Friday 30 May 2014

Do you know where your rubbish is going?



When you hire skip bins, do you really know where your rubbish is going? The reality is the majority of things you throw in the bins are more than likely to go to landfill. These days, products that are not designed for landfill are being thrown in the bin including electronic waste like old computers.
 
Alarmingly, electronic waste mounting up in landfill is starting to produce some alarming results. Electronic waste contains dangerous metals like lead, cadmium and mercury. Slowly, these dangerous metals are leading out into the surrounding soil and groundwater. If we are not careful with these metals, they could begin to affect our health. The health effects are huge including cancer, mental health disorders and tumours.

Queensland University’s National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology shows the chemicals from these metals are already everywhere in Australia. From the environment, to the people, these metals are making their mark. Disturbingly, test reveal children under four years old have high level of blood contamination. Overall, putting electronic waste into landfill is not a healthy option. Instead, there needs to be a strong focus on recycling this type of waste. Unfortunately, from 2007-2008, 16.8 million electronic devices were discarded, with only 9 per cent recycled. This meant, a staggering 14.7 million electronic devices were sent to landfill.

Disturbingly, e-waste is often exported by developed countries, to developing countries. In 2005, 18 European seaports were inspected and it was found that 47% of illegal waste was being exported. In the UK, 23,000 metric tonnes of undeclared e-waste was shipped to India, Africa and China. In the US it was also found that 50-80% of e-waste that was meant to be recycled, was also being exported. In 2000, mainland China tried to put a stop to this happening by banning the importation of e-waste. However the laws did not work, since e-waste was still being sent to Guiya of Guangdon Province. In addition to China, e-waste is also becoming to be a problem in India. A huge 25,000 workers are hired in scrap yards in Delhi alone, where 10-20000 tonnes of e-waste is being handled each year, 25% of that being computers.   

The Basel Convention has been introduced as an international treaty, designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste. Despite over 150 countries signing the treaty, exporting e-waste is still occurring. Even Australia is involved and is reported to be exporting up to 20 million dollars worth of e-waste per year, despite not having a permit to do so. Companies face a fine on up to $1 million or jail time of up to five years, if caught exporting to any other country.

This is why it is important to make sure you select a skip bins provider in Adelaide that recycles goods only in Australia. By ensuring this, you will have peace of mind knowing that your electrical goods will not be exported as e-waste to developing counties. Next time you need to hire a skip bins provider in Adelaide, ensure you choose a company like Green Bins who does not export e-waste overseas. Call Green Bins on (08) 8280 3318.

Is it the tenants or the landlord’s responsibility to pay for an electrician in Melbourne?



Many tenants are unsure if it is their responsibility of the landlords to pay an electrician in Melbourne. This can be a tough question to be faced with, when you require immediate electrical work but can’t afford it. For tenant’s peace of mind, it is the landlord that has to pay for an electrician.

According to the Residential Tenancies Act 1997, the landlord has to ensure the rented accommodation is well maintained. The act declares that repairs and maintenance of all electrical appliances provided by the landlord are the responsibility of the landlord. It is the role of the landlord and the landlord’s agent, to work together to ensure they run safety checks on all appliances, at least every two years.   

A landlord has the responsibility to maintain two critical areas regarding electrical safety. These are the proper installation of new or replacement electrical appliance, plus the correct maintenance and use of existing appliances. If a landlord fails to meet these requirements,it could result in their tenant being injured or killed. Furthermore, serious damage could occur to the property.

Before re-letting the property, a landlord must check that all appliances are safe and any unsafe appliances are repaired or disposed of. Electrical appliances also must be cleaned regularly in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions. Tenants must ensure they are cleaning these appliances and are not letting dust build up on cooling fans and on heaters. Also landlords must inspect damage to plugs, leads and casings on appliances. If there is any damage, it must be repaired immediately as if not a fire could be caused. Lastly the landlord should record all safety checks and details of work carried out by a licensed electrician

While the landlord has many responsibilities, it is the tenant’s duty to report any appliance faults to the landlord or the landlord’s agent. If a tenant does not report these appliance faults and get injured, it is not the landlord’s fault, as they were never notified of the issue. Furthermore, if a landlord wants to complete an electricity safety check, the tenant must allow reasonable access. Tenants also should not install, remove or tamper with any electrical appliances without the permission of the landlord or agent. 

If electrical work does need to be performed, a landlord must ensure he employs a licensed electrician from Melbourne. When you need a reliable electrician in Melbourne, call Fuse Electrical on 1300 221 223.

Thursday 29 May 2014

How you can recycle your waste using Adelaide skip bins

Reducing waste by using the services of a skip bins company in Adelaide, can deliver some great benefits. Firstly, recycling conserves valuable natural resources, such as oil. By recycling plastic containers and bottles, oil consumption is reduces, as all plastics are oil based. Failure to recycle plastic, has the potential to increase the price of crude oil and make shopping more expensive.

