The Ultimate Guide to Home Made Energy

Mankind is currently burning though its fossil fuels at an alarming rate. These include: coal, gasoline, oil, wood and water. In fact, top climatologists are predicting that the world will be completely stripped of its fossil fuels by the year 2050. Quite a bleak forecast, unless everyone comes together and reduces their carbon footprint. Obviously one can only control oneself, so it must start with you.

Home Made Energy is the answer to our global crisis. It is important that everyone finds a means of generating some sort of home made energy. It is an important investment for the future of your family and for the world. If everyone did their part, the world would be a lot better off. There are many types of "green energy", wind power, solar power, water-power or hydroelectric power, and geothermal power. Our planets energy crisis could be avoided if we took the time to use these clean types of energy. It's really not as hard as you think to produce your own energy.

Looking to build your own home made energy system? Then you have come to the right place. You can easily reduce your monthly energy costs by choosing the right do it yourself manual. Not only will you be protecting the environment but you will be making an investment on the worlds future.

Here are the top reasons to consider your own Home Made Energy:

You will save money and lots of it. Rather than be forced to pay the electric company for your energy usage, you can generate your own home made energy and save it for the future or sell it back to the power company for a profit!

You will be consuming less fossil fuels. Since we all share this earth you will have met your responsibility to the planet and to the other inhabitants. If everyone does this our planet would be protected for many generations to come.

You will use less electricity from the power company which means that you are reducing the amount of co2 spread back into the atmosphere. By using Home Made Energy you will reduce the amount of damage being done.

You will have nearly unlimited energy. The sun doesn't run out of energy so there is no worry of depleting it like we are doing to our planets natural resources.

Doing our part to protect and conserve the planet is one of the most important civic responsibilities you have as a citizen of the world. Home Made Energy systems are one of the best ways to achieve these goals. They are easy to build, cheap and the parts are readily available.

While there is an initial investment, you will find that its very small compared to the cost of paying a professional installer to do the work for you. Believe me you will save money in the long run.

Nick Fiddler is a writer who specializes in green energy sources. You can check his latest website at Home Made Energy where he provides the latest unbiased reviews and building advice for home made energy, including How to Make Solar Panels and much more.

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The Importance Of Healthy Home Ventilation

Many people may be interested to know that an improved sense of well being, and better health can be enjoyed through the installation of a healthy home ventilation system. By keeping humidity and mildew from causing problems through the use of proper home ventilation, a person can prevent certain chronic health issues from occurring.

Appropriate ventilation should not be overlooked by architects when they are designing a new home. One can select from a number of different venting systems, depending on various factors, including the location of the home. For instance, provision for ventilation is implemented in the roof design of homes that are located in tropical areas as a way to allow fresh air to circulate into the home. In colder parts of the country, it is necessary to pay more attention with regard to home ventilation. An adequate venting system will allow fresh air to enter the house while keeping bad or stale air out. One can also eliminate all the humidity-caused moisture through the use of a ventilation fan in each room.

For instance, a suitable exhaust fan should be placed in the kitchen, as this is the primary area to which excessive moisture is attracted. An adequate exhaust fan eliminates unwanted odors, while at the same time allowing fresh air to enter the home.

A significant amount disagreeable smells and humidity can also permeate a bathroom. Such problems can be eliminated through an appropriate home ventilation system. With proper ventilation, one can prevent excessive moisture in rooms can be prevented, which will eliminate the need to replace metal or wooden doors and fixtures which have been damaged by moisture. The excessive mildew and mold on walls can affect one's health in a negative way.

Bathroom fans are also a nice option when one is searching for a way to improve the ventilation in his or her bathroom. Such a fan can help to keep the air on the room odor free and fresh. This is an especially helpful addition to a home in which multiple residents live.

In addition, one can ventilate his or her home through simple activities such as opening the windows and doors of the home on a regular basis. This can help in replacing polluted or musty indoor air with outdoor air that is fresh and clean. A good quality air conditioner filter can also help to enhance the quality of the air in one's house. Proper ventilation can help to reduce the symptoms of numerous health complications such as allergies and asthma.

