BIG GREEN CLEANING MACHINE

ECO LIVING

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Go eco-friendly with these smart products and brands, available for South Africa’s domestic eco warriors, writes Kate Ferreira

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.

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

ECO SPOT Energy efficiency in your home The

According to sustainable.co.za, recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to keep a 100W light bulb burning for four hours.

BEVERAGES

used in your average water bottle will take up to 700 years to break d 90% of the cost of that product is the bottle itself. Save money he planet by swapping packaged water for home filter options and ss bottles like those from Consol. You can use a refillable jug filter, ch as long-standing favourites from Brita, or a fitted-to-your-tap filter ch as Luxury. These are available at your typical home superstore ink Makro or Pick n Pay Hyper), and Consol is a local glass maker at offers a range of glass alternatives (consol

SHOP SMART Faithful to Nature (https://www.faithful-tonature.co.za/) is an online retailer that stocks a huge selection of brands and products that it has vetted as eco- and health-friendly. It was founded in 2006, so has 14 successful years under its belt – a proven track record. Here you can pick up anything from bamboo backpacks to reusable straws, baby goods, home décor, and foodstuffs. Good for the body and mind, health and conscience.

SIMPLE SWAPS Small changes add up, without breaking the bank or requiring huge lifestyle changes. With an increased focus on the need to offer environmentally friendly options, more loved and trusted household brands are extending their ranges or “upgrading” them to gentler options. Sunlight for example has a new “Sunlight Extra Nature” dishwashing liquid that uses gentler, natural ingredients like aloe and salt, and each bottle contains up to 50% recycled material.