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Is your Apartment Community Environmentally Friendly?

You’ve seen recent posts about how you can do more to protect the environment and conserve our resources, such as recycling and reusing.  But what other efforts are being done around you that you may not even know about?  Did you know that apartment communities are making great strides to improve their communities to increase their ‘going green’ efforts?  It’s true!

   

It all starts with construction. Recycled materials can be used, low VOC paints, carpets and other indoor products are making their way as well as heating and cooling systems that are geothermal based (meaning it draws upon the earth’s temperature to supplement traditional systems). Many products are out there for construction companies to use, such as biodegradable linoleum and industrialized recycled polmer (for carpet tiles).

         

So why aren’t all apartment communities being converted using more environmentally friendly efforts? Well that’s a simple answer, money!  “Green construction is often looked at as costly and can seriously hurt the project’s bottom line.  Using environmental design is normally estimated to cost as much as 15 percent more than traditional jobs[1].” 

          

Even so, the costs for going green may increase for the developers but they do the exact opposite for the tenants.  Having more energy efficient & water saving devices in the apartment community will help drive down costs for residents, which is ultimately what every renter wants!! And given the increased demand of environmentally friendly communities, I’d say resident’s voices are being heard. Many renters expressed that they would pay more in rent if they would be living in a building that makes efforts to conserve and recycle.  Because when you think about it, having those amenities will actually save you more money in the long run with reduced electric and water bills!!

                

So ask your apartment community if they’re doing their part!

               

             

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[1] Daily Record, The (Baltimore),  Jun 25, 2004  by Ezra Fieser

Water & Energy Saving Tips

Going green is instrumental in keeping our planet alive. So do your part to make sure you aren’t over using our resources and depleting our reserve.  Here are some water and energy saving tips for your home.

   

○       Compact fluorescent light bulbs are an efficient lighting source for your home.  They conserve energy by using less wattage while also creating the same brightness as incandescent bulbs.  And they last longer too! (Which saves more $$)

   

○       Don’t let your faucets leak or drip water!! This is one I get on my boyfriend about ALL the time!! When brushing your teeth, you just need to wet the tooth brush. Turn off the water. Put the toothpaste on the toothbrush and start brushing. When you need to wash the toothbrush and spit the toothpaste out, then turn on the water. Doesn’t seem like you’d save that much water but twice a day for 365 days a year-it adds up!!

   

○       This is an interesting tip that I had never heard before but am definitely going to do from now on, put lids on pots to avoid heat waste and help water boil faster!!

   

○       Use cool/cold water whenever possible as using warm or hot water requires more energy to heat.

   

○       Use rechargeable batteries.

   

○       Use the natural sunlight during the day instead of using electricity! The sun is the brightest and cheapest source of light around!

   

Do you have any other helpful tips for saving water & energy around the home? Let us know!! We all need to do our part!

   

 

 

Source: www.alephnull.net/eco/saving

How to Start an Office Recycling Program

As you know, For Rent Media Solutions is environmentally friendly. Our efforts have extended not only to the paper our magazine is printed on, but also within our own office!  So to help you do your part, we've complied a few tips to help your office be on it's way too!

    

1. Have a recycling coordinator. This person in your office would be in charge for arranging the collections, placement of the bins, public awareness, etc. Choose a person who actually cares about recycling and who would see it through.

    

2. Organize the collection process. The recycling coordinator needs to find out how the recyclable materials will be disposed of.  Whether it's an employee who delivers the recyclable materials to a recycling center or your janitorial staff collecting it, make sure there is a process in place!

    

3. Get Recycling Bins. In order for your employees to recycle, there needs to be a place for them to leave the items. When you find bins to use, make sure they are clearly labeled for what items go in it. (I.e. Aluminum Cans) And I would advise you to tell your employees (or have it written on the bin) that the items need to be cleaned first!

    

4. Consider the location!  First off, you'll want to have multiple bins for your office to ensure maximum participation. Use central locations such as break rooms, office work rooms, etc.

   

5. Announce the program. What good is having a recycling program in place, if your co-workers don't even know about it! Make sure you announce the program to everyone and let them know the benefits of having it. Send out reminder emails occasionally too so they'll keep it on their mind!

    

Now you know some tips of how to create an office recycling program, here is the fun part-incentive! Make this a competition with co-workers. Have them compete for "Recycler of the Month" or have departments compete for a party each quarter! See how many participants you get then!!

      

    

    

Source: www.greengiftguide.com

For Rent Media Solutions Goes Green!

We at For Rent Media Solutions are continuing our efforts to be environmentally friendly. All FRMS newsprint pages are printed on recycled paper. Our coated paper has a percentage of recycled content, depending on the availability. All of our insert cards are printed on a UV press that uses non hazardous inks and emit no VOC’s into the atmosphere. We also recycle all of the metal for the plates and the ink/water/fountain solution. And all waste paper is returned to the mill to be used in recycled papers. 

 

So take a cue from us! When you’ve finished searching for apartments for rent in For Rent Magazine, be sure to recycle it!

 

Thanks!