Willits Wildlife Rehab Team

Posts Tagged ‘Industry’

An independent study in 2001 stated, “mowing the lawn does the same amount of damage as driving about 100 miles in a car.” That does not include those who use 2-stroke weed eaters as lawn mowers on steep slopes, ditches, and saturated ground. The hybrid remote control lawn mower, such as the Southern RobotX SRX22T, allows lawn care professionals to increase productivity in those situations, while at the same time, reducing fuel consumption. The hybrid power system on these mowers reduce fuel consumption by 40%, in addition to keeping the battery charged during use. The lawn care professional usually don’t care about the M.P.G. on his mowing equipment. But, by giving them an alternative to 6 or 8 ozone eating weed eaters on slopes up to 70 degrees, they are able to increase productivity by using commercial grade green technology. It is a win-win situation for the environment, as well as the lawn care professional.

Another win-win situation is on the residential side of things. The residential models are benifiting the elderly and/or disabled people who, due to the physical demands of traditional lawn equipment, usually resort to having someone else take care of their lawn. Unlike most of us, a lot of elderly really do enjoy yard-work. And now, by using green technology, they are able to rekindle their passion for yard-work.

The practicallity of the hybrid remote control lawn mower is what sets it aside from the other, more environmentally friendly, mowers on the market today. The all electric push mowers are great for the environment, but have to use a 12″ fragile cutting blade due to the lack of power in the DC electric motor. The fully robotic mowers are also very environmentally friendly. They are not practical on most lawns, either. Not only do they use the same fragile blades, but you have to bury a wire, similar to the invisable dog fence, around the perimiter of the lawn. Slopes over 20 degrees are not recommended for the fully robotic mowers. However, if your lawn is less than 10,000 sq. ft., and you don’t mind changing blades ever-so-often and burying a wire around the perimiter; the all electric mower is the environmentally minded choice. The hybrid remote control lawn mowers have the perfect balance between being environmentally friendly and practical for most lawns.

Recently Canada’s Environment and Plastics Industry Council stated in a report that eco friendly reusable bags may “pose a public health risk.” The report was minor, and they did not suggest that reusable green bags shouldn’t be used. However, per the norm, special interest groups ranging from plastic manufacturers to lumber mills manipulated the store into something greater. They have begun promoting the report out of context to serve their interests. The Environment and Plastics Industry Council report is not a cause for concern in the least. Reusable green bags are a much better option to paper and plastic for a variety of reasons ranging from the environmental toll of disposable bags to saving for companies.

These interest groups, including plastics manufacturers and deforesters are irresponsibly further stoking germophobia caused by the swine flu. What they neglected to mention is that simply washing your reusable bag after it comes into contact with contaminants will avoid any and all issues. The lumber and plastics industries have resorted to fear mongering to protect their interests, and they are doing it in both an inappropriate and unethical fashion.

Reusable bags are no different than other improvements in consumer products throughout history. During the Second Industrial Revolution (1890s) terry cloth replaced linen as the primary material for bath towels. Users experienced a better, more pleasant experience all around. However, as any parent knows when they unpack their child’s summer camp luggage, towels must be washed. This has now become second nature, and most people wash and dry their towels regularly. This avoids mold, bacteria, and anything else that may be a cause for concern. Simply washing your green reusable bag after they come into contact with anything suspect will have the same effect and render the report’s concerns completely unfounded.

The benefits of reusable bags outweigh any and all concerns. Green bags are longer lasting and don’t fill landfills or destroy forests like their plastic and paper counterparts. At last count over 203 billion (nine zeroes), have been used this year. The effects of this are drastic and far reaching. First, the raw materials used in making disposable plastic bags include complex oils that can actually poison rivers and streams. Next, these plastic bags don’t biodegrade, they photo degrade, which means while the molecules may get smaller and smaller they never actually leave the Earth.

The opposite is true of reusable bags. They are often made from RPET, which not only use recycled raw materials, but return harmlessly to the earth when you are done with them. Jason Tunick, of Factory Direct Promos, an industry leader in reusable eco friendly bags, says, “Businesses of all sizes should switch over to reusable bags today. The environmental toll taken by one time use bags is simply too great to go unchecked. Our bags are made from recyclable materials, are long lasting, and leave a drastically smaller footprint on the Earth. Not only that, we help strengthen our customers’ marketing messages as well.” His sentiments are echoed by others in the industry.

Eco friendly reusable bags aren’t just great for the environment, they make economic sense too. Business owners have found that they can actually use green bags to entirely replace their plastic stock. The green bags are very affordable, and leave their customers promoting their marketing message for years to come. Don’t fall prey to the confusing message being sent by the special interest groups, reusable bags are harmless, eco friendly, and the only alternative to disposable bags. Go green today!