This post was originally written by Kerry Sugrue, former Social Media Specialist at Apartments.com.
Reduce, Renew, Reuse. To some this phrase is an overused alliteration, to others it’s a lifestyle, but to apartment communities it’s any easy way to make a difference. At Apartments.com, we try to do our part around the office to help the planet, like providing sustainable lunch bags to employees and strategically placing recycling bins around copy rooms and printers.
Gwen Smith & Michelle Frandsen, from the Marketing Department, showing off their Apartments.com sustainable lunch bags.
This, combined with today being Earth Day, got me thinking about ways you can go green in your apartment community.
- Ditch the paperwork: Of all the paperwork you have prospects and residents fill out, at least half of it could be switched to a digital form. With tablet computers, like the iPad, being so common it’s easy to have people fill out information on the spot without using paper. And then you can resume your game of Angry Birds.
- Provide recycling bins: Part of the reason people don’t recycle is because it is not convenient. If you could provide recycling bins for residents in convenient places, like one on each floor, I bet most of them would take advantage of it. To encourage recycling in my neighborhood, my little brother and sister painted old cardboard boxes to say “Green is the New Black” and handed them out to neighbors. People are more inclined to participated when it’s made simple.
- Sorry Solo: If you provide coffee in your lobby for residents, stop putting cups out with it. Hang a sign that encourages them to use their own mug or thermos for their morning pick-me-up.
- Educate your residents: There are simple changes residents can make in their own apartment to conserve water and energy. If you are a MyMedia customer, go into your library and send the Going Green flyer to everyone in your apartment community for some quick tips.
- Encourage spring cleaning: Contact your local Salvation Army and ask them to arrange for a truck to come to your apartment community every couple months to pick up clothes, books and other things residents don’t use. Make sure to post the pick-up dates and encourage your residents to participate in the donation.
These are just a couple ways to go green in your apartment community. Are there any other tips or programs that you have either seen or used with your residents? Now everyone, go hug a tree!
