www.everythingsgonegreen.co.uk

Whilst listening to a Radio 4 podcast on the lack of lending by banks to SMEs, I came across the story of a firm called 2K Manufacturing. The broadcast was about the firm’s difficulty in securing a loan from a major UK bank in order to expand the production of their Ecosheet product; It was this Ecosheet that really caught my attention.

2K Manufacturing’s Ecosheet is an environmentally-friendly alternative to plywood. By using low-grade post-consumer waste plastic products 2K are not only keeping this waste from the incinerator or land-fill but also reducing the need for imported plywood.

Mainly used in building & construction, hoarding etc Ecosheet has many other advantages over plywood:

• Generally lighter than plywood
• As strong as plywood
• Similar cost to plywood
• Ecosheet is impervious to rain & damp so it can be stored outdoors, weathers really well and can be jet-washed!
• It is made in standard sizes
• Both sides of Ecosheet are “A” faces (whereas plywood has just one)
• Ecosheet can be recycled at the end of its own useful life
• Ergo it is a totally sustainable solution

Just take a look at Ecosheet around the refurbishment of Marks & Spencer in Stall Street, Bath; The hoardings have been vinyl-wrapped with graphics but the installation is totally weatherproof and sustainable.

So builders, construction firms, civil engineers etc… It’s well worth checking out the green alternative to plywood. I hope the big DIY and builders merchants start stocking this product too – it keeps low-grade plastic waste out of land-fill and the incinerator, it stops trees from being cut to supply demand for plywood and it is good for the environment and 2K Manufacturing, a UK small business.

Today a contractor turned up on behalf of South East Water and installed a water meter at my request. It was a pretty quick and easy job and the water meter was actually installed at the point in the public highway (the footpath at the end of my drive actually) where the water pipes into my property rather than in the house as I had suspected (I was concerned it would be yet another  a big ugly box just like the gas and electric meters that take up space inside an understairs cupboard in the hallway)

I have to admit, the main reason for getting a water meter installed was a financial one. Currently I occupy a 3-bedroomed semi-detached house on my own whilst my better half and daughter spend an extended period of time abroad. The local council reduce my council tax rates for single occupancy but the water company do not. The annual bill for water is approximately £320 and that is based on the rateable value of the property.

Somewhere down the line you can only assume that the water companies have estimated the average use and cost of water supply, drainage and sewerage for a typical 3-bed semi with X amount of people living there. In my case that doesn’t apply so it makes pefect sense to be metered – So, presumably, the cost of my water bills should  come down.

Now here’s the green bit…

Because this is a green-thinking household there is a bath in the house but showers are more than 99% of the time. A shower uses a third of the volume of water that a bath does (plus it’s quicker to take a shower than run a bath, as we all know) OK, there is a Turner Monsoon pump fitted to boost the water pressure of the shower (and it uses electricity) but that’s because the water pressure is really pathetic in the bathroom and it’s virtually unusable without a boost. Continuing to have showers rather than baths will keep the water consumption down. Winner.

Then there’s the fact that  a low-flush toilet was installed in the bathroom, the only WC in the house. Not only does it use less water to flush than the previous Armitage Shanks cistern from 1964 but it has a dual-flush that uses less water (depending on whether you flush number 1s or number 2s ). Winner #2.

Also, by not driving a car, partly out of green choice, partly for health & fitness and partly for financial reasons, the cars don’t get washed. Winner #3.

And then there’s the water butt in the garden. Because the local council had a great deal on a compost bin we saved enough money to have a water butt purchased & delivered for the same cost as had we just had the composting bin on its own. Winner #4.

So it looks like this could be a win-win situation – Not only does this household save water but it saves money too. If you’re green and you haven’t got a water meter installed then it might be time to consider doing so. I’ll keep you posted as to how long it is before the water company start reducing our water bills – you know what these big companies are like when it comes to letting go of your cash…

Footnote: I just had a look at the volumetric water meter manufacturer’s website. Being a marketing guy myself I wasn’t totally enamoured at the language used for the V210 meter:

V200 and V210 volumetric meters are designed to maximise revenue collection.

