to one third of heat loss in a well insulated home
• Insulation is versatile; on the house exterior, within cavity walls or on the inside of walls.  There a lots of types available to suit all homes, new and old.

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, natural, fresh and constant ventilation is important to help keep the concentration levels lower.  Plants that absorb some interior toxins are; rubber plant, spider plant, ivy, Christmas cactus and mother-in-law’s tongue/snake plant.  Plants that help with formaldehyde are; areca rubber plant, spider plant, palm, lady palm, bamboo palm, date palm, and the peace lily. 

With few ‘off the shelf’ kitchen manufacturers producing formaldehyde free cupboards (carcass material, fillers and mouldings), a new kitchen can be a toxic nightmare.  Conventional worktops such as laminated or melamine also contain formaldehyde based adhesives.  Sometimes there isn’t any alternative to buying a conventional kitchen, however this puts you, your family, the manufacturing operative and the kitchen fitter’s health at risk from exposure to the various chemical components in the chipboard.  If you renovate your kitchen, cut the worktop or kitchen cupboards, this releases higher concentration level of toxins / particles, much larger in size than VOC vapours. 

Currently in Ireland unless you buy a solid timber kitchen (be careful with the finishes), or specify formaldehyde free board, you’ll be bringing freshly manufactured toxins into the home.  Formaldehyde is one of the commonly known volatile organic compounds (VOCs) adding to poor indoor air quality as it offgasses into the interior air over the whole life span.   A known danger to health, that isn’t advertised enough!

A recent email from my friend in New Zealand raised the old question of: What is the best wall for a building in terms of energy efficiency and environmental conservation?

Green Wall Types

Many solutions have been tried and many more are still being tested. People around the world have experimented with natural wall materials ranging from peat, sods, straw bales, logs, vegetation, rammed earth, hand-made bricks of various types (including dung), rubble & lime mortar, etc. Recycled man-made materials have also been used including tyres, bottles (plastic or glass), plastic crates, etc. You get the picture – for every ′solution′ there are dozens, if not hundreds, of variations.

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With the new IKEA store opening up in Dublin on July 27th this year. GreenMe decided to have a nosey into the flatpack kings green practices and principles. If you’ve ever been to IKEA you know how easy it is to leave with a lorry load of items. So Is IKEA green? Do their corporate policies support a sustainable environment? Well!! IKEA has been actively cutting back its carbon footprint through manufacturing, suppliers, transportation, and materials among some of their actions are:

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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 synthetics

Petroleum based materials such as conventional paint, stain, varnish, carpet, soft furnishings, textiles, sealant, glue, plastic, furniture, MFC, MDF, electrical equipment casing etc. Production uses large amounts of energy, creates toxic waste and once the materials is in your home this adds to indoor air pollution, causing a hazard to your health.

5. Live in less space

The bigger the home, the more resources you need to build, occupy, keep it running and renovate it.  Downsize your property to what′s essential.

6. What′s in your interior?

You have a choice to fill the home with materials and products that have don′t have a high impact on the natural environment.  Do some research before you buy and make informed decisions! Go for all things sustainable, renewable, natural, biodegradable, energy efficient, recycled, repaired and locally made.

7. Natural lighting

Reduce the need for artificial lighting with clever interior design tips and ideas to make the most out of natural daylight.  Save electricity & money on your utility bill!

8. Buy locally

Cut out shipping and transportation and opt for local manufacturers.  Support the local economy and reduce the number of fossil fueled miles every time you shop local.

Ireland ranks sixth in the world for the highest average radon gas levels, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced. Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas present in all rocks and soils, is classified as a class A carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. When it surfaces in the open air, it is quickly diluted to harmless concentrations. However when it enters an enclosed space such as a house, it can sometimes build up to high concentrations, leading to an ‘unacceptable health risk’.
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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 like sustainable timber flooring and blinds, so that the risks of allergy and respiration conditions are reduced.  The cot, mattress and bedding are the most important products to consider from a health perspective.  Avoid any synthetic products and opt for natural alternatives that are chemical free e.g. organic cotton, natural mattresses, natural laundry detergent etc.  The only unfortunate result is that this will cost you more money than other products.  However the long term health and wellbeing of you baby is priceless.

Locate interior/exterior air leaks & draughts – This is a good time of year to check all windows, doors, frames, electrical sockets, fireplaces, vents etc for air leaks and draughts.  These leaks can amount to huge energy loses through escaped heat – that you have to keep heating to maintain a warm level.  Think of this as similar to keeping the fridge door open, where the motor has to work all of the time to keep it cool.  Aim to keep all doors shut and use draught excluders to stop air the heated air being drawn out into a cooler room.

Lighting – As you will be using more artificial light come the end of October, make sure all of you bulbs are energy efficient CFLs.

Heating - If you are cold put on another layer of clothing or use blankets when you are sedentary, rather than turning the thermostat up. Ensure that all doors are closed to maintain heat in each room.  If you have a fireplace that is not used, seal this completely to stop warm air being sucked up the chimney and the cool air coming into the interior.  Avoid heating rooms that you don′t use often.  Some of you may be a little impatient with the room temperature and blast the heating when the room is cold, only to open the windows after an hour as the room is too hot and stuffy – what a waste.  Ideally use a heating system which you can programme the date, time, thermostat and room by room – this will help you control, regulate and maintain temperature levels in the home. 

Insulation / Hot water tank – You may have done all the checks in the interior, don′t forget the building itself e.g. floor, walls and roof. Heat rises and the majority of heat lost will be through the ceilings/roof.  Check in the loft and around the water tank that your insulation is intact, without any missing areas or where it has become damaged.  Also check the insulation on any exposed pipes from the hot water tank.  Lastly ask yourself how old the insulation is, does it need replacing?

Computers are the biggest offenders for energy use in the office.  Some computers use as much as half the amount of electricity in the whole home office.  If you leave on just one desktop monitor overnight, this could use as much electricity as a printer running 800 copies of A4 paper.  Here are some tips to help your give your office healthier computer habits! 

Repair

Repair, refurbish and recondition instead of throwing away. Aim for local repairs to save on transportation energy when sending back to the original manufacturer. 

Energy efficiency

Look for energy rated electronics computers and laptops.  Laptops use up to one sixth less energy to power than desktop computers.  Laptops do not use as many materials or energy to manufacture.  LCD and flat screens use up to 50 percent less energy than the desktop monitor.  Energy efficient computers are coming onto the market, although currently they do not have the best performance or a high specification. 

Powerdown

Do not leave your computer on standby overnight or for longer periods of time.  Switch off and unplug when not in use.  Booting up the computer in the morning does not use as much energy as leaving it in sleep mode or plugged in.  Switch off the screen when not in use or find a black/blank screensaver – as the monitor runs at full power when in screensaver mode.  Use Blackle – the black version of Google as your homepage.  Use a gadget like the ′eco button′ which is an illuminated visual reminder (and handy button to pause the power) to save electricity when your computer is not being used.  Put the computer and peripherals on a power strip so that all can be turned off at once – never leave plugs connected to the power source.  Set sleep mode after 5 or 10 minutes or inactivity.

Save

Take on board these tips to not only save money on the utility bills, but help reduce carbon emissions from the electricity you use too.

Recycling

Most manufacturers have a take back programme – make sure you use it and never throw your computer equipment away.  For an outdated but usable computer or laptop, use a free recycling network to find it a good home.