At Whywait Plumbing, “green” not only is a smart business move. It sends a message to your employees or tenants that saving energy and conserving natural resources is a job for everyone.
That’s why Whywait Plumbing is pleased to gather and post 
information on green products and services that might be right for your company or organisation. Check back again soon for more “green speak.”
- Water Taps. Just one drip per second from a leaking tap equals 7,000 litres of wasted water every year. Have yours inspected on a pre-scheduled basis.
- Water your lawn only when it needs it. An easy test to tell if your lawn needs water is to simply walk across the grass. If the lawn springs back you don’t need to water, but if you leave footprints, water may be needed. An added benefit of watering less often is that fewer, deep-soaking watering encourage deep root growth and stronger turf. Water in the early morning or late afternoon. As much as 30 percent of water can be lost to evaporation by watering during midday. Finally when mowing your lawn set the mower level one notch higher to make your lawn more drought tolerant.
- Use a broom or high pressure cleaner to clean your paths and driveway instead of using the hose.
- Wash your car on the lawn but use a bucket and sponge instead of a hose. A running hose can use as much as 25 litres of water per minute. A bucket and sponge will only need about 3 buckets to do the entire car or less than 30 litres.
- Run dishwashers and clothes washing machines only when they are full and ensure you adjust water level to the size of the load although many modern machines do this automatically.
- Keep a bottle of cold tap water in the refrigerator. You’ll avoid the cost and environmental impact of bottled water and you’ll have cold water available without running the tap.
- A short shower is better than a bath! A full bath can require up to 300 litres of water, while a 5 minute shower with a compliant water saving shower rose only uses 45 litres.
- Regularly check your toilet, taps and pipes for leaks and have them fixed promptly. An easy test for toilet leaks is: Place a drop of food colouring in the cistern. If the colour tints the water in the bowl without flushing, there’s a leak.
- Regularly check your water meter before and after a one-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, you probably have a leak.
- Cut the Paper Trail. The virtual world was supposed to bring the paperless office with it. That didn’t happen, but with a little effort you can definitely cut down on paper consumption. Maximise use of your office technology to save paper. Read emails before you print them, photocopy both sides of the paper, and email reports instead of making printed copies.Also, use a fax-modem so that documents can be sent directly from a computer, without printing, and encourage staff to save documents on disk rather than paper. You’ll save money on ink and paper immediately.
- Buy Green. Work with suppliers that are willing and able to comply with your environmental policies. Let staff and suppliers know you expect materials and products to meet specific environmental standards. For example, buy recycled, refurbished or reconditioned products whenever possible, especially where they compete favourably in price, performance, and quality with new ones.
- Think Recycled.Whether you print in-house or use outside printers, find environmentally friendly printing products and processes. Use recycled paper that is bleached without chlorine, and look for printers that use water-based press-cleaners and soy-based (or other vegetable-based) inks.Stay away from elements that reduce recyclability, such as foil-stamping, adhesives, and plastic. There are other ways to stand out from the pack…so go ahead and be creative!
- Save Energy, Save Money. The Government website Energy Star compares a huge range of products to help you the most energy-efficient equipment for your business. For example, any copier with the Energy Star logo uses 40% less power than non-Energy Star models. And that’s just the tip of the ol’ iceberg
- One Good “Turn” Deserves Another. It’s worth knowing that most machines, when left in standby mode, are still consuming 80% of the power they use when switched on. The moral? Turn off lights, computers and other devices when you’re not using them, especially after hours and on weekends. Plus, install timers to turn off the power after hours to conserve even more energy.
- The Company Cafeteria. Have you looked at what your employees are eating lately? Then maybe it’s time to start offering healthier dining choices: high fibre, low carbs, low cholesterol, low sodium, and all the rest. Your employees will reward you in more ways than one, including reduced absenteeism.
- Waterless Urinals. Think about it: 96% of male urine is water…so why do we keep using water to flush water? By switching to waterless, the average sized office building can and will save upwards of 2.3 million litres of water each year. Plus, new models (like the ZeroFlush waterless urinals we install and repair) are easy to maintain and are odour-free.
- Hire a Green Plumber. Whywait Plumbing Services is
the only fully accredited GreenPlumber in the Gold Coast City region. The Green Plumber accreditation is an initiative of Australian Greenhouse Office, RKIT University and Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia to ensure companies like ours can fully explain how you can help yourself and the environment at the same time. More than that, we’re trained to implement each and every recommendation we make.
Contact us for more green building ideas or for immediate service to your most pressing needs.
Gold Coast & Tweed: (07) 5580 4311
