REUSE - What can I replace with reusable items in my life

Have you ever stopped and thought about how much you throw out in a day? For most of us it is probably a lot more than we think. So many times we do it out of ease and convenience. Take for example a bottle of water. It is easy to grab one on the way out the door as we head to the game, work, beach, etc. and we can justify it because that bottle of water is in a recyclable container. Great, I have done my part to help the environment! Yes it is true that bottle is recyclable, but realistically only a portion of bottles actually get recycled and it still uses energy and resources (such as oil) to manufacture the bottle as well as recycle the bottle. Now what if that same amount of water was taken in a reusable container. Most bottled water is just filtered tap water anyway. That simple act could not only help the environment it could also save you a lot of money over the course of the year. Think about how much your tap water costs (even if you use some type of filter with it) then compare that to how much a bottle of water costs.

This is just one example, take a look around you to see what else you can change. What about that brown bag you bring your lunch in, could you bring it in a reusable container? Did you just use plastic plates and silverware for the cookout because you didn’t want to be bothered with cleaning anything up – don’t worry we are not judging, we’ve been there too. The point is that there are many small things that we can do to have a positive impact on our environment but it takes a group effort. Start with something small today. To learn more about how you can reduce your carbon footprint, visit www.airkinglimited.com.

You’re outta here - removing contaminants from the home

Just mention the word paint and you can probably recall the distinct smell. Same goes for paint thinner, gasoline and many other products. While they may bring back a memory, the truth of the matter is those smells are actually VOCs, which stands for Volatile Organic Compounds.

You probably have at least heard the term VOC but tend to think of them in items that emit a very strong odor such as paint and gasoline. Unfortunately there are a lot of other household items such as cleaners, printers, glues, markers, hobby supplies, air fresheners and more that also omit VOCs.

An important element to maintaining Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is removing these contaminants from the living environment. The best way to eliminate them is to store them outside the home (always follow the manufactures recommendation for storage of these items). Opening a window will help, but another effective way is to make sure your home is properly ventilated. Using exhaust fans to remove the build up of VOCs in your home will instantly increase the IAQ. Many homes are now installing exhaust fans in the laundry/utility rooms. If you stop and think about it, these rooms are typically where cleaning supplies are kept as well as the place where you clean up after painting or doing crafts. They can be a big contributor to VOCs in the home. By installing an exhaust fan, those VOCs or taken out of the living environment.

To learn more about Indoor Air Quality and exhaust fans, visit www.airkinglimited.com