Author: Salman Zafar

Saving Money and Environment in the Drive-Thru Lane

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There’s nothing more classically American than the drive-thru. Today, these havens of greasy fries, delicious burgers, and fast service have spread throughout the globe, with an estimated half million locations worldwide! Drive-thrus are beloved for their cheap food, service that gets you in and out in record time, 24-hours access, and convenient locations near highways, making them the ideal stopping points for road trips.

The rise of the drive-thru has allowed drivers around the world to turn their cars into second homes. After all, many people spend hours commuting in their cars every day, and eating meals from the drive-thru as well. Some studies estimate that the average driver will spend nearly 1800 hours of their lives eating in the car!

Drive-thrus have a long history, almost as long as the automobile itself. Drive-thrus began in the United States as drive-ins in the 1920’s. Drive-ins were restaurants where drivers could park in the lot, and be greeted by “carhops” (taken from hotel bellhops). The carhops would take their orders back to the restaurant, and bring the bags of food out to the lot. Customers would then sit in their cars and eat in the restaurant parking lot. You may still see carhops today if you visit a Sonic restaurant, where they bustle around on rollerskates!

From there, it was a natural evolution for restaurants to install to-go windows for drivers to order from cashiers directly, thus saving the time it took for carhops to travel from the kitchen to the parking lot. The Pig Stand restaurant in Los Angeles, California was one of the first restaurants to adopt the to-go window model in 1931, but the first true drive-thru wasn’t established until 1948. This was the first In N Out location in Baldwin Park, California. This In N Out had a brand-new intercom system (a very snazzy technology in those days) and a lack of seating both inside and out, making it a true drive-thru.

Interestingly enough, the same factors that led to the rise of the drive-thru in the early 20th century are the factors that are still most important to drivers today. However, as there is now such a wide variety of drive-thrus to choose from, franchisees and store owners have to live up to very strict standards in order to ensure customer satisfaction and repeat visitors. Basically, drivers want the easiest and most convenient drive-thru experience possible, and there are a variety of factors that go into achieving this.

A few of the most important factors are outlined below. Drivers want large, easy-to-read menus that make ordering as simple as possible. Most menus feature the more expensive combo meals in the center (in order to entice drivers to spend more!) and cheaper, a la carte options on the sides. Drivers also value food items that are easy to eat on-the-go, orders that are delivered accurately, drive-thru lanes that are easy to access via car, and the fastest service possible.

Take a look at the graphic below to learn which franchises are currently succeeding, and which need to improve. There’s also a variety of fun drive-thru facts you probably didn’t know! More information can be found here.

 

Please include attribution to CarRentals.com with this graphic.

The History of Drive-Thrus

Categories: Environment, Food and Drink, Travel Tags: Tags: , , , , , ,

Choosing the Right Leaf Blower for Your Large Yard

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Choosing the best leaf blower for your personal or business uses will vary. There are various types of leaf blowers including gas powered, electric powered, cordless, handheld, carry on backup, etc. There is no best leaf blower however there are lots of very high quality and excellent ones. Some popular and high quality brands include Toro, Worx, Husqvarna, Greenworks, Dewalt and Sun Jeo.

These are just some of the more common as well as popular brands that will come up in most people’s reviews. Whilst there are a lot of brands and different type of leaf blowers out there, we have decided to make everyone’s life easier and create our very own review. We spent hours of research and testing as well as asking professionals on their opinions on what the best leaf blowers are, to create this best leaf blower review post. We have created our reviews based around various factors including the model, the price, the durability, the power as well as many other important factors.

Types of Leaf Blower

With regards to power, you’ll want to get either a gas or electric powered leaf blower. There are many of these leaf blowers for sale. The reason being that they are all powered this way. Whilst they may be powerful, it comes with some disadvantages. One of them being that gas can be expensive and that it can add up over time, the gas can also be smelly. Along with the population it’ll cause which is another important factor to consider.

Electric powered leaf blower

Corded electric leaf blowers can also be really powerful, additionally they’ll maintain their power level until the leaf blower is shut off. This however is the opposite for cordless leaf blowers as their performance will drastically diminish when the battery goes into a low state. Battery can also drain quite quickly especially if you are using it for long periods of time. Thus, it may be required to purchase extra replacement batteries and carry them on hand.

