Now we are all used to councils ripping us off and getting as much money from as possible for the monthly council meetings, but it does seem as though at least one council is doing what it can to save the environment and save money.
The message from Richmond Council to the people who live in the borough is simple - EAT MORE CHIPS!
Why? Simple, because Richmond Council are converting all of their vehicles to run from waste cooking oil.
The move is expected to cut the council’s CO2 output by 1,170 tonnes per year and will save about £60,000 on the authority’s yearly fuel bill.
In this planet friendly move, all vehicles from refuse trucks to social service buses will operate on 100% cent recycled chip oil! Many other authorities use a combination of diesel/biofuel but Richmond Council will become the UK’s first fully eco-friendly fleet.
Congratulations to Richmond Council!
But what does this mean for businesses and should more businesses be using waste cooking oil to fuel business vans?
A spokesman for Van Leasing company Crusader Vans said “Demand for vans that can run from waste cooking oil has increased in recent months, many van owners have young families and are looking to do their bit for the environment to help protect the planet for their children.”
We know that Vauxhall is leading the way in eco-friendly car technology, it will be interesting to see if this technology is introduced into the Vauxhall Van range.
The car industry is going to go through dramatic change in the coming years and the use of waste cooking oil iss just one initiative that will help it conquer the fact of constantly depleting oil stocks and producing vehicles that will not harm the planets intricate eco-system.
See Richmond Council
Written by EcoGirl on September 11th, 2009 with no comments.
Read more articles on Motoring.
Drivers of environmentally friendly cars are in line for some significant discounts on their airport parking charges. Participating car park operators are proposing to offer discounts to an extensive list of eco friendly vehicles as a contribution toward encouraging greener motoring.
Many motorists are realising that going green is not only good for the environment, it is also good for their bank balance. Hybrid and electric cars tend to use far less fuel and are far more efficient than conventional vehicles.
This latest proposal has been made after AviStar Airport Parking offered discounts to Smart fortwo drivers in the United States. Owners of these outstanding little green eco-cars will be given a 50% discount on the daily posted car parking rates at various participating airport parking facilities at seven airports across the country.
Details of how the discount scheme would operate in the United Kingdom have yet to be announced but if you want the cheapest airport parking then the answer is to drive an eco-friendly car.
Written by Hybrid on September 7th, 2009 with no comments.
Read more articles on Eco News.
There are now a variety of washing machines on the market that are designed to save on water, energy consumption.
Added to this new detergents that enable users to wash at much lower temperatures you do have to say washing machine manufacturers and detergent manufacturers are seemingly doing all they can to aid consumers to continue using labour saving devices such as their washing machines.
If you add to this new innovations such as ‘Colour Catcher’ which enables whites and coloured clothing to be washed together you really do have an innovative industry that is working for the good of the planet.
All of this can only be good, washing at lower temperatures saves money with electricity consumption. If you are on a water meter then a washing machine that uses less water in its wash cycle can only be beneficial.
The question is how much further can the manufacturers go to reduce energy, detergent and water consumption within washing machines. And what about the commercial laundry equipment market? Are the major manufacturers doing enough in this arena to ensure that commercial users are also saving electricity and overall energy consumption?
Written by EcoGirl on September 3rd, 2009 with no comments.
Read more articles on Eco Views.