Natasha VB Easton is a writer on many different subjects. These includes all manner of healthy living ideas and home improvement. To read more on subjects such as Home Ventilation System Ideas and Home Ventilation in Sydney, check out Ventis.com.au

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Solar Power - The Pros

Advantages of using flexible solar panels

Solar power is a source of energy that is all around us. It is free to use and of course it is the ultimate in green energy. Solar energy is its own unique source of power, and these solar panels utilize that energy to power all of your portable electronics. Flexible solar panels allow us to use this source of energy in our daily lives. You can charge your Kindle or I-phone whether you are at home or traveling on vacation.

These panels have been designed to be folded or rolled up for ease of storage and transport. The thin film technology used to produce them uses slim layers of silicon which makes them flexible. They are lightweight for easy use during camping, hiking, and travel. With the new designs and advances in solar technology these thin film solar panels are more efficient than before.

These panels are designed to work in low light conditions such as in hiking in the woods. You will not have to find an open meadow or break in the trees to recharge you GPS or walkie talkie's.
They can be rolled up and stored in your back pack when not in use, and then be carried wherever a source of low voltage power is required.

These solar panels come in a variety of power levels. They range from 5w-12v to 25w-12v.

Another big plus is that you can use these panels to recharge your marine batteries. This eliminates the concern of not having a fully charged battery when a storm is looming on the horizon. This is good insurance for you peace of mind when you are on your boat a long way from shore.

They provide an ideal solution for charging and powering walkie talkies, GPS systems, your portable web camera, and other small electronics when there is no conventional power source available. This type of solar panel provides a portable source of low voltage alternative energy. The newer versions of these panels are much more durable the earlier models.

These flexible panels have their own types of advantages over the traditional and more familiar solar panels. Portability and mobility are the major advantages over the traditional panels. They can be set up where and when we need them.

It is not necessary to have a flat surface to mount or use flexible solar panel absorb sunlight for power. The panel can be laid across a boulder of on top of your SUV. This type of solar panel provides is adaptable power source with many outdoor applications. Flexible panels will fit into clothes or a back pack.

They do not break easily, and they take little or no space to set up and store when not in use. They can provide us with years of problem free service.

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Make Your Home Greener To Save Yourself Some Green

Making more environmentally friendly choices is a good idea for more than one reason. Not only does it conserve valuable resources, it also saves you valuable money. Here are some tips for making your home greener and for lowering your monthly bills.

Replace your old thermostat with a programmable one. You can program your indoor climate control system to automatically use less energy during times of the day when there's not usually anyone at home, which can cut your energy bill by up to 10 percent.

Seal cracks around windows and doors. This means less of your conditioned air, whether it's hot or cool, escapes outside. That lowers the energy your climate control system needs to maintain the same temperature. Some air circulation, however, is necessary to keep your indoor air from becoming stagnant, unhealthy, and even prone to mildew and mold. So, avoid over-sealing your house.

Install a more efficient water heater. A tankless, or demand, water heater uses less energy than a water heater with a tank because it only heats the amount of hot water that you're actually using. Tank water heaters keep a certain amount of water heated even if you aren't using any hot water at all, which spends energy, and money, for no good reason. A solar water heater is another way to save a bundle on energy costs, as it uses free energy from the sun to provide you with hot water.

Change out your old light bulbs for more efficient bulbs. Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) and LED bulbs both last longer (CFLs last up to three times longer, and LEDs should last at least 25 times longer) than traditional incandescent bulbs. They also use less energy to provide the same amount of light. Plus, buying more efficient bulbs means not having to replace your light bulbs as often.

Install more efficient windows. There are all kinds of energy-efficient features available on windows now. Solar films block heat energy from entering your house and raising your cooling bill. Some windows are designed to keep heat energy from escaping houses in cooler locations. Customize your windows to your energy needs as a way to save money and use less energy.

To lower water bills, fix any leaks in faucets, hoses and shower heads. While you're at it, replace your old water fixtures with low flow ones. And don't forget your toilet, which consumes a large percentage of the water used by any household. Modern low flow toilets and shower heads provide good water pressure while saving water. You can even convert your old toilet yourself by retrofitting the tank with inexpensive parts from the hardware store.