Gas powered leaf blower

Backpack leaf blowers can also be a viable option as they are great for professional gardeners and for people that have to move a lot. They are called also gas leaf blower. A Backpack leaf blower is really convenient and can be used on a daily basis. They are also easy to carry as they distribute the weight amongst the body. In return this can also decrease stress on your body.

For large jobs, I would recommend a carry on leaf blower, on the other hand if you have a large yard or large areas to clean then a backpack leaf blower will be ideal for the job. For older individuals that want a leaf blower, then a lightweight model will be ideal for them. For industrial models, there are several you can buy at an affordable price.

Cordless leaf blower

This is the last and another choice, that is cordless leaf blower. This type blower is very light weight and comfortable for everyone. You can use it clean your small areas and home clean. This is very easy to carry that is really good for your hand.

Do you Need a Blower Vacuum?

This is probably the most common question I get and the answer depends on your situation. In short the vacuum function on most blowers is exactly that – an extra ‘function’ or a ‘bonus’.

To be completely honest not many yard blowers double as vacuums and do a fantastic job. If you only have a small area without too much dense leafage and debris.

Final Words

All are good but you carefully read this article again then you decide which one you need. if this article is helpful then share it and if you asking something then comment .

Categories: Gardening, Tools Tags: Tags: , , , , , ,

How to Find the Best Car Battery

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Before you get a replacement car battery, ensure your old battery is admittedly out of whack and not simply discharged. Totally charge and test your current battery. Only if it now not passes the tests, it’s time to shop for a replacement car battery. If you’re glad about the recent battery performance, you’ll purchase an identical model all over again. Otherwise, scan on what qualities the most effective car battery possesses and the way to search out a model compatible with your car.

In general, the most effective car battery is the heaviest, freshest, with largest reserve capability (RC) and largest cold cranking amp performance (CCA). In cold climates, higher CCA performance is a lot of necessary than RC. In an exceedingly hot climate, higher RC is a lot of necessary than CCA. Some motor vehicle battery makers build specific “North” and “South” car battery versions for cold and hot climates to higher accommodate these necessities. In this article we’ve discussed solution of power the car battery and what things you should considers before choosing a car battery.

Car battery sizes

In North America, makers use Battery Council International (BCI) Group Size Number standard to specify car batteries. It includes the physical case size, terminal placement, sort and polarity. In Europe, European sort listing (ETN) normal is employed. AN ETN variety includes the voltage, amp hour capability, physical case size, case base hold down, sort and layout of terminals (poles), polarity and cold cranking current.

The number on the battery originally put in by the vehicle’s manufacturer may be a good starting place to determine the replacement car battery size. Among a size, the CCA and RC ratings, pledge and battery sort can vary among models of identical brand or from brand to brand. Probably, a physically larger battery with additional CCA or RC is often purchased than the battery being replaced. If you choose to buy a physically larger car battery, ensure that the new car battery can match, the cables will connect to the right terminals, which the terminals won’t touch metal surfaces like the hood once it’s closed.

Car battery types

Between standard (Sb/Sb), low maintenance (Sb/Ca) and maintenance free (Ca/Ca) automobile batteries, the upkeep free is that the best car battery because of less water loss, smaller self-discharge rate and fewer would like for maintenance. AGM [Absorbed Glass Mat] (Ca/Ca) batteries are more expensive, however, have longer service life (typically up to double as long). Gel Cell (Ca/Ca) batteries are even more expensive than AGM, however, give up to twenty a lot of life cycles. Disadvantages of Gel Cell batteries square measure lower capability in cold temperatures and fewer Cold Cranking Amps.

When choosing a battery type, it’s very necessary that you simply choose a battery which will match the voltage outputs of your charging system and application. The best way to accomplishing this can be to replace your battery with a similar or compatible form of battery that originally was originally in your vehicle or appliance. As an example, associate AGM (Ca/Ca) battery will ordinarily replace low maintenance (Sb/Ca) or maintenance free (Ca/Ca) battery, however occasional maintenance (Sb/Ca) battery ordinarily cannot replace associate AGM (Ca/Ca) battery while not adjusting the charging voltages.

