Saving Our Resources

With the world’s current energy and water crisis, it would make sense to adapt our lifestyles to be conducive towards saving these resources. This is not the case, however, and something needs to be done.

South African water supplies are being contaminated and wasted left right and centre. The mining industry is responsible for acid mine drainage which has been known to contaminate water and have harmful effects on its surrounding inhabitants- including humans. Once contaminated, this water is not useable.

Other problems such as burst pipes and poor water infrastructure have been linked to water wastage. On top of these main issues, people are using water irresponsibly. Over-wateringgardens and leaving taps dripping are all contributors to water wastage. So what can the ‘average’ individual do to ensure they do their part in saving water and even electricity? Take a look at these clever resource-saving tips.

There are a few pretty well known tips such as switching to CFL or LED light bulbs, switching offappliances when not in use, turning the tap off while brushing and driving an energy efficient car.

			This cleverly designed toilet and sink duo allows for hand-washing water to be used to flush the toilet. This is a good way of reusing water. Read more at Sustentator Instead of using running water to prep and wash food, use a large bowl of water with a small amount of white vinegar in it. This will properly clean the fruit and veggies from pesticides and dirt while saving water. An oldie but goodie. Place a relatively heavy object such as a filled water bottle in the upper part of your toilet in order to displace water so that less is used when flushing.		Read more at Sustentator
			Collecting rain water run off and storing it in a large bin or bucket and connecting a tap is a simple way to use rain water. Read more at Listotic You could try turning the shower on and off, as you require water to wet and rinse yourself. Although this might not be very inviting in the colder months, it is doable during summer. Did you know that hand washing dishes can sometimes use more water than a dishwasher? Wait until you have a full load of dishes to be washed, and then turn on the dishwasher. If you only have a few dishes, it is more efficient to wash by hand. This applies to washing clothes too.		Read more at Listotic
			Remember that bathing uses more water than a quick shower. Look at this clever water-saving bath design from Yanko Design and how it saves water. Read more at Yanko Design Instead of using a hose to rid the driveway or pool area of leaves, use a broom. Use a pool cover to prevent evaporation. Water from cooking vegetables and food can be used to water pot plants and herb gardens. Make sure you don’t use water that contains salt though. This could kill your plants.		Read more at Yanko Design
			Instead of planting flowers and plants that require large amounts of water to be kept alive, use succulents and rocks in your garden. Even if you don’t want a succulent garden, there is a smarter way to water your garden. By watering plants when the sun is lower i.e. in the evening or very early in the morning, you will reduce the occurrence of evaporation and as a result, reduce water wastage. It takes more energy to keep an empty freezer cold than it does a full one. If you don’t have much to store in your freezer, consider placing water-filled ice cream tubs inside. The water will freeze and create solids to fill the empty space. This will also come in handy when the power goes out as it will help to keep the foods colder for longer.
			This creative dish rack design allows for left over water droplets to water the plants. Not only is water saved, but oxygen is produced too. Read more at BuzzFeed. By grouping plants into specific water requirement groups, water will be saved. Learn some basic principals of water wise gardening and how to garden using water zoning of plants.Download Rand Water’s Water Wise Guide To Landscaping for more information on plant zoning and landscaping.		Read more at BuzzFeed
			If you have a number of appliances in one room then plug them into the same (multiple) outlet so that everything can be switched off and unplugged in one go when you leave the room. This works well for the bedroom where hairdryers, straighteners, lamps and chargers might be used.

These are just a few of the many ways one can save our limited resources. We challenge you to adopt one of these or any of the other hundreds of resource-saving tips out there.

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Saving Our Resources

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