Tips for sustainable living in apartments

pinkypinky · 13-11-2019 11:22pm #1

So I've been watching some of RTE's output this week on climate change. What Planet are you on is an eye opener.

I already try quite hard to recycle, etc but living in apartment makes it a challenge. The development has regular, recycling and separate glass bins but no organic waste collection. I'm a director of the management company and our agent says it's simply not possible to supply brown bins for the development.

So I collect my organic waste and bring to either a family member's house or my office (which is based in a domestic house).

I'd love to hear suggestions from other people who've come up with solutions for apartment living sustainability.

Also am looking at changing to an electric car but the grant for setting up the charging point doesn't seem to apply to apartments, as you have to be able to connect to your own electric supply. Has anyone tried to get around this problem?

jface187 · 13-11-2019 11:28pm

I'm in a large apartment complex. There is no split in rubbish. There are 12 large bins that people dump all their rubbish in, including household junk. Surprised it's still allowed to happen.

Qrt · 14-11-2019 1:45am

It’s not possible to have an extra bin? Fairly sure they’re just not arsed...

gozunda · 14-11-2019 2:10am

That programme is little more than Tabloid TV which pays participants €2000 a pop for their involvement. The 'nutritionist' they dug up in the UK is an extreme plant food activist who reckons eating imported yams and chickpeas with massive air miles and drinking highly processed soy juice are good alternatives to what we produce with Ireland's extensive grass-based systems which produces the lowest GHG emissions in the EU for dairy animals and the fifth lowest for beef or even god forbid vegetables supplied from less exotic locations might be a good start.

RTE are really trying hard to keep their remaining jobs whilst being trying to be trendy ...

s7ryf3925pivug · 14-11-2019 5:11am

Replace bulbs with led or fluorescent ones.
Don't leave fridge door open.
Don't heat your apartment excessively, no need be able to wear a t-shirt.
Consider putting reflective insulation between your radiators and any external walls, assuming you have some on external walls.
Get TRVs.

Could look at a hybrid, or a small car. If you are in an apartment then there is probably decent local services and public transport. Walk, cycle, use public transport when you can.

magicbastarder · 14-11-2019 9:08am

in terms of food, three golden rules i read:
waste less.
eat less meat.
don't use your oven so much.

s7ryf3925pivug · 14-11-2019 11:27am

Domestic heating is a huge contributor, bigger than cars, so improving the efficiency of that is a big deal, and also improves property value and reduces overheads, so win-win.

Mezzotint · 14-11-2019 11:40am

Waste disposal in apartments shouldn't be getting the opt out of brown bins. It's just lazy to allow apartment management companies to get away with out it.

Appartements could do a lot with things like solar panels and geothermal heating, as they've got the scale to do things like that very well. However, we're not really politically interested in doing things like that in Ireland. I mean someone would have to organise it and it might inconvenience property developers, who love cheap and cheerful zero maintenance, uncontrollable storage heaters.

baaba maal · 14-11-2019 1:16pm

Your agent is not doing their job. If you live in a town or village with a population of 500 or more, you are entitled to a brown bin from your waste contractor- and this is the same case if it is shared living. I am presuming your agent just doesn't want the hassle if the bins aren't being used properly. So a bit of an education programme is required for the residents to make sure they know what to put in each bin.

The cost of waste going into the landfill/incineration bin should cost at least as much as waste going into the brown and recycling bins- I would get the agent to shop around and come back with quotes from a few contractors with a breakdown based on bin type. If all the residents are paying more for waster disposal when the (presumably scarce) money could be used elsewhere in the development then they are not doing their jobs.

s7ryf3925pivug · 14-11-2019 2:53pm

Air vents in rooms with no fireplace or gas appliance should be closable and insulated. Might be worth removing the cover of vents to check proper ducts are behind them as opposed to just holes in the wall. Vents in rooms with anything like a fire need to be always open by regulation but should still have ducts fitted.

carveone · 14-11-2019 10:41pm

I noted in the first episode some asshat burning plastic in his fireplace. That's committing an offence. On TV. I noted that RTE didn't say "actually, that's bloody illegal" or "low temperature burning releases carcinogens - how does it feel to give cancer to kids playing outside" or maybe "you complete nob". Instead herself says: "Isn't that removing the middle man?". And Mr Expert starts off by agreeing! Jesus wept. RTE could have improved their ratings by arresting him live. Cuff him and tase him, that'll get people watching

Didn't see anything else but what gozunda says there doesn't surprise me. Trendy is the right word.