Replace old appliances with more efficient ones. The Energy Star rating is becoming more and more common on modern appliances, so when you need to get rid of old appliances, be sure to choose replacements designed to suit your lifestyle and to deliver more performance at lower energy rates.

Don't consume energy with things you aren't using. That includes turning off lights when you leave the room, of course, but don't forget to unplug appliances that consume energy even when they're not on. You can even buy power strips that will help you power down your energy-sucking appliances by automatically sensing when you turn off a specific appliance, which is when the power strip also turns off the other appliances you have plugged in to it.

The above ideas provide you with some great, easy ways to make your home use less resources and cost you less money. All of these ideas are included in the general topic of green home design. Energy and water aren't free, after all, and being environmentally friendly isn't about following a new trend-- it's about smart consumption and smart spending.

Vern Beatty is an engineer who writes articles about home wind turbines, home solar power, and shipping container homes.

For more information on green home living, please visit http://containerhomecenter.com/.

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Non Woven Shopping Bags: The Major Advantages

For the past years that non woven shopping bags became popular to many consumers and being used in the supermarkets, reduction of wastes in the environment has been visible. The different advantages of these bags are truly instruments in making people aware of what is happening around the planet. People are significantly using them for different reasons and carrying out the best quality and importance of the bags. It only means that they bring exceptional implications to humans and to their health, and the environment.

There are four general advantages of non woven shopping bags to consumers, manufacturers and the environment. Apart from these bags are durable and reusable, they also have other significance that really helpful and lessens uncertainties to people. They have effects in terms of the economic aspect of the government. Instead of using plastic bags which contribute much in the increase of wastes in landfills, non woven shopping bags are better replacements to these plastics. Supermarket owners do not need to give away plastic bags as containers of commodities and other items to the consumers. This lowers the store owners' costs and they can earn profit out from using the green bags. In like manner, consumers can reuse the non woven bags as many times as they want without buying for new ones. As to the manufacturers, these bags are cost-effective and have promotional benefits.

They are firm and long-lasting. These bags are made with durable materials or fabrics (non woven PP, polyethylene terephthalate, and recycled polyethylene terephthalate) that are also safe and comfortable to humans. Regular plastic shopping bags can be easily damaged and they only last for days because they are not reusable. Unlike non woven shopping bags, these types are firmly manufactured to avoid breakage when handling and to circumvent spillage of the contents. In addition, non woven shopping bags can retain the freshness of the foods, fruits and vegetables during shopping. And since these bags are also washable, consumers can prevent the high risk of bacteria and contamination that result to dreadful illnesses.

Non woven bags have more marketing effects compared to ordinary plastic bags. The appearances of these bags are attractive, thus convince people to buy and try. They are waterproof, solid and have non-sticky properties so these are the first choice of many consumers. For the manufacturers, they can print their company logos in the façade or sides of the bags, or they can even make the bags more colorful and printed to attract more customers. This is one of the best means in advertising the non woven bags.

It is already a common knowledge to consumers about the positive effects of non woven shopping bags to the environment. However, using them consistently help sustain the cleanliness of the environment. No litters are found in the streets, landfills and oceans. Furthermore, these effects of non woven bags to the ecosystem could maintain the reproduction of diverse species both on land and in the oceans.

Vina Packing Films Co., Ltd is a Vietnam non woven shopping bag manufacturer. We produce Pp shopping bag and non woven shopping bags for global market. Please visit our website at http://www.vinapackingfilms.com/ for more detail information.

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Ventilation Systems for Reducing Mold in Your Home

Ventilation systems for reducing mold in your home can help to prevent you from getting sick. When you have been dealing with allergies for long periods of time, it is very likely that you have a mold problem in your home. When this is the case, you will have to take action in order to avoid suffering. The easiest way to find relief is to invest in a ventilation system that will improve the quality of air in your home. Ventilation can help to purify the air inside your home and allow you to rid the impurities from your environment.

Additionally, your home will become more comfortable than it has ever been in the past. There are many people that would like to reduce the amount of power used in the home during the summer or winter. When you are serious about saving money, it is important that you have the right ventilation system in your home.

