Going Zero Waste: A Guide for Landlords and Property Managers
Guest Contributor: Ben Shields, Brentwood Square Management Services
Over the last few decades, the eco-friendliness of buildings has become a major issue when investing in properties. Because of this, says BrentwoodSquare.com, terms like low-energy, eco-friendly, and sustainability have become a part of your lingo as a property manager or landlord.
Conversations around the sustainability of buildings through the use of better construction methods and green materials have grown stronger. There is also a lot of talk about cutting the energy use of homes and offices. Recently, there has also been a lot more focus on waste management.
As a landlord or property manager, you shouldn’t be a stranger to waste management concepts like reuse of materials and recycling. But you may have also heard of a newer and more ambitious approach to the question of how to reduce or manage waste: zero waste.
What is zero waste?
Zero waste is a radical way of looking at waste. Zero waste deviates from the mainstream idea of recycling waste to embrace an approach to waste management that is more in tune with what happens in the natural environment.
Nature makes no waste. In the natural world, everything that is created as the byproduct of one process becomes the input for another process. Nothing made by nature is a waste. Everything in the natural world is perfectly useful and therefore harmless to the environment.
This is why nature does not have a waste disposal system. There are no landfills or incinerators where unusable items are sent because there is no way to incorporate them back into the system. This idea is the premise of zero waste. In a zero-waste world, all products would be reusable.
In practical terms, though, zero waste seeks a sustainable way of managing the production and lifecycle of goods. Part of this involves salvaging resources so they can be used and recycled. This is done at the level of the individual, corporation, and community.
The difference between zero waste and recycling
In all likelihood, you already have waste recycling systems on your property. So, how is zero waste different from recycling? Basically, zero waste uses recycling as a tool to achieve its goal, but recycling is not always a feature of zero waste.
While recycling deals with waste after it is created, zero waste tries to solve the problem at the source by eliminating waste altogether.
Zero waste focuses on product design – the processes that create waste – to find ways to reintegrate potential waste.
Yet at the same time, zero waste also seeks to remove existing waste by promoting recycling, composting, and other ways of reusing waste materials.
How landlords and property managers can promote zero waste
As the owner or manager of a rental home, you have a major role to play in efforts to ingrain zero waste. The fact that tenants constantly move-in and move-out of your rentals, puts you in the unique position to influence the waste management habits of many people.
Here is what you can do:
Provide enough bins for trash, food scraps, and recycling. Make sure the bins are properly maintained.
Have adequate requirements for the removal of food waste. Have designated food scrap drop-off points.
Arrange proper disposal for waste like batteries, paint, fluorescent bulbs, and cleaning chemicals.
Designate sites where residents can deposit their trash and recycle. Make sure signs are prominently displayed at these sites to identify them.
Arrange for weekly pick-up of trash and recycling by haulers. Haulers should offer recycling and also provide dumpsters and totes for trash and recycling.
Educate tenants on the proper handling and disposal of prescription drugs and household hazardous waste.
If your property is a multifamily building, work with your residents to establish a community composting system for processing food waste.
If it is not possible to have on-site composting, find a food scrap drop-off site near you where food scrap can be taken.
If there are trash chutes in the building, make sure residents understand what should go down the trash chute and what is prohibited.
Provide links to online resources where your tenants can find out more about how to reduce waste generation or manage their waste properly.
Other ways to promote zero waste
Add a zero-waste clause to the lease
In addition to working with current tenants, you can embed zero waste in the lease agreement. This makes it easier to have the zero waste chat with tenants right from the beginning of your relationship with them.
Waste management during move-in and move-out
A lot of waste is generated during tenant relocations. You can reduce the environmental impact of these events by offering tenants more options for disposing of their waste.
They can give away usable items to friends, family, and neighbors.
They can donate useful items to charities.
They can drop off hard to recycle items at the appropriate locations.
They can dispose of hazardous materials at special collection centers.
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Composting is a great way to reduce your waste footprint!