ECO LIVING
Big green
CLEANING MACHINE
Go eco-friendly with these smart products and brands, available for South Africa’s domestic eco warriors, writes Kate Ferreira
SA Home Owner photo library
for appliances with “eco mode” or an excellent energy rating. Several brands are incorporating eco-friendly into their core mission, like Bosch who boasts that 40% of its patent applications “relate to environmental protection and the careful use of resources”. They’ve also reduced the water consumption of their appliances by half since 1990. Defy, too, is proud of its A+++-rated front loader washing machines. Hirsch’s has a section on its site, https://blog.hirschs.co.za/2019/09/20/ eco-friendly-appliances/, to help customers find their top 10-rated eco-friendly appliances, like the Siemens 14Pl dishwasher that has an energy consumption of just 237kWh per year, based on 280 standard cleaning cycles (in eco mode). Allan Hirsch, CEO of the Hirsch Group, says there are various ways that its suppliers are going greener. “Let’s take refrigeration for instance,” says Hirsch. “They are increasing the density of the insulation, reducing the leakage of coldness. There has also been improvement in the [motor] efficiency, and they now tend to use less electricity.” Regarding laundry, he says, suppliers have “improved the [motor] efficiency so it t use as much energy. e also reduced the evels, and they’ve ntroduced censors that sense the amount of soap powder, preventing wastage. Spin speeds ave been improved o the cycle is quicker d more energycient”. Q
e all know the big nasty pollutants like oil, oal burning and non-recyclable plastic, t you’d be surprised by how many of everyday household products you use are actually bad for the environment. Thankfully, there are alternatives.
COOL COMPOSTABLES Disposable cutlery and crockery are a marvellous invention for convenience, but they contribute hugely to landfills and urban garbage. Checkers now offers a smart compostable collection of cutlery, cups and plates – under their Simple Truth Range – that look like “proper” plastic and laminated paper items, but break down much quicker and with fewer nasty by-products. This range also includes pantry and cupboard staples like almond milk or multipurpose cleaner.
If you are upgrading the home appliances, a small increase in your initial investment will go a long way in reducing waste and power consumption in the long run. Look 190 MARCH 2020
Hirch’s
APPLIANCE APPLICATION
thanks to ’s and BSH