Making this change will ensure that your home is more comfortable than ever. Additionally, you would be able to rid your life of suffering from allergies while reducing your power bills in a short period of time. If you have been thinking of ways to save money, you may want to consider the advantages of these systems and determine what they can do for you. Investing in a system that will improve the air flow within your home can dramatically improve the comfort level of your home.

Reduced mold is one of the benefits of improved air circulation in your home. In fact, many people have been able to get rid of allergies all together by simply changing the way air is distributed within the home. There are millions of people that currently suffer from an allergy that is related the mold building within the home. If this is not handled properly, your suffering will only get worse in time. However, the simple solution of investing in a great ventilation system can ensure that suffering is a thing of the past. In addition to limiting your mold exposure, you will be able to get a better night of sleep and enjoy a cool and comfortable home.

Saving on the power that you are using can also help you to eliminate the need to spend a lot of money on your power bills. The key to a comfortable home is making sure that you are getting air into and out of the home properly. Do not overlook the importance of having even airflow in your home.

This simple investment would allow you to improve the way that you spend time at home. There are several health conditions that will result from exposure to mold. However, you will never have to worry about these once you have the right ventilation system in your home.

Natasha VB Easton is a writer on many different subjects. These includes all manner of healthy living ideas and home improvement. To read more on subjects such as Home Ventilation System Ideas and Home Ventilation in Sydney, check out Ventis.com.au

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Why Solar Energy?

We must acknowledge that If we do not consider the high price of solar energy, then it is far better than any traditional energy. It saves money, is environment friendly, has no maintenance cost, gives reduced dependence on fossil fuels, and a lot of government incentives are also being provided to promote solar power. Moreover, you will have freedom from the power company, freedom from unwanted power cuts and horrible blackouts. So, let's discuss the advantages of solar energy.

Saves money: PV panels do not need any fuel to run. So, you do not have to worry about gasoline price. They also indirectly reduce health cost. You will also get total freedom from their ever rising prices.

Environment friendly: PV panels do not release Carbon dioxide, Nitrogen oxide, Sulphur dioxide and Mercury like traditional energy sources. So, They slow down the global warming process. Their recycling process is also environment friendly.

No maintenance cost: Solar panels last for decades. In fact, PV panels last more than 30 years without any kind of cost. They do not need any fuel to run and do not have any offensive smell. They work literally like a shadow friend.

Reduced dependence on fossil fuels: Fossils fuels are very expensive and unfortunately, they are in the control of a few countries. On the other hand, solar power is unlimited. It is believed that one hour sunlight is enough to give electricity for one year for the entire world!

Government incentives: This is the most important initiative to flourish solar power on a large-scale. Many governments all over the world have been promoting solar power. Some countries have been providing subsides to end-users, while others have been providing attractive loans and tax incentives. In some countries "Considerable amount of electricity of total usage has to be from solar energy" has been made compulsory, e.g., in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh each new building must have a solar panel. It is a good approach indeed. Moreover, in many countries people have freedom to sell the extra electricity to the grid company at retail prices.

Solar energy could be a probable and long-lasting alternative to traditional energy sources.We should change our attitude and be kind to the planet Earth. We must try our best to use traditional energy sources as less as possible because these are very dangerous for our environment. Do not delay, do not wait for others. You fulfill your responsibility other people will follow you soon. Go green!

About the Author

Faisal Muhammad Khan is a freelance article writer. He cannot stop loving writing and reading. He is so natural that it seems his words are always talking to you. He has a very sharp eye not only for grammatical errors, but stylistic choices that could be improved to make the piece flow better. In a nutshell, whatever the topic is, he is more like a story-teller than a writer! He lives in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

His Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/talk2472Khan

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Water Saving Tips - How To Conserve Water

Water is life. It is needed for all facets of life and we need to do everything that is possible to conserve the precious amounts that we have. Being aware of our water consumption is important for our environment and our future. To help out, below are some easy to follow water saving tips that anyone can do to conserve the environments' precious water.

Turn It Off

Letting the water run while we are doing things like brushing our teeth or washing the dishes is a habit that many people have. It can be a hard one to break, too. Doing things like turning off the water while brushing your teeth and not running the water in the shower too long before getting in can save up to several gallons of water every day! By being more conscious of our water usage through everyday activities, we can save a lot of what would be wasted water.

