Smart washing machines are washing machines designed to increase energy efficiency and reduce water consumption.
Resource conservation is the practice of trying to preserve as much of the natural world and its resources as possible. Natural resources are normally divided into two categories: renewable and non-renewable. Renewable resources are usually living things, such as forests, that will grow back after being cut down or burned. Non-renewable resources are generally thought of as things that are not alive and have taken perhaps millions of years to form, such as oil. Resource conservation techniques generally cover all the different types of resources we use.
Paper can usually be recycled, allowing consumers to help the environment by disposing of waste.
Renewable resources like water, clean air, forests, fish, and animals are usually replenished through the Earth’s natural processes or reproduced regularly. However, neither of these things means that there is an unlimited supply of such resources. Contaminated water can remain contaminated under the right set of circumstances, for example. Also, types of fish and animals can become extinct. Resource conservation is designed to help prevent these things from happening and ensure that resources can be replenished naturally.
Using renewable resources like solar power is one way to conserve resources.
Nonrenewable resources are generally those that are believed to be in limited supply. Most experts believe that oil deep below the Earth’s surface took millions of years to form. Supplies are expected to run out one day, although the exact distance to that day is disputed. Oil can’t be replenished fast enough to make a difference now, so oil conservation focuses on using less oil so supplies last longer. The other major focus is finding alternative sources of energy that can be used instead of petroleum products.
Low-flow showerheads are designed to use less water than conventional showerheads.
Resource conservation is unique to each type of resource because each is often used for a slightly different purpose. However, they still have many techniques in common. Water conservation, for example, often focuses on encouraging people to avoid wasting water and use less water whenever possible; oil conservation uses a similar tactic, encouraging people to use less gas by carpooling, hiking, and biking when possible. Additionally, most resource conservation emphasizes how consumers can reduce the use of certain items by choosing alternative or recycled items.
Turning off lights when they are not needed is a way to conserve energy.
Not all resource conservation requires avoiding certain things. There are also positive steps that include actions like planting trees and using recycled paper products or reusable materials. Likewise, conserving energy not only means using less electricity, but also using wind or solar energy instead of coal, oil or gas. Many specialty products, like water-saving washers and low-flow showerheads, are designed to save water by using less water and using it more efficiently. Government programs for planting forests, using renewable energy, recycling, and reducing waste are also an important part of overall resource conservation.