Cold Cranking Amp (CCA) performance

The battery’s CCA performance rating ought to be best fitted to the coldest temperatures encountered in your climate. A car battery is measured at the CCA 0° F (-17.8° C).Don’t confuse it with different ratings like Cranking Amps (CA) measured at 32° F (0° C) and Hot Cranking Amps (HCA) measured at 80° F (26.7° C).

In hot climates, buying for car batteries with double or triple your vehicle’s cold cranking amp necessities may be a waste of cash as a result of the additional amps won’t be used. A starter can solely demand what it must operate. However, in extraordinarily cold climates a better CCA rating is higher, because of enlarged power needed to crank a sluggish engine and the inefficiency of a cold car battery: However, in extraordinarily cold climates a better CCA rating is higher, because of enlarged power needed to crank a sluggish engine and the inefficiency of a cold car battery:

Temperature, °F Temperature, °C Available power from battery Power required to crank engine
80 27 100% 100%
32 0 65% 155%
0 -18 40% 210%
-20 -29 25% 350%

Reserve Capacity (RC) and Amp Hour (AH) Capacity

For the car battery, Associate equally vital thought to CCA is that the Reserve capability (RC) and Amp Hour (AH) endurance ratings. Endurance is outlined by Eurobeat because the actual combination of the energy content hold on during a battery and also the rate that the battery is discharged over the lifetime. RC is that the range of minutes a totally charged battery at 80° F (26.7° C) may be discharged at a constant 25 amps until the voltage falls below 10.5 volts.

European and Asian automotive batteries are unit typically rated in Amp Hours (AH). A lot of RC (or AH) is best in each case. There’s additionally a relationship between the weight of the battery and also the quantity of RC (or AH). The heavier the battery, a lot of lead it’s and probably an extended service life.

Categories: Automobiles Tags: Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Across America in an Electric Vehicle: 4 Routes Mapped for a Sustainable Drive

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The American love affair with the open road is unlike anything else — dating back to the beginnings of the horseless carriage. Simply put, we love our vehicles. They’re an extension of who we are an individual’s and a testament to the ingenuity of mankind. But over the years we’ve had to rethink the way road trips, commuting and leisure driving impact the environment. More now than ever there’s a focus on zero emissions and the looming concern of global warming.

Currently, transportation and power generation each account for about 30% of US greenhouse gas emissions, so those sectors represent a prime target for cutting American carbon pollution. Specifically, light-duty (passenger) vehicles, which account for 60% of those emissions and medium-heavy-duty trucks accounting for a further 23%. These emissions can be significantly reduced by transitioning from the internal combustion engine to electric vehicles (EVs).

Over the past couple years we’ve seen a significant uptick in the amount of EVs on the road. Electric cars have become a growing phenomenon throughout the United States, because they allow the opportunity to explore the country in comfort, in safety and without the guilt of creating a large carbon footprint. Of course, Teslas are a widely popular choice for those that can afford the high sticker price, but companies have realized that in order to move the needle on transportation emissions, it’s necessary to produce more cost affordable EVs. This is exactly why Elon Musk released Tesla patents for “good faith” use — stating “It is impossible for Tesla to build electric cars fast enough to address the carbon crisis.”

So what does that mean for the drivers interested in purchasing or renting an electric vehicle? While we’re seeing more and more EVs on the road each day, there are still about seven times more gas stations than electric charging stations nationwide. But, the electric car revolution is prompting a change in the transportation infrastructure. Charging stations number existed in the hundred during the early 2000s. Fast forward 10-20 years and those number have skyrocketed to over 50,000 stations in 2018. Not to mention, California’s Governor, Jerry Brown signed legislation in 2018 that would allow for 250,000 EV chargers in the ground by 2025.