Fix Leaks

Another thing that many people fail to realize is how much water is wasted daily from leaky pipes and faucets. Even the smallest leak can add up over time. The way to fix this is by replacing the valve seats and washers in the faucets and checking inside and outside of your home for any other leaks to fix. Sometimes, it can be as easy as tightening up a pipe to stop a leak.

Hose Habits

While working out in the yard, watering plants or washing the car, it can be easy to just let the water continue to run while you are working. This can be a major waster of water. To save water during these activities, you can either turn the hose off when you are not using it or get a nozzle for the end of the hose so that water will not be coming out when you are not using it.

Take Quicker Showers

A shower is a real easy and quick way to waste water. Taking a quick 5 minute shower can save around 20 or more gallons of water compared to a bath or a longer shower. Another way to conserve some water while showering is to install a water-saving shower head.

In The Laundry

To save some money while doing laundry, be sure to only wash full loads. This is an easy and great way to save some water. Also, if you are able to, hand wash single pieces of clothing to save even more water. If you have the money, a high efficiency washing machine can save you not only water but energy as well.

Learn more about Recycled Water and other valuable Water Saving Tips by visiting the website of Central Basin today.

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Save Money By Using HomeMade Energy

Occasionally someone comes along with an innovative solution, which is the case of a California man named Bill Ford. This family man was tired of paying high prices for electricity and decided to do something about it. The creator of HomeMadeEnergy.org and a fully comprehensive guide called Home Made Energy, Ford will show you how to build your own wind or solar-based generator.

In the guide called HomeMade Energy, Ford provides easy-to-follow steps for generating power from natural resources. Along with saving money, people that read this guide are also taught ways of supporting a healthy environment. While HomeMade Energy is loaded with benefits, the greatest is that anyone can build a power source for little money while enjoying vast savings.

HomeMade Energy is a revolutionary guide in that methods and information for generating backyard energy is far better from any other guide on the market today. Ford has painstakingly put together instructions so simple that even a teenager could build a homemade generator. Because of the low price, wealth of information, and easy to follow instructions, this has quickly become the number one guide of choice.

Additionally, just 0.2% of energy consumed is from wind or solar power produced by a home system. Every year, the cost of energy continues to rise, which is why so many people are interested in guides such as HomeMade Energy. As people read this information, they will discover that to make solar power by building a system in the backyard is easy, affordable, and the results incredible.

Now, some forms of renewable energy would be impossible for the average person to achieve in that the systems are large and high dollar. However, using the information in Home Made Energy, the average person will find that he or she has another option, one that will produce energy for the entire household. This is a very affordable solution, one saving hundreds if not thousands of dollars each year.

Any challenges that come from creating renewable energy are covered in Home Made Energy, making it easy for a person to have a wind or solar system up and running in no time. The guide is comprehensive and the instructions easy to follow. After all, Ford spend many years conducting research and going through testing to ensure the information provided to consumers was accurate and effective.

In the guide, Home Made Energy, people will find that they can choose from wind power or solar power, both offering tremendous savings. The guide comes with detailed instructions based on a person's physical location in the country, the square footage of the home, and other information so the right system is chosen. While many people prefer to build a system for wind, others want solar. However, some people will build both systems for personal, renewable energy.

You could choose a guide on building a wind-based generator, a solar-based generator, of if you prefer, you could purchase guides such as homemade energy or Earth 4 Energy, for both wind and solar. After all, any extra power produced beyond what you need, can be sold to electricity companies so building both types of generators is not a bad idea. Every diagram needed is found in the Home Made Energy guide, making this a fun and easy project to complete. After being built, your generator will provide you and your family with a long list of benefits such as:

* Hundreds of dollars in savings every month on electricity
* Doing your part in saving the planet
* A fun family and friend project
* Option of going 100% off-grid
* Sell excess power generated to the local electricity company
* Save more money for vacation

Would you like to save money on your utility bill? Using a product like Home Made Energy can be one solution. Visit http://make-solar-power.net/ to find out more about the various forms of green energy.

