Environment
Is Your Air Purifier Really Environmentally Friendly?
Sustainability and eco-friendliness are some common terms that you may find interchangeably used all the time. However, sustainability has a much broader standard. It is more than just something that does not harm the planet, which is eco-friendliness. It can be the products we use or our actions.
Sustainability implies fulfilling the needs of the current generation in a way so that future generations do not find it impossible to fulfill their needs. It includes the use of green products and eco-friendly activities like gardening. But can any product we use be wholly green or sustainable?
Of course not!
Can we try our best to make sure it is as green as possible?
Yes! Very much possible.
One of the products we use in our houses is an air purifier. The use of this appliance is increasing as the quality of air surrounding us is decreasing. We all are aware that human activity is causing harm to the environment and, most notably, to the air. Based on that, we may say the use of air purifiers will also increase as people seek ways to breathe in the fresh air, at least when indoors.
But is your air purifier a green or an eco-friendly product? As The Good Trade points out, there are a lot of eco-friendly air purifiers on the market for ethical consumers. However, you need to do your due diligence before purchasing one. You can be sure of it if it fulfills the following criteria.
1. Durability
It is one of the criteria of judging if a product is sustainable. Longer life means the products will work for a long time until it is time to replace it. You have to see the warranty of your air purifier. Most air purifiers come with a five-year warranty. Others like LakeAir offer seven years of warranty. Their products are found to be working for ten years on average.
You have to see how your air purifier fair on this criterion. A similar aspect is the availability of spare parts. Many a time, you buy from some premium product brand, and their spare parts are not available. If something wrong happens, there is no other way but to buy a new machine. This might be adding to the already electronic waste of the planet.
The availability of replacement parts can further enhance the life of the product. A small investment can make you go a long way with the product. Most commonly, the problem might be with the motor. So, the availability of a replacement motor can be very helpful.
2. Locally manufacturing
Another aspect is the local manufacturing of the air purifiers. The local manufacturing of the air purifier in your home country can significantly reduce the transportation cost.
Many websites go above and beyond to educate their customers about various aspects of the product like place of manufacturing, the durability, and working of their parts corroborated with user experiences.
You can visit the reviews on platforms such as homvela to find valuable information and reviews from their testing before you buy a product. Many a time, local manufacturing can be an essential criterion for their reviews as well. The locally-made products boost the industry and employment rate of the given country, enhancing chances of living a better life.
3. Use of recyclable material
Another criterion for judging the eco-friendliness of a product is the use of recyclable material in its manufacturing. The standard air purifiers are made with plastic, and plastic can come from recycled material.
The recycling process brings the material back to the production cycle. This is one of the crucial ways of eliminating solid waste from the Earth. More and more use of recyclable plastic ensures less clutter on the Earth and less energy wastage.
4. Contribution to landfills
Relating to the criteria mentioned previously is the contribution to landfills. The use of recycled material reduces the chances of them overflowing the already brimming landfill space. Therefore, you have to see if your chosen brand uses recyclable material.
Most air purifiers come with filters with less than one year of life expectancy. They ultimately become part of the dump yards and landfills. This is all due to their manufacturing material which is mainly fiberglass, plastic, and other non-recycled. Instead of them, washable filters are more eco-friendly, offering you a more prolonged use, on average 5 to 10 years.
5. Energy efficiency
Energy efficiency is another parameter of measuring the eco-friendliness of a product. The more a product consumes electricity, the more there is an impact on the natural resources.
There is no doubt that air purifiers have become more energy efficient in the coming year. One reason is that consumers are becoming eco-conscious, and they want to reduce the carbon imprints of their consumption. This is a healthy sign for the generations to come. The modern air purifiers cost significantly less than what their predecessor costed.
Therefore, considering the energy efficiency of a product not only contributes to reducing greenhouse emissions into the environment. But it significantly saves on electricity bills as well.
Most of the time, you can find the energy ratings in the specification section of the product. Therefore, never forget to check the energy consumption rating before you buy any purifier.
Make the right choice
Choosing products that fulfill these criteria of green and sustainable products has many benefits for the environment and the generations to come.
When you are buying an air cleaner, make sure to know it will work for a long time before it is time to replace it. An air cleaner with an average life of 10 years is a pretty sustainable option.
Additionally, if you can get its spare parts in case of a failure, a small investment can make the product new again. Our eco-friendly has a long-lasting impact on the planet.
However, the guide is not limited to air purifiers only. You can follow the same criteria when buying any product. We all know a small effort makes a significant impact altogether.