My mgmt company says they're now required to supply a brown bin unless residents don't want it. I wonder if some apt blocks have a bit of garden space that you could use that as a compost heap? However, I see a lot of them (including my own) jammed right up against the retaining wall so space is sometimes an issue.

My parents compost all vegetable matter and recycle everything else. They put out one black bin maybe every 4 months, usually when it walks to the curb on its own! The way the system works means they pay a fortune for that; everything (electricity, gas, waste) is designed that way: the less you use, the more you pay per unit as the fixed charges overwhelm everything else.

ohographite · 17-11-2019 9:58pm

A good way to cut down on food waste(if you don't do this already), is think if there are parts of food you currently throw away that you could eat instead.
For example, the water in a tin of chickpeas or a tin of kidney beans(if you ever buy them) can be whisked with sugar to make meringues.
Recipe here:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/vegan-meringues

If you ever eat cauliflower, the leaves of cauliflower are edible too.
Recipe here:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jun/30/how-to-make-the-most-of-cauliflower-leaves

McGiver · 13-01-2020 12:19pm

gozunda wrote: »

...Ireland's extensive grass-based systems which produces the lowest GHG emissions in the EU for dairy animals and the fifth lowest for beef

Links to support the claims please.

Even if it was actually true, the problem is the absolute GHG emissions of Irish agri, it's total lack of sustainability, lack of diversity, over-reliance on nitrates to grow grass/pasture, amongst other issues. The system is inherently wasteful, so being the fifth least wasteful while still being wasteful is a brilliant argument really and irrelevant. More laughable actually.

Irish agriculture produces 33% of all GHGs. This is appalling for a developed country. Just to compare - for Austria it's 9% and they do cows etc.

As you may know 90% of the Irish agri is CH4 and N2O which are extremely potent GHGs (on 10y and 100y scale), unlike CO2. All that down to primitive beef & dairy agriculture. Total waste of resources and land to produce beef and dairy, especially in this primitive manner.

Large % of dairy is powdered, which is energy intensive process, and exported to Saudi Arabia and China, repressive regimes. Otherwise the demand for Irish dairy is not that great.

Despite such a huge agri sector Ireland imports a lot of food and is not self-sufficient whatsoever. Compare with Netherlands with third size and three times as much population, which can meet domestic demand, export the excess and still being one of the largest exporters of food in the EU. That's what you call efficiency and modern agriculture.

EDIT: Your "extensive grass-based systems" also pollutes the water resources by excessive application of fertilisers to enable fast growth of pasture for the massive herds.

Mod, probably fork it to another thread, it's needed.

gozunda · 13-01-2020 1:38pm

McGiver wrote: »

Links to support the claims please.

Even if it was actually true...

Sure I'm telling porkies. Sure you cant trust farmers. The fekers ... :rolleyes:

christ - I wrote that comment over two months ago. And even the smallest modicum of googling would provide you with the relevant sources.

Heres the same figures from the EPA

https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.epa.ie/media/epa_agriculture_v2.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiqk_y2x4DnAhXvTxUIHbjiDz4QFjAJegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw00bDdSgvJSgQRMCq1peEBl

God forbid that agriculture here is not anywhere as bad was some like to paint it. And I gather for some strange reason you dont like 'primitive' Irish agriculture...