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Recycling Old Furniture

An ever-increasing informed amount of people are looking to give a different more sustainable improvement to their furniture, without having to pay a large sum for enhanced bespoke work. Old, styled constructed furniture creates a sense of warmth in a room, by expressing a contemporary link with a Victorian or Georgian past.

The art of recycling is to create a unique look that appears like it was possibly fifty years gone by. If you get it wrong it can truly look distressed and look basically ruined. It is a real skill to paint whilst ensuring the continuity of times gone by.

The appearance of elegance through bygone times, can be realised by creating scratches and dents in the surface of the wood (being careful not to damage your piece of furniture though). After the scratches and dents are added they can be smoothed in with wood stain, which enhances the overall aged look.

For a polished finish, up to four coats of paint must be applied and the kind of paint you use is also fundamental to the final finish. When the paint has totally dried, we can then apply fine-grain sandpaper to softly thin the topcoat so the second colour of paint slowly shows through.

In principle it sounds easy, yet it is the most skillful part of any makeover. The core aim is to make your furniture look as if the paint has been aged over time. If it is not done properly it'll make the furniture look damaged or neglected. That's why a lot of people do like to purchase furniture with the old distressed look already done or even to get this work done for them.
This leaves the not so easy work to others, saving you time and by avoiding the worst outcomes, it could save you cash to.

Do you take olden furniture to the town landfill site?
Recycling old wooden furniture preserves forests and habitats. Deforestation is becoming a big global issue, so it's important for everyone to think about what is already available out there before buying new.

You may own some old furniture that is past its best. Consider recycling and restyling! Old furniture can look so different with a bit of professional know how and creativity.

New furniture might look sleek and polished, but it simply does not have the strength and durability of traditional crafted pieces. Ever noticed how old furniture seems to last much longer.

That is because furniture from the past was not mass-produced in the way much of it is today, it copes with the wear and tear of daily life. Contemporary furniture does not.

So it's not only saving habitat, you can actually end up with a far higher quality piece of furniture as well!

Do you still possess any furniture that your or even grandparents bought and handed down to you? If you do, you'll see the difference. Those old wardrobes and Chest of drawers might still look fine, even though they have faded a bit, they still serve their main purpose. Basic repairs are easy to achieve. So why pay so much for new furniture when it's not as sturdy and hence will not last as long?

Much of our old furniture was not made by machines like it is these days. Modern hand painted designs work best using originally hand carved pieces incorporating strength and a refined look. Hand crafted furniture just looks so much better than modern furniture that has been made by machines.

So let's forget about the new, bring in the old! Hand-painted furniture is the modern trend going on these days. It has something to do with the feeling that you get from a genuinely hand painted finish that has been a labor of love.

And finally, if you are interested in recycling your old furniture, please check out our recycle blog at http://www.recycleblog.co.uk/

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Recycled Polyester, Organic Cotton or Hemp - Which Is The Most Eco-Friendly Fiber?

We all know by now that organic is better than conventional. And if the eco-revolution started with organic food, nowadays we have a choice in every aspect of life including clothing. There are so many good reasons to choose organic clothing that we almost never ask ourselves which fiber is really green. Is it possible a synthetic fiber to be better for the environment than an organic one? Let's have closer look at some of the most popular green fibers - organic cotton, organic hemp and recycled polyester, and find out how much eco-friendly they actually are.

Chemicals & GMOs

It is grown without pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers as well as GM (genetically modified) organisms. Organic cotton farmers save money on production by reducing the high costs associated with chemical processing as well as avoid workers' poisoning, water contamination and depletion of soil nutrients.

It is one of the most ecologically friendly plants. It is pest resistant - no pesticides are needed. Moreover, when hemp is grown in rotation, it has been known to reduce the pests in future crops. Hemp is grown so thickly that it kills the other plants around due to which no herbicides are required. Finally, hemp not only needs little or no fertilizers, but it turns back most of the nutrients it takes from the soil. So, because of its unique nature, the changes required in the cultivation of hemp to produce organic hemp are minimal.

