Tips for eco-friendliness and going green

You probably know already that it’s good to recycle, but do you know just how influential it can be to recycle even if only on occasion? Here are some eye-opening facts that will motivate you to recycle your plastic, aluminum, cloth, and paper goods more frequently.

RECYCLABLES VS NON-RECYCLABLES

First things first, let’s review what is and isn’t accepted in your recycling bin, according to Waste Management:

RECYCLING BEST PRACTICES

Now that you know what can and cannot typically be recycled (check with your local recycling facility as well to confirm that these lists align with your city’s recycling practices and regulations), here are some general guidelines provided by Recycle Across America, for proper recycling.

Recycling is a repetitive three-step process that involves the continuous collection and processing, manufacturing, and selling of recycled goods.

In the collection and processing phase, recyclable materials are taken to a facility in which they are sorted, cleaned, and turned into new materials (AKA the manufacturing process). Common products that are manufactured using recycled materials include paper towels, cereal boxes, egg cartons, trash bags, drink containers, detergent bottles, and newspapers. You close the recycling loop by purchasing them — but see to it that when you’re shopping for these items, they are labeled as recyclable and made of recycled materials.

Recycling helps us conserve and make the most use of Earth’s precious natural resources, such as water and trees. It reduces the pollution created and the energy consumed when collecting these materials and producing the goods we use every day. Recycling even helps the American economy by supporting domestic manufacturing and creating jobs here at home, which account for tens of billions of dollars in annual U.S. wages, according to an EPA report.

Additionally, businesses who make efforts to go green are looked upon more favorably by the public, as consumers today prefer to give their business to those who are showing their concern for the environment. So, if you’re looking for ways to bolster your company’s reputation, you may find that this is your opportunity. Don’t be surprised if you even drum up new business as a result of your efforts!

Recycling is just one of the many small lifestyle changes you can make to reduce the amount of waste you contribute to landfills each day. Here are some quick and affordable ways to reduce your carbon footprint (these tips may even help you reduce your household clutter and save some money!).

Your efforts to live green can extend beyond your workplace and your home. Below are some of the ways you can work toward a greener neighborhood and community.

If you have good relationships with your residential and/or commercial neighbors and feel that the community as a whole could up its recycling game, an easy way to get them on the recycling bandwagon is to talk to them about what you’re doing and offer your help wherever you can, whether it’s as simple as being a resource to answer questions people have about going green or as involved as teaching people how to compost. You never know who may be inspired to follow in your footsteps!

If this doesn’t garner interest, you’d be hard-pressed to find a person who doesn’t enjoy fresh, local produce. Bring up the idea of a community garden in which everyone puts in equal work and takes a portion of the harvest. Divide up the duties so that there’s a rotation for the weeding, pruning, watering, and fertilizing. This is an excellent way to obtain food with a minimal carbon footprint.

Another way to promote eco-friendly habits in your community is to offer a ridesharing schedule when you know that your neighbors frequent many of the same places as you do, such as the local schools, the gym, or the grocery store. Not only does this carpool arrangement benefit the environment, but you could also end up making some great friends and having fun along the way!

Finally, if litter is a big problem around the areas in which you live and work, be the change you want to see by setting up a community cleanup. Team up with local residents to pick up trash in the streets in an effort to make your city a cleaner, nicer place to live. Businesses can also garner some great PR by organizing and carrying out community cleanup as a company.

Many employers are so busy running their office each day that they don’t even have time to think about going green. Even if you don’t have much bandwidth to invest in sustainable office solutions, there are quick and easy measures you can take to turn things around. Whether you try these all at once or make a goal to incorporate one idea each month, every person who participates or is affected will become more aware of their habits and more likely to go green in other aspects of their lives as well!

Passive houses are ones that have been designed to self-regulate with little need for heating or cooling. If reducing your ecological footprint is important to you, environmentally friendly real estate can help you accomplish this goal and maximize energy conservation without reducing your quality of life. Some of the green housing elements you could incorporate into a new build (and potentially an existing structure) include:

Generally, passive houses are built from scratch, but not everyone wants to fork out the money for a new construction in order to save energy at home. Fortunately, it’s possible to retrofit your property to make it more environmentally friendly. You’ll need some serious capital upfront to perform the upgrades, but the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development may offer you a Green Retrofit Grant or Green Retrofit Loan to help (more on those here). If you don’t meet their eligibility requirements, rest assured that green housing will quickly pay itself off. Here’s how:

Here’s an eye-opening fact: around two-thirds of the water you use in your life is used to make the food you eat. You can significantly reduce the amount of water you use, however, by becoming aware of which foods are better for the environment.

As a general rule of thumb, the less processed the food, the better it is for the environment. So, try to opt for more fresh produce and items that can go from vine to table. You can find these at farmer’s markets. If you have to buy processed foods, do so at local stores when possible to reduce the energy spent on transport.

Effective property management requires a lot of water to keep commercial properties looking their best. But in conditions of drought, property managers need to learn how to use just enough water for their lawns without being wasteful. The EPA reports that up to 50% of the 9 billion gallons of outdoor water used each day is wasted due to irrigation inefficiencies and overwatering.

Instead of doing away with grass in favor of low-maintenance landscaping materials like stone, look into smart sprinkler systems from Smart Rain to conserve water.

Learn why Smart Rain technology is a great choice:

These systems take all the guesswork out of watering the lawn by sensing when a specific zone has gotten enough water for its needs and shutting off automatically. They also alert you to any leaks in the line that are causing water waste. Users of smart irrigation systems find that they use up to 20% less water than they would with traditional systems.

See how it works:

Water conservation on a commercial property could also mean investing in water-saving sinks and toilets. Based on figures from the EPA, replacing an inefficient flushometer-valve toilet with a more eco-friendly model, for example, could save 1.2 million gallons of water annually, translating to $10,000 in savings per year!

To learn more about water conservation and effective property management, follow the links below.

Trees are critical to our delicate ecosystem. They offer oxygen, food, shade, timber, and much more. Unfortunately, rampant wildfires and rapid deforestation are threatening to exhaust this vital natural resource — but you can help. Whether by yourself or in a group, find places to plant trees. You can plant them in your own backyard or find city service projects to participate in that involve the planting of trees in local parks, recreation centers, senior facilities, and more.

Utah is known for having some of the worst air in the nation, especially during the winter when pollution gets trapped in the valley and creates a hazy inversion. So rather than driving your own car everywhere you go, stretch your legs and walk more whenever possible. Carpool to work with coworkers who live around you or use public transportation like the bus or the UTA TRAX light rail system.

As an employer, you could even subsidize a UTA pass to encourage employees to take public transit to work each day. If you already provide transportation for employees, make sure you do it with high-efficiency vehicles if you aren’t already. Not only does this help the environment, but it also promotes public health, saves on gas money, and reduces miles and wear on your car.

An eco-friendly life is a happy life, and the tips we’ve discussed above are just the beginning of the many ways you can get there. If you’d like additional information or want to team up with Smart Rain to achieve greener real estate, get in touch with us today. We can’t wait to work with you toward our shared goal of environmental friendliness.