The fact remains that over 70 % of all greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland come from the use of fossil fuel use in energy and transport

And according to the EPA - since 1990 ghg emissions from transport have increased by 37% whilst agriculture has increased by just over 1%

Thats not to say agriculture does not have it's part to play in reducing emissions - it does. Oh and the exports of agricultural produce provide a valuable contribution to the economy. But hey no one wants that!

Now after the above long winded and frankly bizarre hatchet job on Irish Agriculture - you may follow the lead and provide some references for all those 'facts' Thanks.

EDIT: and for a little bit of balance. Your urban areas also significantly pollute water resources by unteated point discharges of municipal sewage. Oh and cattle numbers are actually lower than they were in 1973.

If you wish to have a further go at agriculture - it may be best to move to the farming forum - there's a couple of threads there that are more relevant than this one. Just saying.

magicbastarder · 13-01-2020 1:50pm

worth noting that the claim was 'we are the best in europe for GHG emissions from dairy farming', *not* 'dairy farming is a low GHG emitter'.

McGiver · 13-01-2020 1:50pm

gozunda wrote: »

Sure I'm telling porkies. Sure you cant trust farmers. The fekers ... :rolleyes:

Jesus christ - I wrote that comment over two months ago. And even the smallest modicum of googling would provide you with the relevant sources.

Heres the same figures from the EPA

https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.epa.ie/media/epa_agriculture_v2.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiqk_y2x4DnAhXvTxUIHbjiDz4QFjAJegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw00bDdSgvJSgQRMCq1peEBl

God forbid that agriculture here is not anywhere as bad was some like to paint it. And I gather for some strange reason you dont like 'primitive' Irish agriculture...

The fact remains that over 70 % of all greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland come from the use of fossil fuel use in the energy and transport sectors.

And according to the EPA - since 1990 carbon emissions from transport have increased by 37% whilst agriculture has increased by just over 1%

Thats not to say agriculture does not have it's part to play in reducing emissions - it does. Oh and the exports of agricultural produce provide a valuable contribution to the economy. But hey no one wants that!

Now after the above long winded and frankly bizarre hatchet job on Irish Agriculture - you may follow the lead and provide some references for all those 'facts' Thanks.

EDIT: and for a little bot of balance. Your urban areas also significantly pollute water resources by unteated point discharges of municipal sewage. Oh and cattle numbers are actually lower than they were in 1973.

If you wish to have a further go at agriculture - it may be best to move to the farming forum - there's a couple of threads there that are more relevant than this one. Just saying.

Of course it's primitive, compare with the peers like NL or AT I mentioned.

That link just confirms what I say:
Agriculture is the largest contributor to Ireland’s greenhouse gas emission

I'd asked for a link supporting your "efficiency" not a random link.

Agriculture is a single largest emitter and disproportionately large so compared to other developed countries and EU peers. Solution is simple - diversify. Solution to transport won't be easy or quick. Solution to agri GHG could be easy, but won't, because of the farm lobby, so we'll see the herd and emissions only increase. While the taxpayer will pay carbon taxes, EU GHG fines, farmers will be happily subsidised by CAP and the gov so that they can continue to emit GHG and export formula to Saudis, thanks no.

McGiver · 13-01-2020 1:53pm

gozunda wrote: »

EDIT: and for a little bot of balance. Your urban areas also significantly pollute water resources by unteated point discharges of municipal sewage. Oh and cattle numbers are actually lower than they were in 1973.

So don't mention 'brilliant' irrelevant agri stats in "sustainable living in appt" thread for starters. They will be challenged.

gozunda · 13-01-2020 2:02pm

McGiver wrote: »

Of course it's primitive, compare with the peers like NL or AT I mentioned.That link just confirms what I say:Agriculture is the largest contributor to Ireland’s greenhouse gas emission. I'd asked for a link supporting your "efficiency" not a random link.
Agriculture is a single largest emitter and disproportionately large so compared to other developed countries and EU peers. Solution is simple - diversify. Solution to transport won't be easy or quick. Solution to agri GHG could be easy, but won't, because of the farm lobby, so we'll see the herd and emissions only increase. While the taxpayer will pay carbon taxes, EU GHG fines, farmers will be happily subsidised by CAP and the gov so that they can continue to emit GHG and export formula to Saudis, thanks no.