Now I know the website is not consumer-focused but when they stumble across the term “maximise revenue collection” it doesn’t sound fair does it? Maybe I should suggest to the manufacturer that they use the term “optimise revenue collection” – that would be far more agreeable, don’t you think?

Last night I went to a climate change consultation with my local Rushmoor Borough Council.

40 local residents were invited down to Aldershot on a cold February night to discuss the borough’s policy and, arranged into small groups, we brainstormed Rushmoor BC’s plans for the environment and the future.

Of course, the number one topic raised was the issue of climate change itself. Currently, if you spend a lot of time in the media, the subject of climate change seems to be getting a real kicking. The Climategate affair, involving the leak of data from the University of East Anglia on the eve of the Copenhagen summit, followed by the controversy over the predictions of retreating Himalayan ice and now Sir David King’s attack on the IPCC mean that a lot of scepticism is creeping in and, last night, a few dissenting voices were heard in the room.

The important consensus though was that climate change is happening. It’s not just global warming or global cooling, but variations in “local” climate all over the world and, whether it’s man-made or natural, it’s best to prepare for it.

So, that first hurdle over, Rushmoor BC presented their plans for the next 20 years. The big issue locally is the Aldershot Urban Extension, meaning that our neighbouring town of Aldershot is to be the subject of a 4,500 home expansion. Whilst brownfield sites are preferable for new builds, it seems inevitable that so many more homes will be needed and the council will have to develop a new “town” of so many houses.

This will surely impact upon on our small Borough which is already a busy commuter area (with great links to London and the south coast via train and motorway). The plans are to lessen the impact of any new development, and Rushmoor BC made bold statements to meet and exceed environmental building standards by an additional 15%.

That prompted questions of “are the current environmental standards stringent enough?” meaning that beating them by 15% is a fairly easy task plus that age old question of “the council says it will meet & beat standards but will it actually do it?”

Many ideas were bandied around in our group with a lot of focus on restoring localisation, creating closer community, water run-off into the River Blackwater etc. Plus there was great interest in the proposed new power plant, powered, presumably, by local waste and providing heat & energy. The notion of creating an “eco town” was popular with the notion that Rushmoor could be as well-regarded as the city of Brighton which is always thought of as one of Britain’s greenest urban places.

The usual topics of individual wind & solar power arose with ground-heat pumps and green roofs being thrown in for good measure.

Overall, a wealth of ideas were explored and there seems to be a consensus that the majority of people were in favour of bold steps in order to make the borough a greener place in terms of planning over the next 20 years or so.

The Natural Environment

The second part of the night revolved around Rushmoor’s natural environment. Surrounded by military land, we are blessed with a fairly natural environment that is protected by its ownership under the MOD.

The consensus was that we should not only protect every single piece of green environment that we have around here but that we should also restore and improve upon it. Natural and man-made attrition of the trees in the borough is something close to my heart as I’ve seen numerous trees come down locally over the years, never to be replaced. Do we get an organisation like the Woodland Trust involved to help us re-green Rushmoor?

Cycle paths were mentioned again as local citizens expressed a desire to expand cycle routes and to encourage more use of cycles in the borough. One resident even complained that where he locked up his cycle in the North Camp part of town they had removed the cycle racks and never replaced them!

Conclusion

There was a very healthy discourse over the evening and a number of people felt as though this was just the first of many discussions regarding the environment in Rushmoor. The many notes that were made were taken away to be digested by the council and they will have much food for thought.

Some great ideas came out of the meeting and, for starters, I would like to see the replacement and replanting of more trees, an extension of cycle tracks and a push to get more people cycling, loft insulation for all, better buses and routes and a green roof initiative.

Every piece of green and MOD land must be fought for and preserved and the inevitable expansion of Aldershot MUST be sustainable, green and a benefit to current residents not a detriment.

Finally, I’d like to see flights to Farnborough Airport capped as they are. I’ve seen no major benefit to the local economy from the planes flying in and, working near the airfield, the avgas fumes are unpleasant and unhealthy, not to mention the M3 motorway and the ridiculous “sound barrier” erected for residents who brought houses right next to the M3 but complained it was too noisy! (irony?) Thanks to them the sound bounces off the wooden fences and pollutes an even greater area.