While California is leading the way in EV technology, other states are beginning to follow suit. More now than ever, it’s becoming incredibly accessible to make an extensive road trip in an electric vehicle, especially with resources like like Plugshare and the U.S. Department of Energy, which can be helpful in locating charging stations of all types and levels in your area. To top that off CarRentals put together this guide that highlights some of the most iconic road trips in the U.S. and how you can actually make them in an EV. These maps the include anchor stops, points of interest along the way, charging stations and tips for road tripping in an EV, so you’ll never be left with low battery.

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Get Green Columbus Project – An Overview

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The Get Green Columbus initiative began on January 28, 2005.  Columbus mayor Michael B. Coleman issued a Green Memo that urged the city’s residents to live environmentally-friendly lives.  The memo discussed several policy frameworks that aimed to create healthier environments.

Since the Green Memo, the city of Columbus had made significant progress in becoming a more sustainable and environmentally friendly city in every area, from rehab to businesses.  For these efforts, the city has received awards and recognition.  These include a designation as the most improved city from SustainLane in 2008, the Environmental Public Servant Award from the Ohio Environmental Council in 2009, and recognition as the greenest fleet in the nation at the 2009 Green Fleet Conference’s 2009 Environmental Leadership Awards.

Collaborating with City Agencies & Community Leaders

One driving factor for the success of Get Green Columbus was Mayor Coleman’s Green Team.  This team was responsible for administering environmental policies, educating the community about the risks of not taking care of the environment, and identifying the necessary resources to implement Get Green Columbus initiatives.

Joining Mayor Coleman’s Green Team were the Environmental Steward Office (ESO), who collaborated with the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO).  The ESO functioned as an internal team of experts and green coordinators who represented each department and division within the city. On October 4, 2007, Mayor Coleman joined other elected officials in signing the Central Ohio Green Pact.  This pact aimed to

  • Produce greener public fleets
  • Create a stronger green economy
  • Collaborate with others to purchase more green products
  • Adopt sustainable land use policies
  • Build more green facilities to reduce energy consumption and waste
  • Educate and involve the community
  • Decrease emissions
  • Protect environments from climate change
  • Preserve green space and develop greenways
  • Expand and encourage mass transportation

 Implementing Recycling Strategies and Reducing Solid Waste

SWACO and the city of Columbus also initiated a recycling program that is now known as RecyColumbus.  The goal of this project was to make it easy for people to recycle their household goods. It allowed Columbus residents to place recyclable items on their curbs or drop off such items at recycling centers.  In 2009, the municipality recycled 15,126 tons of materials.

Different agencies also collaborated with the city of Columbus to recycle items and reduce waste.  Such partnerships are working together to recycle 66 percent of the waste that would otherwise go to local landfills.

Improving Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality

Another achievement of Mayor Coleman’s Get Green Columbus was the creation, adoption, and implementation of the City of Columbus Green Fleet Action Plan, a plan first issued on January 1, 2008.

The goals and targets of the Green Fleet Action Plan included:

  • Reducing fuel
  • Purchasing and using biodiesel and compressed natural gas
  • Obtaining green grants and Green Fleet Awards
  • Implementing green purchasing language

Protecting Water

Protecting water quality was another focus of Get Green Columbus.  The initiative focused on flood reduction, waterway quality, stream restoration, and several multi jurisdictional watershed planning efforts.

In 2005, the Columbus Division of Sewerage and Drainage launched Project Clean Rivers.  Several programs and services were part of this project.  All had the same goal: achieving clean water.  This project also included the Wet Weather Management Plan, a $2.5 billion strategy to eradicate sewer overflows.

Such water protections were attempts to ensure the safety of Columbus’s groundwater and its surface resources.  Also contributing to such water protection efforts were the city’s public health authorities, who annually permit and inspect sewage treatment systems on private properties.  The authorities inspected more than 300 systems in 2009 alone.

Promoting Green Businesses

Another green effort of Mayor Coleman was a program to recognize and award businesses that made efforts to become more environmentally responsible.  This program, called the GreenSpot Program, has been successful in serving as a public engagement model for the city of Columbus and other communities throughout Ohio and North America.