The only thing primitive there is that comment tbh.

You asked for a source for the statement and you got it. Viz. You did not ask anything about 'efficiency' btw.

Ireland’s extensive grass-based
systems produces the lowest GHG emissions in the EU for dairy animals and the fifth lowest for beef.

And now you dont like that. I suggest you take your rather bizarre filled rantings elsewhere - farming forum might be a good idea - you definitely will be challenged. And yes the emissions regarding agriculture etc were relevant to that program btw. Sorry you didn't like that. But there we go

McGiver · 13-01-2020 2:14pm

gozunda wrote: »

The only thing primitive there is that comment tbh.

You asked for a source for the statement and you got it. Viz. You did not ask anything about 'efficiency' btw.

And now you dont like that. I suggest you take your rather bizarre filled rantings elsewhere - farming forum might be a good idea - you definitely will be challenged. And yes the emissions regarding agriculture etc were relevant to that program btw. Sorry you didn't like that. But there we go

It is primitive. It can't supply domestic market with wide rage of produce. Despite managing huge land and employing nearly 10% of workforce. Pointless talking to you further. You must be either farmer or directly linked to the industry.

EDIT: Nothing against farmers, on the contrary, they are essential. By "farmer" above I mean beef/dairy non-diversifying type.

McGiver · 13-01-2020 2:35pm

gozunda wrote: »

Ireland’s extensive grass-based systems produces the lowest GHG emissions in the EU for dairy animals and the fifth lowest for beef.

Oh yeah my last word regarding this mental gymnastics of yours - just for clarity the document you linked is from 2013. A bit outdated. And it predicted agri GHG growth and mentioned water issue as well. The GHG grew exactly as predicted, it's now 33%. Which is appalling for a developed country.

Being "the least wasteful" is totally irrelevant if you are massively wasteful by design, unable to supply local food demand, whilst employing 10% of workforce and on top producing 33% of GHGs. It's nice a cherry picking exercise and distraction method to mention the relative figures without saying the absolute numbers and all issues associated - it's basically a manipulative PR trying to paint the whole system as green and great, which it is not. This system is highly polluting, wasteful, unsustainable, expensive, relying on subsidies (both EU and local) and it will cost the taxpayer huge money on carbon taxes and fines.

gozunda · 13-01-2020 2:52pm

McGiver wrote: »

Oh yeah my last word regarding this mental gymnastics of yours - just for clarity the document you linked is from 2013. A bit outdated. And it predicted agri GHG growth and mentioned water issue as well. The GHG grew exactly as predicted, it's now 33%. Which is appalling for a developed country.
Being "the least wasteful" is totally irrelevant if you are massively wasteful by design, unable to supply local food demand, whilst employing 10% of workforce and on top producing 33% of GHGs. It's nice a cherry picking exercise and distraction method to mention the relative figures without saying the absolute numbers and all issues associated - it's basically a manipulative PR trying to paint the whole system as green and great, which it is not. This system is highly polluting, wasteful, unsustainable, expensive, relying on subsidies (both EU and local) and it will cost the taxpayer huge money on carbon taxes and fines.

So finished - but taking to repeating the same rubbish again? But now that you are finished with that completely inaccurate and bizarre rant. It remains that ghg emissions from energy and transport use account for over 70% of all ghgs. And no that does not mean agriculture emissions cant be improved upon. They can.
As for the rather nasty little dig in previous comment. "Pointless talking to you further. You must be either farmer or directly linked to the industry...By "farmer" above I mean beef/dairy non-diversifying type". You are incorrect - again! Goodnight.

Ps . Just checked and lol I see the reason for your apparent hatred of all things farming. "Wide rage" is correct. No worries.

