Green Apartment Living: Tips and Tricks

With so much of our population living in major city centers across the world

we find that more and more of the population is now living in apartment complexes.

Because of this I find that it may be important for us to look specifically at what easy steps

we can take in order to live more sustainably in these kinds of settings. So, here are some tips specifically for those who live in apartment buildings and/or student housing.

Tip 1: Junk Mail

This is something that lots of people forgot about when they move around often and

it just seems like it can be a never ending stream of credit card offers, catalogs, and

extraneous advertising. To help out with this check out the following links and by doing

so you can save inordinate amounts of paper. 

• https://www.catalogchoice.org/: A website that uses the sender information on the envelops of your junk mail you have around the house. Useful for stopping specific senders. 
• https://www.optoutprescreen.com/?rf=t: Helps you to Opt-out of credit card offers in particular. You can also call the toll free numbers 888-5OPT-OUT or 888-567-8688.  
• http://www.dmachoice.org/ : Another site like catalog of choice but helps you to pick what you want to receive. 

Tip 2: Electronics

With electronics there are a couple things to keep in mind around the apartment when trying to conserve on electricity. For instance make sure to unplug electronics like computers or video game consoles when not in use as these machines tend to use energy even when not turned on due to them being on standby mode. Of course make sure to turn off these devices before unplugging them, especially with the two mentioned above. You can also make this easier by attaching multiple devices to a surge protector that you can simply switch on and off when all of the said devices are not in use.

It is also important when you move into a new place to check if the light bulbs are incandescent bulbs and make sure to replace them with compact fluorescent bulbs as these bulbs use about 66% less energy than their incandescent counterparts and even last longer. This in the long run can help you save money on bulbs and electricity in general.

 Tip 3: Recycling 

Things can be kind of rough when living in small apartment spaces when it comes to having the space and access to recycle or take care of certain items you want to get rid of.

One such item, especially after moving, is packing peanuts. Packing peanuts are a hassle to get rid of as they are not easily recycled. Fortunately there is a hot-line you can call that helps you find the nearest location to get rid of these packing peanuts.

• Hot-line: 1-800-828-2214

Another issue are items that contain toxic materials and are also not easily recyclable just like the above item. Things such as computers, monitors, batteries, cell phones, and other such electronics are among this list. Each item usually has a special way to get rid of it so it can be cumbersome to have to figure that out for each one of them without any idea of where to start looking. Below are some links that can help with this process.

• https://www.epa.gov/: A link to the Environmental Protection Agency, can help you find local places to recycle your electronics.
• http://www.call2recycle.org/locator/: Site for finding battery and cell phone recyclers in the United States.

Other Related Articles:

• https://www.pinterest.com/rentdotcom/eco-friendly-apartment-living/: Several links to help you stay not only environmentally sustainable but also helps you to save money when it comes to apartment living.
• http://sustainability.ualberta.ca/GetInvolved/Residences/SustainableLivingSpace.aspx: Tips aimed at students of a specific University but applicable to any student.