Between Recycling Contamination and Inefficient Waste Hauling, Multifamily Companies Find It’s Not Easy Being Green

Not everyone finds it easy to avoid recycling contamination even at their own home. Multiply this by hundreds and you have the typical problem at a multifamily property, as residents attempt to correctly sort their trash in their apartments and the containers out back. Recycling contamination compromises the mission of helping Planet Earth; it can also lead to fines. Then there’s the completely separate issue of waste-hauling trucks picking up dumpsters that are only partially full. Wasting gasoline, time, wear-and-tear on machinery, creating extra pollution and packing a whopping cost to properties. In short, as Kermit the Frog said: it's not easy being green. Residents are trying These days, multifamily residents in general are attempting to “do the right thing” when it comes to sustainability. Most try to sort their trash and get it into the proper containers. Particularly if you strongly promote your “green” efforts. With many people staying home due to the COVID pandemic, there’s been a new focus on domestic issues, such as cooking, organizing, cleaning and recycling. It’s a great time for green initiatives. More and more, these green efforts on your part are a selling point for your properties. You want to be able to advertise that your properties are doing their part to help save resources and the environment. The new generation of renters really do care. It’s important to provide clear sorting instructions from day one to help those who want to help the environment. This can be tricky considering that the rules change from one area to another. But it’s always worth the effort, starting with multiple bins and clearly-marked dumpsters with prominent notices to avoid recycling contamination. You also want to provide direction regarding issues that are commonly overlooked – such as flattening boxes before discarding so as to not take up unnecessary space in a container. Discussing solutions In...