Fostering the Greening of Columbus

On February 22, 2007, Mayor Coleman agreed to the U.S. Council of Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement as part of his contribution to the Get Green Columbus initiative.  Since then, the city of Columbus has conducted greenhouse gas emission inventories of its operations.

In 2005, the Columbus operation baseline emissions reported 317,926 metric tons of carbon dioxide.  The city of Columbus has aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2 percent every year until the year 2030.

According to reports, the sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Columbus in 2005 are:

  • 31 percent from buildings
  • 37 percent from wastewater treatment
  • 18 percent from drinking water treatment
  • 12 percent from transportation

The 10-Year Action Plan

In another environmental development, on May 4, 2009, Mayor Coleman announced a 10-year action plan.  The plan contains a list of improvements as well as efficiencies to correct imbalances.  The summary report of the Get Green Columbus program discusses the

  • Continuation of green initiatives
  • Expansion of energy-saving measures
  • Creation of weatherization systems
  • Establishment of efficient lighting
  • Upgrades of HVAC systems

Other Green Memo suggestions called for the city of Columbus to plant more trees and to construct capital improvements to protect the environment.  The city succeeded in its goals to plant a total of 20,000 trees.  Reports stated that the city of Columbus planted a yearly average of 5,500 trees and lost 1,500 trees yearly, which meant that the city planted 4,000 trees every year.

Local partners worked with the city of Columbus to achieve most of the project’s goals.  One improvement was improving access to fresh and nutritious foods for residents who were in need.  Columbus Public Health organized community farmers markets throughout the city, an effort that provided fresh food to city residents.

Speaking of Columbus and plants, the city is the home of the American Community Garden Association.  It is also the location of the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, which opened the unique Community Garden Campus.  These efforts educate people about the beauty and usefulness of plants and protecting them, issues important to Get Green Columbus as well.

Final Words

Get Green Columbus illustrate that teamwork and collaboration can make good things happen for a city and its residents.

Categories: Climate Change, Environment, Green, Sustainability Tags: Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Pesticides – Impact on Health and Environment

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Do you know that worldwide pesticides consumption is around 2 million tonnes per year? That’s huge. Moreover, the global expenditure on pesticide at producer level are nearly $56 billion, of which 14% of the expenditure is taken by insecticides.

Pesticides have become an integral part of modern life and widely used to prevent the growth of unwanted living organisms. Due to the increasing population, the amount of food produced is important but there are other organisms that are striving to consume the crops meant for humans. When this happens, it results in huge economic losses.

 

Due to this huge loss in food production, pesticides are often used to prevent the pests. This results in so much money spent on pesticides. The benefits of pesticides can be categorised into two types – primary and secondary.

Primary Benefits

  • Controlling pests and plant disease: This includes controlling invasive species and improved crop quality and reduced soil disturbances.
  • Preventing organisms that harm human activities and structures: Pesticides products like Suspended SC help us prevent organisms that attack or destroy properties such as termites, cockroaches Infestation, etc.

Secondary Benefits

  • Community Benefits: Benefits like nutrition and health improvements, food safety and reduced maintenance costs.
  • Global Benefits: Less pressure on uncropped land and international tourism revenue.

Risks

  • Toxic to humans.
  • Negative impacts on ecosystem and environment

Pesticides are meant for harming only the targetted pest, but when used incorrectly it could harm people and environment. Here are the studies on the potential health effects of pesticides.

Lack of Regulations

Poisoning by pesticides is a global public health problem. This poisoning is more serious in the developing countries despite the fact that pesticides are sold in large quantities in the developed countries. One of the reasons for this is the lack of pesticide control laws and training programmes for pesticide users and inspectors in the developing world. Studies shows that around 25% of developing countries lacks rules and laws regulating pesticide use and its distribution.

Pesticides Regulations

In most countries, pesticides are regulated when it is approved for sale and should be used by Government Agency. During the registration process, the pesticides are given labels which mention the safety and hazard warning along with its usage. It also undergoes measurement of acute toxicity test and then classified into one of the toxic classes. Almost all deadly categorised pesticides and insecticides with severe health hazards are banned in most countries. The ban is imposed on pesticides which shows risk at very low level of exposures.

