Greenworks - Reduce - Reuse - Recycle

Circle of Life
You should never take more than you give
Elton John and Tim Rice

Unfortunately most people take more from the planet than we give. For the most part it is not done consciously. We continue with our daily lives, routines, chores and experiences, and in doing so consume planetary resources. The challenge is that the rate at which we currently consume is more than the planet can sustain.

Sustainability can be defined as fulfilling our needs without jeopardising the needs of future generations.

Fortunately there is an increase in people's awareness of the challenges facing our planet. There is a global move to making smarter choices to ensure a healthy, sustainable planet that will be around for future generations.

ABOUT GREENWORKS

We've created greenworks.co.za to provide tips and
suggestions on how all of us as individuals can make a
difference to the state of our Planet. We hope that you will
take some time to go through the site and find ways that
you can commit to in order to make a difference to greening
Earth.

greenworks.co.za is an environmental awareness
website that provides tips on how each of us can take
steps in the green direction to reduce our impact on the
Planet.

The site promotes making conscious choices everyday to reduce our consumption, reuse our resources, recycle what we can and to respect our Earth. It demonstrates that going green works as you can save resources and money.

The site explores ways of decreasing our consumption of electricity, water and other consumables. We address what global warming is, and the impact of waste and litter on our environment. We look at how to manage our waste - including how to reuse and repurpose what we have, how to recycle and how to compost, and how to save on food waste. The site has a carbon calculator, and an environmental calendar to keep you informed of the environmental days that have been mandated to generate environmental awareness.

Register to receive a weekly Green Tip to assist you in taking steps in the green direction.

• Greenworks promotes green products and solutions and offers
    Office Greening and Recycling Guides.

• We try where possible to partner you with a recycling company for your
    office and home if we know of someone in your area.

• We facilitate a tree planting programme – Plant a Tree for Life.

• We provide to educate on the importance and
    benefits of sustainability and going green.

• We offer a to assist you in greening your office.

• We offer a to assist you in greening your home.

• We facilitate a 'green day' or greening of events for companies.

• Through our website and database we can assist in marketing green
    products and solutions.

Inconvenience versus Planet Earth

It's not always convenient to make the adjustments we need to to decrease environmental pollution and limit global warming. It means consciously changing habits. But the state of our World depends on our actions and it's time for us to start acting responsibility and respectfully. The worse off the Planet is, the worse of we are.

If we don't do something about it now our children and grandchildren will suffer from the effects much more significantly than we do. We don't have the luxury of thinking short term anymore. We need to think long term - about the world we'll leave for future generations.

If we don't do what we can to protect our Earth and we damage it beyond repair our children will look back and question why we didn't do things differently. We'll respond Coulda Shoudla Woulda!

We can and we should if only we would.

Consumer World

We live in fast paced consumer world and while it's great and convenient to have things, our consumerist lifestyle is damaging our planet at an alarming rate.
• The more we have the more waste we create. The more we want, the
    more need there is to produce more products.

• Our landfills are filling up, and apart from the fact that they take up
    precious land space, as the waste decomposes greenhouse gases that
    contribute to global warming are created.

• Factories produce more products, polluting our air and water, and also
    create greenhouse gases.

• Transport is needed to get our rubbish to the dump and is needed to get
    our products from where they are manufactured to where we buy them.

This too produces greenhouse gases.

So while we enjoy the benefits of our consumer world, we should do so responsibly.

We can all make the effort and take the steps to alleviate the pressure on our planet.

The best way to protect our planet is to learn to respect it and what it provides us with (which we tend to take for granted) and develop a culture of reducing, reusing and recycling all our resources.

It seems like climate change and the disastrous effects (think Hurricane Katrina) is the Earth's way of fighting back. Let's not be at war. Let's do what we can to make peace.

It requires thought, effort and action. But we can do it.

Check out our website and decide what you can commit to do today and into the future.

We know that the energy crisis has created havoc and is frustrating. But the crisis has made us aware of our electricity consumption and we've all taken proactive steps to reduce our usage. Our steps should become lifelong habits that will be beneficial to our environment, and assist in reducing our carbon emissions on a daily basis.

The good that's come out of the crisis is that it has generated discussion and action around the need for cleaner, renewable and sustainable energy sources.

We have listed many tips on reducing your electricity consumption, as well as solar powered options.

Water is the Earth's most valuable and precious resource. Before we have a crisis let's do what we can to save water.

The water saving tips on greenworks.co.za range from easy, simple actions to those that require a bit more effort. Different people have different lifestyles, and so some tips will be more relevant to you than others.

We generate a great deal of waste in our homes.

When we put our rubbish out for collection it gets collected and generally don't think more about it. Our consumerist lifestyle is filling up landfills and so we need to be active in doing what we can to lessen the impact on landfills which effect global warming.

• To find out more about the effects of global warming visit our
   page on global warming.

• Download a free waste diary to assist you in monitoring the
   amount of waste you throw away on a weekly basis.

• See our Reduce section for ways of reducing your waste and
   saving money at the same time.

• See our Reuse section for ways of reusing and repurposing
   household items.

• See our Recycling section for information on recycling.

• See our Compost section for steps on creating your own compost.

• See our Waste-Less Food page for ways of saving money by
   being wise with your food.

• Download a free food diary to help you monitor the amount of
   food you throw away.

• Visit Get SASSI to find out more about which seafood selections to
   make so that our fish species are not totally destroyed.

• Sign up to get a weekly Green Tip so that you can become more
   aware of what you can do to make a difference.

• Find out more about why Litter has such a detrimental effect

Decades ago we did not have the waste problem we have today.

• In earlier centuries a lot less waste was produced.

• Firstly there were less people on the planet, so less was used and less
   was manufactured.

• People used things resourcefully and reused what they had. Remember
   the days where milk bottles were collected and refilled or colddrink and
   beer bottles had a deposit system to be refilled and reused?

• Also much of what was used decomposed naturally. Leftovers were used
    as compost or were fed to pets.

• Handkerchiefs were used before tissues and towels instead of papertowels.

• Individual food items were bought. Now items come in lots of packaging.

• It now often cheaper to buy new products than have them repaired.

We live on a truly amazing planet. It provides for everything we need to survive as a species. The problem is that through humanity's greed and lack of respect for all we have, we are on a fast track to destroying our Planet.

Please use our website to find ways that you can make a difference. If everyone does their bit to follow the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle the collective effort can make a difference to the planet.

And yes if we buy less there may be less money for some, but as someone who is deathly ill will tell you, they'd rather have their health than all their money. How often we hear stories where no amount of money can heal a wealthy person's child.

Our planet is like that too. If we let it go too far and the Earth gets too sick, no amount of money will reverse the effects of global warming or create rain to make dried up rivers flow, or stop rain to prevent devastating flooding.

So, even though it is a bit inconvenient, doing your bit will make a difference.

Isn't half a glass of water if you are thirsty better than no water?

There is enough for all, we just need to behave responsibly, and do our bit.
Our planet is the ultimate school. Everything in nature is here to teach us what works and what doesn't.

Please do your bit to be part of making green work.

EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS! GOING GREEN WORKS!