McGiver · 13-01-2020 3:07pm

gozunda wrote: »

So finished - but taking to repeating the same rubbish again? But now that you are finished with that completely inaccurate and bizarre rant. It remains that ghg emissions from energy and transport use account for over 70% all ghgs. And no that does not mean agriculture emissions cant be improved upon. They can.
As for the rather nasty little dig in previous comment. "Pointless talking to you further. You must be either farmer or directly linked to the industry...By "farmer" above I mean beef/dairy non-diversifying type". You are incorrect - again! Goodnight.

Ps . Just checked and lol I see the reason for your apparent hatred of all things farming. No worries.

So because 33% is not 66% we'll do nothing about the 33%, excellent logic. There will a be a lot done to the 66% but there's zero evidence (in gov papers, gov plans & strategy, industry rhetoric etc) that anything will be done to the 33%, because that sector is so corrupted and resistant to change that they won't move an inch. The herd will increase and all gov/Teagasc proposed cosmetic changes will only offset the GHG increase from higher herd numbers at best = Nothing will happen, no change to the 33%. And will all pay higher taxes.

McGiver · 13-01-2020 3:10pm

gozunda wrote: »

Ps . Just checked and lol I see the reason for your apparent hatred of all things farming. "Wide rage" is correct. No worries.

You're totally wrong and unless you have a working command of telepathy you cannot know.

No hatred. And on top not all farming. So you're wrong with your generalisation, I'm afraid.

gozunda · 13-01-2020 3:43pm

McGiver wrote: »

So because 33% is not 66% we'll do nothing about the 33%, excellent logic.There will a be a lot done to the 66% but there's zero evidence (in gov papers, gov plans & strategy, industry rhetoric etc) that anything will be done to the 33%, because that sector is so corrupted and resistant to change that they won't move an inch. The herd will increase and all gov/Teagasc proposed cosmetic changes will only offset the GHG increase from higher herd numbers at best = Nothing will happen, no change to the 33%. And will all pay higher taxes.

So you weren't finished? :pac: ref first bolded line - You must have missed this bit

gozunda wrote:

It remains that ghg emissions from energy and transport use account for over 70% all ghgs. And no that does not mean agriculture emissions cant be improved upon. They can.

From the second bolded line - Zero evidence etc? Really? Corrupted opinions there and resistant to logic indeed. You need to stop just reading anti agriculture fb pages or whatever.

For example: https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/ruralenvironment/climatechange/bioenergy/ClimateandAirRoadmapfortheAgriculturalSector141119.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjn8eCE5IDnAhXZQRUIHbGRBLsQFjADegQIBBAB&usg=AOvVaw2lT5wf6vy-uV2OSL05A7gN

Also a new DoA schemes such as Origin Green, Scheme to reduce suckler cow numbers launched amid a raft of other initiatives, etc etc

Third bold line - I think the apparent hatred is showing itself again there. But work away make crazy generalisations about an entire but extremly diverse group of people. And yes farmers pay taxes to.

Maybe do a bit of proper reseach rather than just going on the usual anti agricultural type rant? So I'll leave you there.

Mods: delete/ move as required. Hands up btw - it's now off topic.

McGiver · 13-01-2020 5:07pm

gozunda wrote: »

So you weren't finished? :pac: ref first bolded line - You must have missed this bit

From the second bolded line - Zero evidence etc? Really? Corrupted opinions there and resistant to logic indeed. You need to stop just reading anti agriculture fb pages or whatever.

For example: https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/ruralenvironment/climatechange/bioenergy/ClimateandAirRoadmapfortheAgriculturalSector141119.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjn8eCE5IDnAhXZQRUIHbGRBLsQFjADegQIBBAB&usg=AOvVaw2lT5wf6vy-uV2OSL05A7gN

Also a new DoA schemes such as Origin Green, Scheme to reduce suckler cow numbers launched amid a raft of other initiatives, etc etc

Third bold line - I think the apparent hatred is showing itself again there. But work away make crazy generalisations about an entire but extremly diverse group of people. And yes farmers pay taxes to.