Environmental impact of pesticides

The environmental impacts of pesticides are either direct or indirect damage they cause to plants, animals and microorganisms and varies from minor injuries to death.

Environmental impacts can be categorised into two parts:

  • Damage to animals (Vertebrates & Invertebrates) & plants.
  • Pest resistance to pesticides

Pesticides use has two main unintentional effects on vertebrate wildlife by feeding on the contaminate plants and prey or exposure to high doses and poorer survival, growth and reproduction.

Apart from pesticides impacts on the environment, pesticides help farmers to combat pests and produce larger quantities of food. Farmers also able to earn more profit by having to sell more. Pesticides help farmers save money on labour costs as well.

Malaria, a deadly disease caused by infected Mosquitoes and others like bubonic plague and fleas transmitted by Rats and flea or body lice is reduced due to the usage of pesticides in agriculture sectors, as discussed in the research studies.

An Entomology, Matan Shelomi a published writer on Quora says in his answers that you’re ingesting pesticides and it is no problem at all and he explains it why is it not a problem. He explained that not all pesticides are toxic at all and said many pesticides degrade over time, by the time food reaches you there will be no traces of pesticides in it.

Many edible parts of the food are not sprayed with pesticides. He mentioned that what is deadly to plants and insects is not deadly for mammals and vice versa. Remember again that organic farmers use pesticides and sometimes much more than necessary.

Many NGOs and residents are against pesticides. Some are against due to the lack of knowledge or they believe that we are being exposed to many pesticides and government is literally helping it in the causes.

It is also encouraged by some organic food companies that conventional food companies are using a lot of pesticides and making wrong impacts on people and creating issues of using pesticides which don’t even have an impact on the people eating that food. Pesticides cause health problem to the people working in the field, like farmers, and even people living nearby.

Categories: Agriculture, Food and Drink, Pest Control Tags: Tags: , , , , , , , ,

18 New Sustainable Building Materials Worth Watching

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Throughout the years, we’ve seen a growing trend with green building. The reason? Building projects consume nearly 50 percent of our resources extracted from nature, as well as generating 23 percent of air pollution and contributing to half of our landfill waste. There’s no doubt that the industry needs to combat climate change and create sustainable buildings to ensure that our communities can thrive in the future.

To address the challenge, many innovative companies are developing new futuristic green materials. From materials that can generate their own renewable energy to those that can self-heal and lower CO2 levels, a new generation of buildings is on the horizon. While many of these innovations are still in the early stages of development and haven’t reach mass-scale, they may very well be making their way into our buildings in the next few decades.

A great example of a building constructed with one of these futuristic materials is the BIQ House in Hamburg, Germany. Built with walls and panels containing living algae, the green building to able to generate its own electricity and power.  

These new building materials are being engineered to be more self-sustaining, stronger, sleeker and easier on the environment. Check out the infographic below from BigRentz for 18 futuristic materials that are buzzing in the industry.

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Gardening Trends That Will Transform Your Outdoor Space

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No matter if you love or hate your outdoor space, having a little garden makeover and spicing things up is always a great idea. Luckily, you don’t have to go all out and build a pool to achieve a big effect! Here are a few easy and cost-effective gardening trends that will transform your backyard and rekindle your love for the outdoors.

Zen wabi-sabi

People all over the world are searching for new ways to treat their gardens, and one of the more interesting ones comes from Japan. The art of wabi-sabi involves the acceptance of imperfections and the natural cycles of birth, growth, decay and death. The key to having a wabi-sabi garden is striking a perfect balance between nature and nurture.

So think moss-covered stones, weathered pots and overgrown plants. Embrace the imperfections of your space, relax and watch nature take its course. Plus, having a wabi-sabi garden is a perfectly frugal and eco-friendly way to design a gorgeous outdoor space that will only get more beautiful with time.

Edible gardens

No matter if you’re vegan, vegetarian or carnivore, everyone loves to have homegrown food. Now, thanks to the grow-your-own-food movement, you will not only have fresh veggies and fruit on your table, but also be on trend! If you’re limited by space, pumpkins, squashes and legumes should be your first choice. Also, tomatoes, greens and herbs grow well in boxes and pots, in case you really can’t give up any of your outdoor space.

