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5 Comments
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Should Companies be Charged for Displaying Items at an Eco-Centre? Input and Experience Appreciated
2007-09-10 22:53:31 UTC
Hi there!
We are currently designing an Eco-Centre to be located here in sunny South Africa. The centre is to take the form of an educational tourist attraction where visitors can see displays about a variety of solutions to environmental topics eg: energy efficiency ideas, composting, recycling, renewable energy, food gardens, sustainable transport, alternative building techniques etc (find out more on our website - see below). One of the possible income streams we are considering for the centre is via the displays - the centre acting somewhat as a show-room for products and services. We have purposely decided not to take the approach of a non-profit undertaking (we are registered as a small businesses) in order to (hopefully) illustrate that it is possible to adopt an eco-friendly approach in a financially sustainable manner. Do any of the list members have experience with such undertakings? Questions include the following:
- Should companies/businesses be charged a fee for displaying their products/services?
- If so, should this be relative to the space that their displays occupy or relative to some other criterion?
- Should the products rather be donated to the centre?
- Another possibility - companies/businesses could display their products for "free" (or possibly they could be expected to make some sort of once-off contribution in order to cover the costs of the buildings etc) - allowing the centre to use them - but the companies/businesses remain responsible for maintenance and/or upgrading
- Should maintenance of the displays remain the responsibility of the companies/businesses or that of the centre?
- Who is responsible for financial issues associated with the products once they are on display in the centre (damage - visitor or weather etc - to the displays, possible injuries to visitors, malfunctioning devices etc)
- Should the centre do comparative testing of products - and if it does - how do we make this a positive feature and not a threat to potential displayers (nobody wants to have their solar water heater rated as the "worst" for example). One thought we had was to only display "the best ones" - i.e: limited display space available and displays are subject to allowing us to test products.
Obviously this is a complex topic with many facets and implications - any ideas - especially based on real-life experience would be greatly appreciated!
Best wishes,
Eunete and Simon
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Eco-Centre ideas and green directory with an African focus
2007-08-21 23:27:52 UTC
At the current stage, we don't have a specific question in mind. As you can imagine there is an enourmous range of topics which will need addressing. Our question to the members of the Fostering Sustainable Behaviour List is posed in order to make optimal use of previous experience - what has worked very well and what has not worked at all - to avoid repeating expensive and time-consuming mistakes. Basically any ideas ranging from ideas for displays (especially interactive ones where people can learn via a hands-on experience - our favourite way to learn), buildings (we would like to show-case everything ranging from how to improve a basic low-cost shack - insulation, orientation etc - to the use of high-end solutions in more upmarket buildings - solar panels, geyser insulation etc), centre layout, features, waste minimisation and recycling strategies, composting displays, toilets, how impoverished communities can establish green entrepreneurial activities etc etc etc. Obviously the whole issue of financial sustainability is also an important topic. We will certainly have more specific questions over the next six months as the plans start taking shape and would really appreciate any feedback.
Eunete and Simon
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Eco-Centre Ideas and Green Directory with an African Focus
2007-08-18 12:49:18 UTC
Friendly greetings from the sunny tip of Africa!
We are Eunete and Simon from Going Green Eco-Solutions. We have recently been given the go-ahead to start with the 6-month planning phase for the Going Green Eco-Centre here in the Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa (read more on our website at www.goinggreen.co.za). The Going Green Eco-Centre, to be located in an underdeveloped peri-urban area, will be an educational tourist attraction addressing topics ranging from composting, organic gardening and recycling to alternative building techniques, wind turbines, solar panels etc. Our aim is to make a contribution in terms of local economic development (via tourism), to encourage a greener lifestyle and also to inspire and empower the underprivileged people in this area. Having read so many of the list's postings over time we have noticed that the members of this list have an enormous amount of wisdom and experience. We have already done a great deal of planning, but since we are now approaching the drawing-board any practical "must-have" ideas and suggestions as to how to do things, suggestions for displays or things we should avoid etc would be greatly appreciated. We would love to hear your ideas and hope to learn from your experiences! Additionally, we are happy to announce that we have finally managed to get the online Going Green Directory up and running. The Going Green Directory is a "green" (concerning the environment as well as environmentally friendly or energy-conserving) directory with an African focus. Please help us to spread the word - to encourage Africa to go green.
Best wishes from the friendly city,
Eunete and Simon
Visit the Going Green Directory - Africa's green gateway
Find green products, services, activities, businesses and organisations with an African focus - FREE and Easy-Find listings available.
Mr Simon Schumacher (MSc)
Dr. Eunete van Wyk / Schumacher (PhD.Sc, Hon.Sc, BSc)
Going Green Eco-Solutions CC
(Reg. No. 2005/135479/23)
www.goinggreen.co.za
PO BOX 27902 Greenacres,
Port Elizabeth 6057 South Africa
Tel: +27 (84) 377 6611
Fax: +27 (41) 581 2066
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Re: reducing the use of plastic grocery bags & green practices in US and Southern Africa
2007-02-02 21:50:28 UTC
You can find out more about this initiative and the specifications of the "thicker" bags in South Africa at: http://www.environment.gov.za/HotIssues/2003apr30/documents.html (documents) http://www.environment.gov.za/HotIssues/2003apr30/mediaStatements.html (media releases) http://www.environment.gov.za/HotIssues/2003apr30/general.html (general info) These links don't seem to be on the main or archived government pages anymore but you'll find they do still work.
Hope this helps :)
Eunete and Simon -
Reducing the Use of Plastic Grocery Bags & Green Practices in US and Southern Africa
2007-01-31 04:04:51 UTC
Friendly greetings from sunny South Africa! Regarding the use of plastic bags - in some parts of SA the plastic bag waste became so bad that the countless bags hanging from bushes were at one point called "Mandela's daisies or South Africa's national flower". Since then our government has introduced legislation whereby customers are charged for plastic bags and cloth bags (often branded by the store) are now sold in-store: http://www.southafrica.info/public_services/citizens/consumer_services/plast icbags.htm.
This seems to have been quite successful. Aside from this, people here are extremely creative and many forms of waste are used to make artwork which is subsequently sold (e.g: by crotcheting the bags into clothing items or stronger bags etc). Regarding green practices in Southern Africa - we are still somewhat behind the rest of the world as yet but we're working on it - we are personally, for example, working on plans to build an Eco-Centre here on the lovely southern edge of the continent:)
Perhaps some of the links on our website will be of assistance: http://www.goinggreen.co.za/GG_links.htm or more specifically http://www.goinggreen.co.za/green_developments.htm.
Have a great day!
Eunete and Simon
Mr Simon Schumacher (MSc Physics)
Dr. Eunete van Wyk / Schumacher (BSc, BSc Hon, PhD Physics)
Going Green Eco-Solutions
CC (Reg. No. 2005/135479/23)
www.goinggreen.co.za
PO BOX 27902
Greenacres 6057 Port Elizabeth
South Africa
Tel: +27 (84) 377 6611
Fax: +27 (41) 581 2066
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