Maybe do a bit of proper reseach rather than just going on the usual anti agricultural type rant? So I'll leave you there.

Mods: delete/ move as required. Hands up btw - it's now off topic.

Cosmetic measures. Are the emissions gonna drop? No, so why you even mention this.

You provide less and less evidence and are less and less logical.

The facts stand - inefficient highly subsidised narrow sector with a very strong lobbying power trying to appear green, but it's not, far from it. It's the single largest polluter and it's not gonna improve in any way. The gov plans are feeble and fully supporting the lobby.

Note: I'd ask for move to another thread right at the beginning :cool:

PS: Don't do FB really. And I repeat I'm not anti-farming on the contrary, I support local independet sustainable farmers.

gozunda · 13-01-2020 5:39pm

McGiver wrote: »

Cosmetic measures. Are the emissions gonna drop? No, so why you even mention this.You provide less and less evidence and are less and less logical.
The facts stand - inefficient highly subsidised narrow sector with a very strong lobbying power trying to appear green, but it's not, far from it. It's the single largest polluter and it's not gonna improve in any way. The gov plans are feeble and fully supporting the lobby.Note: I'd ask for move to another thread right at the beginning :cool:PS: Don't do FB really. And I repeat I'm not anti-farming on the contrary, I support local independet sustainable farmers.

Lol. So why post in the first place? That makes no sense whatsover. Plenty of active threads over in the farming forum for the comment.

And btw no one here to provide 'evidence' or deal with daft rhetorical type questions and answers above. But yes indeed your claim that -

McGiver wrote:

there's zero evidence (in gov papers, gov plans & strategy, industry rhetoric etc) that anything will be done ..

Is completely busted. As was your first comment bizarrely picked on some 2 months after it was written that was somehow not "true".

You may not like any of the above - but I can't help with that. The comments simply come across as a hate filled rant at best...

McGiver wrote:

Even if it was actually true...farmers will be happily subsidised by CAP...farm lobby...By "farmer" above I mean beef/dairy non-diversifying type....You must be either farmer or directly linked to the industry....All that down to primitive beef & dairy agriculture...massively wasteful...basically a manipulative PR trying to paint the whole system...This system is highly polluting, wasteful, unsustainable... expensive, corrupted and resistant to change ...won't move an inch ...

Look we get it - you dont like the beef / dairy / animal rearing sectors etc. Thanks for that - it's not rely a surprise considering previous postings. Though as above none of it stands up to any scrutiny. And that's it really.

McGiver · 14-01-2020 9:50pm

gozunda wrote:

Look we get it - you dont like the beef / dairy / animal rearing sectors etc. Thanks for that - it's not rely a surprise considering previous postings. Though as above none of it stands up to any scrutiny. And that's it really.

Declare conflict of interest so that we are clear where we stand.

Yellow_Fern · 21-01-2020 10:30pm

Do you own the flat? If so you might be able to make it more efficient with work to improve its airtightness

ShauntaMetzel · 26-06-2021 9:41pm

I don't think sustainability is only associated with recycling items. I think such residents should prefer a building management system. Such systems can assist in overcoming the consumption of building's energy usage. You can read more about the building management system from here https://www.gbrionline.org/building-management-system/ and probably, an entire society can collectively conduct these green living tasks.

However, if such systems are not central in your building, then you can go with your own. You can grow veggies and herbs on your balcony and better to use natural light in the daytime. Similarly, you should recycle the items that you can. Even it is better to only buy items that you can recycle later. You can open your windows on summer nights to overcome electricity expenses. Similarly, you can turn your thermostat down on winter nights. This guide https://greenerideal.com/guides/natural-cleaning-hacks-infographic-greener-ideal/ could also be helpful if you want to invest in making your apartment into a green living.

Tips for sustainable living in apartments

Comments