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Home Eco

GO green!

 

 

In everyday life, focus on simple actions that will make you more eco-friendly.

Below you will find tips on how to use utilities economically, separate waste and care for the environment.

energy

heat

water

waste

greenery

transport

Energy

In Poland, electricity is produced mainly on the basis of hard coal (46%) and lignite (27%), and Renewable Energy Sources (RES) account for only 18%, which is associated with significant carbon dioxide emissions, accelerating climate change. Meanwhile, the European Commission’s actions aim to make Europe (including Poland) a zero-emission continent by 2050.

You will already find energy-saving LED lighting in our buildings and photovoltaic panels to power common areas (corridors, staircases, etc.). Take a small step in the right direction and start saving electricity in your apartment!

Cook in as little water as possible. Use pot lids - without them you will use 30% more energy. Take care of the cleanliness of the hob and the bottom of the pans: dirty ones do not adhere 100% and consume more power. Only heat as much food as you plan to eat.
Don't open the oven door while baking - you lose 10% of the heat each time! Use the thermaflow function - the oven heats up faster and you can reduce the cooking temperature by up to 20%. Turn the oven off 10 minutes before the end of baking, saving energy consumption. Bake several dishes simultaneously on different levels of the appliance.
Set the optimal temperature in the fridge at +7 , and in the freezer at -18 degrees. Do not put warm food in the fridge, this will increase energy consumption. Arrange products from the same category close to each other. Thanks to this you can quickly find them and close the refrigerator door. Defrost frozen products in the fridge - they will additionally cool its interior.
Wash at the lowest possible temperature (30-40 degrees), modern powders can handle the dirt. Use "eco" programmes that guarantee the lowest electricity and water consumption. Fill the washing machine drum as much as possible, but do not overload it so that the clothes can spin freely. Only select the pre-wash option if your clothes are heavily soiled.
Choose short programmes with low wash temperatures. Load the dishwasher full and check that the washer arms can rotate freely before starting it. Use dishwasher salt to avoid deposits on your dishes and increase the performance of your machine. Remove any food residue before placing dishes in the dishwasher.
When using air conditioning, ensure that all windows are closed. Keep the filters clean regularly - dirty filters will affect the efficiency of the unit. Set the optimal cooling temperature at 4-5 degrees less than the ambient. When you enter a heated flat, do not cool it rapidly, but gradually.

Heat

In Vantage Rent buildings, tenants use district heating, which in Polish conditions in the vast majority is based on fossil fuels (coal and lignite). The CO2 emissions produced by their combustion have a negative impact on the environment – above all, the purity of the air and the increase in the average temperature of our planet. Therefore, especially in times of milder winters, it is advisable to control the heating at home in such a way as to maintain thermal comfort and at the same time take care of the environment.

What can you do?

  • Before the start of the heating season, check that your radiators are free of air.
  • Do not cover radiators with furniture or thick curtains.
  • When you ventilate your apartment (briefly), turn off all radiators first and only then open the windows.
  • Vary the heating temperature according to the room: in the bathroom it can be higher, in the bedroom lower.

Water at a premium!

Although water occupies about 70% of the surface of our planet, freshwater accounts for only 2.5% (drinking water 0.6%). As a result of climate warming and insufficient rainfall in Poland, we are already facing a water crisis that can only get worse. According to the UN Global Compact, the level of retention in our country is only 6% (it should be twice as high), while in Spain, for example, it is 40%.

What can you do?

  • Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth or washing your hands.
  • Use the water after boiling potatoes or pasta to water the plants (once it has cooled down).
  • Use eco programmes in the dishwasher and washing machine.
  • Choose a shower over a bath.

Waste

It takes 35 plastic bottles to produce a fleece sweatshirt. A plastic bag takes around 300 years to decompose. Poland spends PLN 16 million a year on clearing waste from forests. These figures are impressive! You will find a set of waste segregation bins in your apartment. Use them every day!

Want to check the waste collection schedule for your development? Visit one of the websites below:

PAPER AND CARDBOARD

paper packaging, cardboard egg containers, newspapers, printed sheets, notebooks

GLASS

bottles and jars, glass packaging for cosmetics

PLASTICS

plastic packaging, milk and juice cartons, sacks and bags, caps and lids, cans

MIXED

non-segregable waste, hygiene items, dishes, mirrors, polystyrene, receipts

BIO-WASTE

fruit peelings and scraps, vegetables, meal leftovers, leaves, flowers, egg shells, coffee grounds

Greenery

Potted plants that decorate our homes have an extremely positive impact on our health and wellbeing. Researchers at the University of Washington have shown that their presence indoors raises the humidity in the air and also increases our productivity. Plants produce oxygen, reduce pollution and lower stress levels. It’s health itself!

If you’re looking to improve your mood, introduce plants into your space that have a positive effect on mental health.

Among the recommended stress-reducing species you will find: geranium, medical jasmine, citrus trees or peace lily.

If you also have a four-legged pet living with you, please be aware that some plant species can be dangerous for them.

Strongly poisonous to animals are, for example, dracaena, azalea, peace lily, poinsettia (known as the star of Bethlehem), lily, diphenbachia or the very popular hole monstera.

Choosing the wrong species for the conditions prevailing in the flat.

Lack of regularity in care e.g. watering, wiping leaves of dust.

Over-zealous fertilisation of the potting soil, or its lack.

Not transplanting plants into larger pots as they grow.

Use the space of your balcony or garden to create green arrangements. You don’t have to grow only flowers in pots.

Herbs (basil, oregano, garden marjoram, rosemary, etc.) or small vegetables like cherry tomatoes or small peppers will also work well.

Sustainable transport

Road transport is responsible for more than 70% of greenhouse gas emissions across the European Union. Polluted air, traffic jams in Polish cities (statistically, in 2021 drivers spent in them 7 days and 8 hours in Wrocław and 7 days in Poznań) or high car maintenance costs are the main reasons why it is already worthwhile to switch to public transport or a bicycle.

Did you know that from 2035 it will not be possible to register new combustion cars in the EU?

Cycling is 13 times more ecological than travelling by car. By choosing a unicycle you emit only 21g C02/km vs. 271g C02/km for a car.

In 2021, registrations of electric unicycles (scooters, mopeds, bicycles, etc.) increased by 49% in Europe and by as much as 300% in Poland. Good news is that you don’t have to buy a scooter today. Start renting!

The fleet of electric buses in Polish cities will soon increase four times, compared to 2019. In Gdańsk, tests of hydrogen-powered vehicles have also started. This is what the future looks like!

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