Green Certifications Services Directory:
Thinking Green means being aware of our interconnectedness with the world and reflecting on the unintended damage we cause nature in the daily course of our lives. Thinking green leads to acting green - taking corrective action to make environmental responsibility a reality.
Swiss Approval International is a Group of Inspection & Certification Bodies, that emphasize on environmental protection and sustainability.
The world should think sustainably, and Swiss Approval International contributes towards this direction by promoting Inspection and Certification Programs having directly, positive impact on ‘Quality of life’ improvement and to the assurance of future generations’ «well being».
Green Policies and Strategies addopted by SWISS APPROVAL INTERNATIONAL
1. «AIR QUALITY», the fundamental requirement for breathing Green
SWISS APPROVAL INTERNATIONAL is an expert and key player for Governments’ Support to apply European Directives on ambient Air Quality related to the required monitoring and reporting of air quality to the European Union on annual basis. In June 2008, the Air Quality Directive (2008/50/EC) came into force. This directive has been transposed into many countries legislation, even outside Europe, and has to be applied by State Environmental Agencies. As a result, an Air Quality Plan has to be drawn for every Country, to address all related air quality issues locally, including Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM25) as well Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) monitoring and reporting.
2. «ENERGY», the heavy factor to manage for living Light and Green
Swiss Approval International is approaching energy matters by an increased interest, as our strong belief is that, Energy ranks among the most important social - economical factors, and on the other hand, Energy Consumption and related implications, are the main issues to manage, with regards to Green Thinking and Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, commonly referred as Carbon Footprint.
By the term GHG a gas in atmosphere is defined, that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the GreenHouse effect. The primary GreenHouse Gases in the Earth's atmosphere are: water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. GreenHouse Gases greatly affect the temperature of the Earth. Without them, Earth's surface would average about 33 °C colder, which is about 59 °F below the present average of 14 °C (57 °F).
Growing energy demands across our society has led to the point that energy use is having an increasingly significant impact upon our environment. Swiss Approval International experts, could play a key role in the development and implementation of policies and related measures to promote energy efficiency, encourage greater use of renewable energy sources, improve the energy performance of buildings as well as monitor GHG.
REDUCE … YOUR CONSUMPTION.
The first step to reducing your impact on the environment is reducing the amounts of resources you consume and use. Think twice before you buy or use anything consuming energy. Do you really need it? By reducing your consumption you will also decrease the amount of waste you produce, at your place or at my place!
REDUCE … YOUR ENERGY CONSUMPTION
- Turn off unused or unneeded lights.
- Use natural lighting instead of electric lighting whenever possible.
- If you have a desk lamp, make sure it uses fluorescent bulbs (instead of incandescent bulbs).
- Dress appropriate to the season
- Select cold water for washing clothes
- Keep windows and doors closed in heated and air-conditioned areas.
- Turn off computers when they are not in use.
- Turn off printers, especially laser printers, unless printing.
- Don’t use power strips to turn on all computers and desk equipment at once.
- When purchasing computers and peripherals, buy low wattage equipment
- Minimize use of screen savers and instead enable power management features
- Purchase only energy-efficient products
- Move your refrigerator. Leaving space between your refrigerator and the wall increases air circulation around the condenser coils, allowing the fridge to operate more efficiently.
REDUCE … YOUR OIL CONSUMPTION AND POLLUTION
- Drive Efficiently. If you must drive, buck the trend toward more wasteful vehicles and drive a fuel efficient car, i.e. one which gets more miles per gallon, and don’t drive it more than you really need to!
- Park your car in the shade. Gas evaporates from your fuel tank more quickly when you park in the sun. Parking in the shade lowers the temperature in your gas tank by up to 7 degrees, significantly reducing fuel evaporation.
3. «WASTE», proper management defines the civilization status of consumers.
Waste can be simply defined as unwanted or useless materials, and the main issue to manage is that waste disposed of, in a proper manner.
Exposure to hazardous wastes, particularly when they are burned, can cause various other diseases including cancers. Waste can contaminate surface water, groundwater, soil, and air which causes more problems for humans, other species, and ecosystems. Waste treatment and disposal produces significant green house gas emissions, notably methane, which are contributing significantly to global climate change.