Currently, South Australia has very impressive recycling rates. In fact, they are the highest recycling rates in Australia. According to the Advertiser, South Australians saved more than 2.55 million tonnes of rubbish from ending up in landfill. This huge feat equates to the energy and oil of 205,300 cars. Overall, each South Australian would recycle 1573 kg of waste per year. More than 13,700 tonnes of plastic was recovered from recycling in South Australia, from recycling plastic soft drink bottles. Knowing the right things to recycle can be complicated, which is why it is good to take advice from skip bin companies in Adelaide, like Green Bins. Green Bins can separate your waste after you have it in the skip bin and pick out your recyclables. This is especially important when it comes to glass. Glass bottles cannot be recycled if they have been mixed with other types of glass like light-bulbs, glass tableware and window glass. This is because ceramic contaminate glass and are very difficult to sort out. The most valuable glass to recycle is clear glass, while mixed colour glass is essentially worthless.

It's important to avoid having broken glass in your skip, as many recyclers have trouble working out where these shards of glass have come from. Glass that cannot be recycled includes windscreen glass, mirrors, glasses, oven proof glass, light globes and medical glass. To prepare glass for recycling, you need to remove lids or caps and rinse. Avoid including china, ceramics or stone with glass bottles and jars, as it can lead to the rejection of thousands of bottles and jars collected for recycling.

Next time you need advice on recycling, talk to a leading skip bins provider in Adelaide, like Green Bins. Contact them now on (08) 8280 3318. 

Why recycling with some skip bins in Adelaide is a good idea

Rather than taking you waste to the landfill, hire skips bins in Adelaide with an eco-friendly waste management company. Skip bins companies like Green Bins, have a strong focus on the environment and endeavour to recycle as much waste as possible.

Interestingly, if you recycle aluminium then 13,300 kwh of electricity will be save. Furthermore, turning old cans into new cans saves 95% of the energy needs to make new cans, and also 95% less air pollution is produced. Amazingly, one recycled aluminium can saves enough electricity to run a computer or a TV for three hours.

Recycling cans may not seem like much, but in reality it can be extremely beneficial for the environment. With bauxite ore, used to manufacture aluminium cans mined from the tropics, it can cause huge damage to tropical forests. By recycling cans, you can help save the tropical forests. In less than 60 days, recycled cans find themselves back on the supermarket shelves.

While Australia is beating the United Kingdom, France and Spain in can recycling rates, there is still room to improve. In 2010, Australian's recycled only 30.3% of steel cans and 67.4% of aluminium cans.

Australian's do have a good recycling rate, beating United Kingdom, France and Spain. Promisingly, counties all over the world are improving a lot with recycling. For example in 2002, Germany recycled 78% or their aluminium cans, while in 2010 they are now recycling 96%.

By recycling your waste rather than taking it to landfill, you will reduce the expense of running landfills, and hopefully in the long run get rid of them altogether. Landfills cost a lot of build and run, and once they are closed it costs a lot to rehabilitate. They are also unpleasant to live next to as they can pollute your home. Furthermore, as the materials break down in the landfill and are exposed to weather, the landfill begins to produce gas and leachate.

Instead of hurting the environment, make sure you do the right thing and invest in a waste management company that is environmentally friendly. A leading skip bins company in Adelaide is Green Bins, who can assist with your recycling. Call them on Green Bins on (08) 8280 3318.

Tuesday 27 May 2014

How hiring a skip bin could improve recycling in Adelaide?



Did you know that is you hire a skip bin in Adelaide; you could be improving the rate of recycling. Reputable skip bin company, Green Bins, has come up By calling a skip bin company in Adelaide like Green Bins, By calling up at skip bin company Call up a skip bin company, such as Green Bins, to hear all about their recycling methods for their waste.

Lots of items that wind up in a skip bin can be recycled. One item that is 100% recyclable is paper. Paper comes in many forms including office paper, newspaper, cardboard, junk mail, magazines and phone books. With 90% of paper pulp made of wood and 35% from fallen trees, recycling paper makes a difference and saves a tree from being cut down. It is extremely important more than ever to recycle paper, with almost half of Australia's forests being cleared since European settlement. Staggeringly, it takes up to 24 trees to create one tonne of office paper. However, producing paper from recycled paper pulp uses 60-70% less energy and 55% less water than manufacturing from non-recycled pulp. Additionally, it also required approximately three cubic metres of landfill space to dispose of one tonne of paper.  

Not only is recycling paper good for tress but is also beneficial for the whole environment.  Recycled paper creates 74% less air pollution and 35% less water pollution. Plus, every tonne of recycled paper saves 2.5 barrels of oil. Overall, recycling paper to create one tonne of paper will also save thirteen trees.

