The eco guide to bottled water

28 May 2016 by IM Posted in buying wisely, issue, projects Leave a comment

Bottled water is a matter of concern for many reasons. It takes more than 7 liters of water and 162g of oil to make plastic bottle. However if buying a bottled water is needed, try to support local brands that are using recycled plastic or that are investing to protect the environment like Life Water from Pembrokeshire or One Water which donates all its profit to provide clean water in the developing world.

However, the real alternative and eco beverage still remains tap water !

Integrate Sustainability into your business

6 May 2016 by IM Posted in sustainability Leave a comment

Do you own a business? Is the topic of Sustainability important to you?

More and more companies follow the Sustainability trend. Find below three initiatives that drive sustainability integration across businesses.

1) Integrated reporting

The integrated reporting helps companies to understand and to communicate the ways in which their business models create value to stakeholders, as well as to understand the interconnections between material issues.

There aren´t many examples of truly integrated companies, but Philips and SAP are part of these few companies.

2) CFO engagement and leadership

The CFO role is evolving from pure financial planning and reporting to the wider lens of value creation. Four guides were published by the network to help the finance and accounting community taking practical steps to integrate sustainability into their business processes and decisions.

Members of the network include companies such as The Crown Estate, Danone, Marks & Spencer, Royal DSM, Sainsbury’s and Unilever.

3) Benefit Corporations

The benefits corporation have to expand current measures beyond financial value to include environmental and social aspects are:

improved resilience,
more informed decision-making
better investor engagement over the long term

However, the business model itself has to be driven by sustainability. Integration has to be done through effective transparency in order to support on the long run the business evolution as well as a sustainable future in general.

Read the entire article here: http://www.sustainability.com/blog/how-to-really-truly-integrate-sustainability-into-your-business#.VyxNynlf2Uk

A showerhead that changes color when using too much water

22 April 2016 by IM Posted in buying wisely, sustainability Leave a comment

Smart tech saving-the-planet products are increasing. A design firm creates a showerheads with LED lights and sensors that monitor how much water volume has passed through.

From green to purple, orange and red, you will know how much water you are using.

Discover this eco-conscious product and read more about it:

http://www.fastcompany.com/3055446/fast-feed/this-showerhead-changes-color-when-you-use-too-much-water?partner=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fastcompany%2Fheadlines+%28Fast+Company%29

Conference about water

8 April 2016 by IM Posted in News Leave a comment

Smart Systems for Urban Water Demand Management

A conference about water is going to take place this summer in Monte Verità, Switzerland from the 21 until August 25. This Symposium and Summer School aims at exploring the perspective of urban water demand management for the next years.

Several topics are going to be addressed, with a particular a particular focus on the behavior of water consumers, the drivers of such behavior, the role of social norms, economic leverages and water demand management strategies in order to promote behavioral change, as well as the role of Information and Communication Technologies to support the design, implementation and deliver smart solutions for urban water demand management.

A billboard creating drinkable water out of thin air

15 March 2016 by IM Posted in issue, projects, sustainability Leave a comment

A billboard creating drinkable water out of thin air !?

You read it well; the UTEC (University of Engineering and Technology of Peru) and an advertising agency developed a billboard that produces around 100 liters of water a day from nothing more than humidity.

The billboard produced around 9,450 liters of water in three months, capturing air humidity. The production is equal to the water consumption of a hundreds of families per month. Strategically placed in the city or in outlying villages, it might do a big difference. Moreover, imagine what you could accomplish in any number of troubled spots around the world that need potable water with a solution like this one! Discover more about this amazing project and on how to make a difference and change the world.

http://techland.time.com/2013/03/05/finally-a-billboard-that-creates-drinkable-water-out-of-thin-air/