It is done by used plastic bottles. The recycling is either mechanical or chemical. The former can be done only a few times before the yarn gets good only for the landfill. The latter turns the yarn as strong and beautiful as the original polyester, but it is costly and rarely done. Another consideration is the antimony trioxide (carcinogen) that is released during the production of recycled polyester. Antimony causes cancer in mice and its exposure is accumulative. Though it is bound to the polymer while heated (as during the recycling process), we are still not absolutely sure that its presence in our recycled polyester clothing is 100% safe.

Energy & CO2 emissions

Since herbicides and pesticides are responsible for most of the energy used in farming, organic methods produce less carbon-dioxide emissions. In this category, organic cotton is a winner requiring a bit less energy than organic hemp.

Recycled polyester is the most energy intensive fiber among organic cotton and hemp. It is estimated that Americans use over 2.5 million plastic bottles each hour, which "contribute" to the deaths of 100,000 marine animals every year. Next time, when you buy a fashion t-shirt from recycled polyester, know that it is made from approximately five plastic bottles. It is one very beautiful way to limit the amount of plastics in the world, isn't it?

Land use

Organic cotton requires less energy to grow, but the lack of synthetic fertilizers and the adoption of crop rotation results in 20 to 50% lower yields. So, if organic cotton is to replace the production of conventional cotton, a greater land area would be needed.

On the other hand, one acre of hemp will produce as much fiber as 2-3 acres of cotton every year.

Water use

One big environmental drawback of cotton is water use. Organic cotton, however, may go to extremes and use 5900 liters of water per kilogram of fiber in California to make two t-shirts or 80 liters in Brazil where organic cotton is mostly rain-fed.

Unlike cotton, hemp does not have a high water requirement. This plant has deep roots, which enable it to take advantage of the subsoil moisture, thus requiring little or no watering.

Though difficult to compare, the water used in recycled polyester production is only a fraction of what is required in cotton growing. Water is not an input in the recycling process. It is mainly used to clean the shredded pieces of plastic and to remove the dirt and debris.

Shipping

Most of the world's organic cotton is grown in developing countries. Before reaching the consumers in the West, it travels the world for processing and manufacturing. That's a big carbon footprint for one T-shirt!

Though, one can surely find organic cotton fiber made in USA, this is not true for hemp. Industrial hemp (Cannabis Sativa) is classified as marijuana in the USA. It means that hemp fiber is imported from China, Europe, Chile and North Korea. Thus, shipping costs greatly increase the ecologic footprint of hemp.

Conclusion

Recycled polyester is soft and durable. It is wrinkle - shrink - stain resistant. Its benefits include:

- less soil, water and air contamination;

- less dependence on oil used in the production of original polyester;

- millions of plastic bottles saved from the landfill daily and less emissions from incinerators.

However, recycled polyester is not recyclable, unless the chemical recycling process is used. There are few manufacturers, e.g Victor Innovatex, who make synthetic fabrics (without the use of antimony!) that are recycled and are recyclable (closed loop = the fiber never loses its value) too.

There will be always certain trade offs when choosing one fabric over another regardless of whether it's synthetic or organic. But let's look at the glass as half full and appreciate the fact that by buying organic fabrics we vote for healthy farmers, fair wages, clean water, fresh air, sweatshop-free production and a lot more. On the other, recycled polyester is a good try to "save" the used plastic bottles (at least for a while) from the landfills, while looking for an affordable way to manufacture synthetic fibers that are recycled and recyclable.

References:

"Ecological Footprint and Water Analysis of Cotton, Hemp and Polyester", by Cherrett et al, Stockholm Environment Institute

"Is Recycled Polyester Fabric Recyclable?" O Ecotextiles, http://oecotextiles.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/is-recycled-polyester-fabric-recyclable/

Nadia Ruseva is a mom, who in search of some tips to raise her child healthy, found a whole new world of inspiration and ideas about how to be healthy and beautiful inside and out... about how to make a difference.

Her website is about healthy, natural, eco-friendly and organic alternatives to conventional products as well as tips, recipes and reviews related to organic and sustainable living, fair trade and vegan products.

Visit Nadia to have a chat, discuss a cause, share a view or just to look around for something interesting or inspiring.

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