EU policy on waste is focusing on a shift from landfill to recycling. Waste minimisation has been the preferred method for waste treatment locally.
The international target is waste reduction, recycling, sustainable end disposal. The recycling of two specific waste streams, Glass and Tins, has been underway since 2008. Since the end of 2012, introduction of two additional waste streams have come into effect. These are the recycling of Paper and Plastics, including tetra boxes. Swiss Approval International has a strong experience in qualifying quality and certify quantity of the above mentioned wastes, as our Inspectors offer witness services of waste management process, on behalf of National Authorities.
REDUCE … YOUR WASTE
- Think before you print or photocopy! Print and copy as little as possible.
- Edit on screen, not on paper.
- Use e-mail to minimize paper use.
- Send and store documents like necessary papers and business proposals electronically instead of on paper.
- When you must print or copy, do it double-sided.
- Circulate documents instead of making an individual copy for everyone.
- Change the margins on your Word documents. The default margins on the documents you print are 1.25 inches on all sides. Simply changing the margins to 0.75 inches will reduce the amount of paper you use by almost 5 percent.
REUSE THINKS AND USED PRODUCTS
- Reuse envelopes by placing a new label over the old address.
- Designate a box for scrap paper and use it for printing all drafts or unofficial documents.
- Reuse plastic bags or better get a reusable canvas bags.
- Wrap presents in gift bags. Once you tear the wrapping paper off a holiday gift it ends up in the recycle bin, but gift bags can be used over and over again.
- Production of recycled paper uses only half the water and 3/4 of the energy than new paper
- Every ton of recycled paper saves almost 400 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space and seventeen trees.
- If you recycle soda cans, the energy used and air pollution created, is 95 percent less than if the cans were produced from raw materials.
- You could operate a TV set for an estimated three hours with the energy saved by recycling just one aluminium can.
4. «BIODIVERSITY», a way to measure ecosystems health status
Biological diversity - or biodiversity - is the term given to the variety of life on Earth and the natural patterns formed between them. The biodiversity we currently enjoy is as a result of the billions of years of evolution, shaped by natural processes and, increasingly, by the influence of humans. It forms the web of life of which we are an integral part and upon which we so fully depend.
Biodiversity relates to the wide variety of plants, animals and microorganisms found on our planet. Biodiversity also includes genetic differences within each species, such as the wide variety of apples available and even the diversity within the human race. Chromosomes, genes, and DNA-the building blocks of life-determine the uniqueness of each individual and each species. Another aspect of biodiversity to keep in mind is the variety of actual ecosystems such as those present in deserts, mountains, etc.
Each ecosystem displays its own uniqueness through specific sets of natural patterns. It is this combination of life forms and their interactions with each other and with the rest of their immediate environment that has made Earth a uniquely habitable place for humans. Biodiversity provides a large number of goods and services that sustain our lives as well as for all other creatures. These services include:
- Food, fuel, natural shelters and building materials to create our own.
- The natural purification of air and water sources.
- Detoxification and decomposition of wastes.
- A moderate and stable global climate system. This includes the moderation of floods, droughts and temperature extremes, to name but a few.
- The generation and renewal of soil fertility, including nutrient cycling.
- Pollination of plants, including many crops.
- Control of pests and diseases through the natural balance of each ecosystem.
- Ability to adapt to change.
Protecting biodiversity is in our self-interest. Civilizations have always been highly dependent on the number and variety of resources available to them. The Earth's natural resources provide the basis for all industries such as agriculture, construction and waste treatment. The loss of biodiversity would affect our ability to procure food supplies, reduce opportunities for recreation and tourism, and deplete our natural resources such as wood and energy.
Swiss Approval International supports actions related to the Biodiversity protection and monitoring. Social Corporate Responsibility policy of Swiss Approval International, includes a diversity of initiatives regarding Biodiversity Protection, from the industry to the agriculture, εμfυσύοντας in our Inspectors and Auditors the culture of thinking Green and acting with social responsibility.