Bringing Nature In

Are you familiar with that invigorating feeling of taking a brisk walk on a cool fall morning? Or maybe you feel better when you are hiking and doing anything outside. There is a reason why so many of us just feel GOOD when we are outside. It is because being outside in nature is good for us! Studies done for the Journal of Environment Psychology show that people who are outside in nature tend to have more vitality and feel more alive. After tracking college students for a period of time, the studies found that individuals who were in natural settings or outside felt more energy in general. Also, just 20 minutes of time outside every day significantly boosted vitality levels. Richard Ryan, the lead author of an article we read and a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester stated that, “Nature is fuel for the soul.” Fusion Interiors couldn’t agree more!

         If you can’t always be outside, another alternative is to bring nature indoors. This is not a new idea but it is on that is always evolving and is very popular in our part of the country in SW Colorado. We are fortunate enough to live in an area with mountains, blue sky and even red rock desert so it is easy to bring the outdoors in through large windows, sliding glass door walls, lighting and sustainable design.  Something as simple as adding more natural light and open space, while using accents like wood and stone can address our need for the natural environment. Sun tubes are a wonderful way to bring in daylight where you do not have windows like in hallways and closets.

    Why not create a space where you can thrive and enjoy the aspects of the outdoors when you just can’t make it to the trail everyday? Here are a few ideas and photos that you might want to put on your wish list for your new home or remodeling project:

A modern exterior with a tree trunk support

Natural Light in a hallway with a suntube

Natural Light, Stone Fireplace, Wood Ceiling

Natural Stone and natural lighting with windows around the tub

A wall of windows with woven wood coverings 

These photos are all featured on our Houzz.com profile. There is a link to the "ideabook" under each photo. Feel free to contact Fusion Interiors with any ideas you might have for your own nature space. Check out our next blog, that will also be focusing on bringing nature into our homes through design.

Understanding the Role of Plastic Part Three of Three

     For the past few weeks, the Fusion Interiors blog has been focusing on the role of plastic in the United States. The goal has been to promote finding ways to use recycled plastics and develop a system where plastics can be used over and over again for many uses. Plastic should have a “cradle to cradle” process, not a production to landfill result. When plastics end up in a landfill, they are not able to be used again, which means we must go in search of the raw materials that plastic is derived from—petroleum and natural gas. Both petroleum and natural gas are finite resources that do not renew themselves within even 10 human generations. By using these resources to produce plastics and then throwing them away we are wasting precious resources that could be put to higher valued uses. The chart below shows in percentage terms, how much emissions come from the petroleum we use!

     Instead of searching for these finite resources to extract from the Earth, many companies are instead seeking out alternative ways to produce plastic and different products that work even better as plastic. Natureworks, a company that produces a bio plastic called Ingeo, has been working on developing a plant-based plastic since 2003. This plastic, Ingeo, can be composted in 60 days, and if it is separated properly it can be melted to its virgin form and re-processed as an almost perfect, new plastic material! Once bio plastics reach the end of their life, they can be turned into nearly any product that is derived from plastic: baby wipes, snack packaging, laptops and even T-shirts (Tolve 40).

While there are so many benefits to bio plastics, there is still criticism of the bio plastic process. Some critics feel that bio plastic being made from corn and sugar cane is taking away from agriculture for food consumption. However, to counteract the “stress” the corn market may be facing, Natureworks has starting developing technologies that allow them to use agricultural waste products! 

     Natureworks was one of the first companies to enter the bio plastics market, but there are companies following in their footsteps. One of those companies is Metabolix, a firm based in Massachusetts. Metabolix is developing a plastic derived from microbial fermentation! After the plastic is used, the plastic biodegrades in fresh or salt water, soil, and compost. This a great step because not only is Metabolix finding a plastic that is not produced from petroleum based products but they are creating a plastic that will be less harmful to the environment and the many ecosystems on Earth.

     These companies and the information in this article is just the tip of the iceberg for the future of plastics in our world. You can do your part in creating a better planet where plastics are seen as helpful rather than destructive. Visit the company websites that are linked above and, as mentioned in our previous articles, recycle plastics whether you are at home or on the go. Find an incentive program that will give you points for recycling if that helps you stay on the recycling wagon! Feel free to look at our other article about upcycling to learn about some crafty ways to re-use plastic and other waste in your own home. Also, if you need assistance with your sustainability questions or wish to start making your home more sustainable, visit Fusion Interiors to contact Sarah Sumner. Sarah's passion is to promote sustainability through modern, beautiful design. Call her today to learn more about creating a sustainable living space that you love!

Resource: Tolve, Andrew. “Plastic Fantastic.” Ode Magazine. Spring 2011: 37-40. Print.

Understanding the Role of Plastic Part Two of Three

Last week’s blog post discussed plastic waste and how much plastic is consumed and not reused in the United States. As mentioned last week, only 8% of total plastic waste was recycled in 2010. Thirty one million tons of plastic was generated on 2010, which means that roughly twenty-eight tons of plastic was placed in a landfill or other area where it is unable to be reused. Of course, recycling rates vary for different types of plastic­–such as PET, or #1 plastics and HDPE, #2 plastics–at twenty-nine and twenty eight percent respectively. Some good questions to ask are: why isn’t more being done to change the level of plastic that is placed in landfills? Why aren’t people taking charge of recycling and trying to close the loop on recycling plastic? How do we get from production, consumption, and disposal and then back to production?

In order to close the loop on recycling plastic, a company called MBA Polymers™ has developed a technology that turns plastic waste into sterilized, melted, pelletized, and remolded plastics (Tolve 38). This process takes 90% less energy than creating a new plastic material, also known as virgin plastic. But households, individuals, and businesses in the United States only recycle 8% of the plastic waste we produce. So we produce more new plastic at a less efficient energy consumption rate and for a higher price. That doesn’t make sense! Let’s turn the tides and start using “cradle-to-cradle” outcomes instead of “cradle-to-grave” results. By using a cradle-to-cradle (or recycling loop) mentality, we can keep plastic waste out of the landfill and start recycling the plastics we have already produced to decrease our reliance on petroleum and natural gas, both non-renewable resources.

This is a lot of information to take in and you might be wondering, “I’m just one person how can I make a difference?” We must remember that we are not alone in this movement towards plastic recycling! MBA Polymers™ processes this plastic waste but there are other important companies flourishing in the U.S., RecycleBank and Greenopolis. These two companies are just two of many that are basically designed to collect recycled plastic and aluminum products. They are able to make a profit on the waste they collect, reuse this waste and put it to use over and over again. Both RecycleBank and Greenopolis have begun partnering with approximately 10,000 retail partners across the nation (which is how they are able to profit from recycling) so when you recycle at their kiosks, you receive rewards points towards anything from restaurants to car rentals. While recycling should be second nature in our country, there is now an incentive to recycle plastics. Greenopolis and RecycleBank are both assisting in this creation of incentives. 

Below are a few links where you can learn more about recycling in your community (or your friend’s communities!), whether you have curbside pickup, or if there is a kiosk like Greenopolis near you to start earning rewards points. Thank you for your support and readership as well as your support in the plastic recycling movement!

Recycling Basics

Plastic Recycling Facts

Facts on Plastic, a Review from last week!

Be sure to check out our next blog about re-inventing plastic, part 3 of this blog post! 

Resource: Tolve, Andrew. “Plastic Fantastic.” Ode Magazine. Spring 2011: 37-40. Print.