Al fresco dining

A great way to make the best use of your garden is to create an attractive dining area. Having a cozy outdoor dining space is one of the biggest gardening trends in the past few years, especially popular among people who have a tiny kitchen or dining room. However, in order to have a practical and safe dining area, you must embark on a little construction journey.

Luckily, there are trusted landscape construction experts who can help you with the design and perform your decking, paving and tiling and even handle your electrical requirements. They work closely with their clients, so anything you need, they will provide! All you need to do is get some cozy furniture and you’re ready to enjoy your summer days in the sun with some tasty food. If you have space, you can even throw in a BBQ for the freshest and tastiest meals.

Vertical gardens

If you have a tiny outdoor space, but you still want to be up-to-date with the newest trends, why not opt for a vertical garden? Installation of these practical yet beautiful gardens is quite simple even for DIY beginners. All you need is some steel cable for hanging, a few clay pots and you’re ready to plant! The best thing about hanging gardens is that they serve as living pieces of art while taking very little of your space.

Multipurpose sheds

Another big trend is having multipurpose spaces that will save you square footage while providing you with various benefits. So, for instance, you can buy or construct a garden shed that will fit all your gardening tools and necessities, and also allow you to have a small yet practical workshop or DIY area. This way, you can practice your hobbies AND have a tidy and clutter-free backyard.

Eco-friendliness

Eco-friendliness is not a new trend, but it’s just too important to be left out of any list. Make sure to think about sustainability when designing or remodeling your garden and you’ll not only create a more cost-effective space, but also help our planet get back on its feet.

So, think solar lighting, drought-resistant plants, water-harvesting systems and other green garden additions. You can also visit your local thrift shops and reclaimed wood dealers to salvage some great items and give them a new life in your garden.

Final Thoughts

See? Having a stylish garden doesn’t have to be hard and expensive. So, don’t be scared to embark on a remodeling journey and you’ll surely end up with a trendy outdoor space you’ll be proud to show off!

Categories: DIY, Gardening, Green, Nature Tags: Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

How Can Web Hosting Choices Impact Your Digital Marketing Campaign

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Digital marketing has been evolved from a simple online marketing into a more technical and complex marketing process. Thriving in the competitive digital marketing world is a huge challenge. The market is filled with innumerable channels competing against each other to garner attention in their product and services.

Therefore, there is hardly any room for slacking; everything needs to be in the perfect order to run an effective digital marketing campaign. Due to increased demands of advertisers, the configuration and web hosting also have a significant impact on your digital marketing crusade.

Therefore, we have created a list of few variables that you need to consider before choosing your web hosting solution, if you want to streamline your digital marketing campaign.

Web IP Address Trust

It is crucial that your website IP address is a trusted one. When using shared IP, it is possible that your website IP is shared by web spammers. This can seriously harm the credibility of your website and render your digital marketing useless.

Therefore, it is highly recommended that you create your website using your own dedicated server. It may cost you some extra dollars, but you can consider it as a long-term investment for your website, which can save you from several potential risks.

If budget is not an issue, you can also use Virtual Private Servers hosting, which will give you the access to your own personalized IP address.

Web Loading Page Speeds

According to Google, the faster website leads to more browsing time of the users. Additionally, Kissmetrics research shows that 40% traffic leave a website if your webpage loading time is more than 3 seconds.

The conclusion is, a slow website can hurt your digital marketing campaign. Therefore, it is essential to choose a web hosting solution that has the minimal downtime. You must conduct a thorough research about the web hosting provider’s downtime and specifications pertaining to bandwidths and backup before signing up. A good web host also provides backups to avoid the risk of your website going down.

Domain Configuration

In order to have an accessibility, you must need to configure your domain, and mostly it is the country specific domain. You must ask your hosting provider about the location where they will host your content. Moreover, you may also inquire if there are any restrictions on changing your content. Knowing these details can help you choose the solution which is better suited for your target audience.

We recommend you to choose the web hosting solution which provides simple configuration solutions like one-click installation and provides good customer support.