If you have been thinking about hiring a skip bin in Adelaide but want a company that recycles, ring Green Bins. Green Bins is an environmentally friendly waste management company that utilises a range of recycling techniques. They also offer a variety of different sized bins to suit your unique requirements. Our experts suggest when selecting a bin size to always select a bigger bin than you think, if you aren't sure exactly how much waste your are disposing off.

If you are conscious of the environment and want an environmental friendly waste management company, call Green Bins on (08) 8280 3318. They are the experts in eco-friendly skip bin hire in Adelaide.

Saturday 24 May 2014

How to find a good locksmith in Adelaide



It can be difficult to find a reliable locksmith in Adelaide, like Glenelg Locksmith. It is not as simple as dialling the first number you find for a locksmith. Finding the right locksmith is very important for you and your family’s safety.

What is the difference between a good and a bad locksmith? A good locksmith will ensure that only your family and you have access to the keys, and that no one else from outside your family have a key. A good locksmith will wait until he knows that your family can get in and out from the place where the lock has just been installed, instead of just leaving without knowing. A good locksmith will also tell you their prices straight away and will turn up as soon as possible. A bad locksmith usually will not be completely honest about the total cost of the work. A bad locksmith also will not always mention the extra charges or cost of replacement parts.

One of the best ways to find a good locksmith is if you research what is a fair price for locksmith work.  Also before hiring a locksmith, it is ideal to ask to have a look at their qualifications. You should also find a locksmith who lives as close to you as possible. This is because usually locksmiths are only called in case of an emergency, so if you get locked out it would be better to have the locksmith living a few minutes away instead of having to wait a few hours for him to get there. It is also handy to pick a locksmith in Adelaide who provides a 24 hour emergency service, such as Glenelg Locksmith. Once an emergency happens, then you can put your locksmith to the test, to see how good your locksmith really is. If he does not answer his phone at 2:00am then that is not good enough.

Another criteria for a good locksmith is to find someone who can change a range of different locks. What is the point of having two different locksmiths – one for your house and another one for your car? It will be easier to find a locksmith who can do both like Glenelg Locksmith. There are also a lot of locksmith scams that need to be avoided. If you hire a bad locksmith then you can risk damage to your doors, locks or windows. This is because inexperienced or untrained locksmiths cannot install damaged seals and locks very well. If you do not hire a locksmith with a good reputation, then you may get unlucky and have a locksmith who will copy your keys and break in later to steal items.

Also be careful to avoid locksmiths who give threats. Sometimes some people may hire a locksmith who will turn up in a tow car, who will then unlock your car and then threaten to get the car towed unless the owner of the car agrees to pay a high amount to get the locks or keys changed. Next time you need a good locksmith in Adelaide, call up Glenelg Locksmith on 0406 566 344.

Wednesday 21 May 2014

Electricians in Melbourne give reasons for why you need safety switches in your home

Ask an electrician in Melbourne today about the importance of safety switches and you'll get some helpful advice. At Twin Electrics and Plumbing, we suggest safety switches should be installed in every house and business to protect you, your family and employees.

If your home or business does not currently have safety switches, then you should definitely get an electrician from Melbourne to install a residual current device to you existing switchboards. This will protect power points and circuits and help prevent the risk of electrocution in the home and work place.

Faulty electrical appliances such as electric kettles, toasters, range-hoods, irons, fridges and freezers, are one of the biggest risks of electrocution. Your safety switch will let you know when one of these items has an issue by making a noise, which is called tripping. You can do this by resetting the safety switch, and if it sets off again then you will have to unplug all electrical items from the power point. Then you turn the safety switch back on and you plug in each item one at a time until the switch lets you know which item is tripping up. Once you discover which appliance is causing trouble, then you can simply dispose of it.

Sometimes though, an electrical appliance may not be the reason for the safety switch to trip out. Instead, it could be faulty wiring. If your home is 10 to 15 years old there is the possibility of rats eating through wiring, which causes the faulty wiring.

While you may have circuit breakers, they are not the same thing as a safety switch. Circuit breakers only are designed to protect the appliances and electrical fittings in your home. They will rarely shut off power in the event of an electric shock.

If you think you may already have a safety switch, the best way to determine if it definitely is, is to inspect it to see if it has a 'test' button. If the devices in your switch board does not have a test function, then those switches are probably circuit breakers instead of safety switches.

Once you have a safety switch you need to use the test button three times every year to test switch is still functioning properly. Once you have bought all your safety switches, you will have to ask an electrician in Melbourne from Twin Electrics and Plumbing to install the switches.


A house hold is only fully protected if they put safety switches on every circuit. Gain the peace of mind you need by hiring a Melbourne electrician from Twin Electrics and Plumbing to install a safety switch.