Let’s hope Rushmoor Borough can only get safer, greener and cleaner.

Well it’s certainly been a week for DIY retailer B&Q. On Friday 13th February they will be selling a million loft insulation rolls at £1 apiece (whilst socks last) and on Wednesday they opened their greenest ever store at New Malden in Surrey.

The new £9 million southwest London store, B&Q’s greenest store ever, is part of their commitment to be a zero carbon emission company by 2012 and boasts a 20Kw wind turbine, FSC timber throughout the build, natural heating, solar panels, rainwater collection and a green roof. Wow! That’s a lot!

Now the building industry has often been branded as one of the least environmentally friendly but B&Q are making a huge commitment to changing that and their range of eco brands and materials is expanding, giving people greater access to greener materials with which to build & renovate their homes. Their “One Planet” range now covers 2000 eco items.

B&Q is just one of 12 companies across the UK to achieve the Carbon Trust Standard which

certifies that an organisation has genuinely reduced its carbon footprint and is committed to making further reductions year on year

And you can see the level of commitment in the long list of improvements to their 50% greener store, and I quote;

• a 20KW wind turbine situated on a 35m tower on the top of the store will help generate energy for the store – it’s the largest integrated turbine yet installed on a building in the UK
• FSC certified timber has been used throughout
• Ground source heat pumps heat and cool the store with geothermal energy which takes energy from the earth using 108 bore holes at 100 metres deep
• Rainwater harvesting – rainwater is collected from the store’s roof and used to water plants in the roof top garden centre and for flushing the toilets
• A photovoltaic system; which converts light into electricity will provide shade for the coffee shop and convert solar radiation into electricity to run appliances and lighting
• Solar thermal water heating panels will generate hot water for the WCs and the coffee shop
• Insulated to the highest levels reducing loss of heat and CO2 through walls and roof
• A green roof planted with sedum; an herbaceous plant, will absorb CO2 and provide added value to biodiversity as well as reducing rainwater run-off
• North-light roof provides higher natural lighting levels and reduces reliance on artificial lighting.  All lighting throughout the store will use energy efficient light bulbs
• Automatic lighting dimming control system will reduce energy consumption
• Natural ventilation from the roof vents help to make the store more comfortable in summer

That’s pretty impressive.

If you want to beat the credit crunch and insulate your home for less then you might like to know that DIY giant B&Q is selling a million rolls of loft insulation for just £1 a roll. The offer, available from Friday 13th February at B&Q stores throughout the country, means that with the average loft requiring 22 rolls of loft insulation to be fully insulated, it is estimated that those who take up the offer could reduce their heating bills by as much as £205 a year.

Euan Sutherland, the CEO of B&Q and Kingfisher UK Division, said of the offer:

“We’ve just experienced the worst cold snap for many years and with money tight people are looking for ways to keep warm and save money. As far as I’m aware this is the first time ever a roll of loft insulation has been sold for £1. If you want one though, you’ll have to be quick because there’s only a million rolls available at this price and once they’re gone they’re gone.”

Phil Bentley, Managing Director of British Gas added:

“We are very proud to support B&Q’s cheapest ever offer making loft insulation more affordable and helping householders make big savings on their energy bills. With £1 in every £4 spent on heating an un-insulated home being wasted, this is a great opportunity to save money and help reduce your impact on the environment.”

The £1 roll forms part of a three-roll triple pack “DIY loft insulation” and is a fraction of the usual retail cost thanks to British Gas and the CERT funding scheme. CERT funding means this offer is only available to retail customers. It is not available to trade customers, professional installers or for those involved in the construction of new builds.

The offer is the latest measure from B&Q designed to help people live a more sustainable life and is part of the retailer’s ongoing commitment to the Together Campaign. Last year the home improvement retailer launched a “One Planet Home” range, specifically designed to help people reduce the environmental impact of their home and help them save money. To further help homeowners to lay insulation, B&Q has also produced a How To Insulate your home DVD (£1.98) – a visual step-by-step guide to help the successful completion of the project.