Optimal Geolocation

Google and other search engines try to provide more relevant and local result to the readers, therefore, geographical location and language relevancy have a significant impact on the digital marketing campaign.

Spamming Issues

Any spamming activity conducted by you or another party who is sharing your IP address can potentially damage your SEO ranking and in some cases may get you banned from the search engines. Therefore, make sure you do not post any spam material to your website.

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Key Factors Driving the Waste Management Industry

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The amount of wastes that humans create every day and their potential impact on the environment have been matters of concern for the government and the community for long. There is a dire need to find a sustainable solution to this issue. Proper waste management methods which would be cost-effective, scientifically better, financially viable, environment-friendly, and socially acceptable to people are the need of the hour.

Waste management refers to the collection, transportation, disposal, and monitoring of wastes. It is imperative due to its many benefits which include protection of the environment and the health of the population, resource recovery, overcoming of an epidemic, and elimination of fire hazards due to the accumulation of hazardous substances.

Growth in Waste Management Industry

The market for waste management is witnessing a significant boom in recent years. This growth is driven by unprecedented growth in all kinds of wastes taking place due to the rise in industrialization, growing urban population, and the rise in environmental awareness. The growing adoption of recycling techniques and the development of innovative technologies and advanced waste collection solutions also fuel the growth of the market.

However, lack of awareness of the impact of unattended solid wastes in the developing regions across the globe restrains the industry growth. According to the research firm, Allied Market Research, the waste management industry is expected to reach $435.0 billion by 2023 from $285.0 billion in 2016, experiencing a CAGR of 6.2% from 2017 to 2023.

A recent trend in the waste management industry is the development of novel and innovative technologies in the space, which are helping in the efficient collection and processing of wastes. Another recent trend in the ecosystem is the adoption of strategies such as partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions by companies with an aim to expand their presence globally and grab a greater market share.

One of the recent collaborations is that between PETCO Kenya, the PET recycling company based in South Africa and Mr. Green Africa, a recycling firm in Kenya to increase the collection of PET bottles. Another one is the extension of partnership by Covanta, a waste management company based in the U.S. with the Town of Huntington, New York to continue with its support for waste management.

PETCO Partners with Mr. Green Africa

In November ’18, PETCO Kenya entered into a strategic partnership with Mr. Green Africa to provide funding with the aim of expediting the PET bottles collection process. The funding enables the former company to support infrastructure for waste collectors that service the latter’s trading centers by providing waste collection tricycles. The waste collection capacity of the collectors which is an average of 40 kgs a day, will increase to between 300kgs to 500kgs under the new partnership.

These collectors have been using sacks to collect post-consumer bottles, which is not only straining on their physical bodies but also limiting in the quantities they can collect per day kilograms. John Waithaka, the Chairman of PETCO Kenya said, “PETCO is committed to increasing the amount of plastic collected from the current levels to 70% by 2030. This partnership with Green Africa is one of the many partnerships we will be rolling out in the coming months to help us achieve this goal.”

Covanta and Town of Huntington Extend Partnership

In November ’18, Covanta announced its collaboration extension with the Town of Huntington for the supervision of the Huntington Resource Recovery Facility. The facility is an energy-from-waste facility that processes about 1,000 tons of municipal solid waste each day, produces 25 megawatts of renewable energy, and recycles over 7,000 tons of metal annually.

According to Chad Lupinacci, Supervisor of Town of Huntington, the extension of their partnership with Covanta provides their community with a great solution to waste management. It helps preserve their valuable natural resources while generating clean energy. He feels that the collaboration is a blessing for their residents as they both aim to achieve a more sustainable community. Rick Sandner, Vice President and General Manager of Covanta’s New York/New Jersey region said, “The Towns of Huntington and Smithtown have developed a leading waste management system that includes energy-from-waste for any residual waste that remains after recycling. We are proud of our work in providing safe, reliable waste disposal and a source of clean energy, and look forward to serving these communities for many years to come.”

Categories: Business, Green, Renewable Energy, Waste Management Tags: Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
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Salman Zafar