Together Campaign Director David Hall concludes:

“With this groundbreaking offer there’s never been a better time to lag your loft and start saving money. Thanks to B&Q and British Gas over 45,000 homes across the UK could feel the warmth and financial benefit from this offer on top of reducing their carbon footprint. At Together we estimate this promotion will save 12,000 tonnes of C02 saved every year- the equivalent of taking 4,800 cars off the road.”

For people who want the green lifestyle to be integrated into their home there’s a number of things they can do. Installing energy-efficient light-bulbs is a good cheap start, as is turning down the thermostat and recycling your trash. But have you thought about using green insulation like when we used hemp/cotton insulation in the wall cavities in our bathroom, or natural flooring that uses only wool or grass?

If you’re interested in really pushing the boat out in greening your home then there’s no better place to look than the new Eco Home Resource website. They cover every aspect of having an environmentally friendly home from the easy tips we’ve just mentioned to green roofs and building materials.

And it’s not just the structure of your green home that’s important, Eco Home Resource remind us that the appliances & furniture you choose and the paint & colours you use are equally important, not to mention using feng shui and aromatherapy to give you that extra satisfaction of a happy eco house.

In addition to being an absolute gold mine of green home products, information and ideas, the Eco Home Resource website has an excellent section on Eco services for your home. The services are all US-based but there are literally tons of them and we were impressed by the sheer number of Solar Power service providers.

So if you’re in the US and need the eco bible for your home and resources then check out Eco Home Resource. If you’re not in America then take a look anyway, there’s so much good information there.

After last month’s online purchase of fantastically warm and environmentally-friendly hemp insulation, we saw hemp insulation for the first time locally in our nearby B&Q on Saturday.

Above the usual and itchy suspects of fibreglass loft insulation was a sign that read “Buy One Get One Free on ALL insulation and insulation wrap”. So we asked a girl at the till whether the Breatheâ„¢ Hemp Insulation was covered in this deal, after all the sign did say ALL INSULATION.

At the till the computer says NO, but we pursued justice to the letter and asked a higher authority if they would honour their promotion. They did.

So, if you want to save a few pounds and make your loft or walls all warm and toasty by going green with your hemp insulation then scoot down to B&Q double-quick and take advantage of this offer.

As well as the 6 packs of Breatheâ„¢ Hemp Insulation (which is grown in the UK) we saw B&Q were selling Thermafleece natural wool insulation too.

So finally, the high street retailers are actually going green in the products they provide for us. It’s nice to see that green products are not just a specialist commodity any more.
Personally I wish the less environmentally friendly products would be priced higher than the green products…

Whilst in the midst of revamping our bathroom we had to build a stud wall and were at this point where we had to insulate the cavity.

Now personally I can’t stand glass-fibre insulation, not even the superpink stuff that’s sealed up nor the trendy space blanket with the silver side to supposedly reflect heat; Fibre glass can be itchy, not nice to work with and simply it’s just not my bag – we wanted something much greener!
So I’d been keeping an eye on this Thermafleece sheep’s wool insulation, which can only be delivered by the pallet, which was an amount far more than we currently required, or there was theWarmcell recycled paper filling; probably a bit awkward for this particular job.

We eventually settled on a product called Isonat – hemp and cotton batts supplied in batches of six – for our purposes the 1200mmx400mm wide batts came in a number of thicknesses; With a 66mm cavity we asked our supplier, Green & Easy, if the 75mm thick batts could be compressed. They said yes and the next day we had our pack delivered.

The Isonat hemp & cotton batts are well made yet easy to trim with a sharp knife or scissors. We managed to compress the 75mm thick batts into the 66mm cavity but we did have to initially bond our dry-wall boards to the studs first and then permanently fix them in place.

Overall, the Isonat hemp & cotton batts were a joy to work with, are a great green credential and our conscience is clear. They’re also fire retardant and bug-proof, have excellent heat-retention properties and good soundproofing qualities. And what’s more, the spare hemp batts we have left for our next job are cat-friendly; I don’t think we’ll be getting them back for a while

Green & Easy were friendly, helpful and very efficient. You can visit their website or give them a call on 0845 257 0550.