Earth Day Options

Protecting the Planet

By Katrina McDowell on Apr 12, 2023 in News

Let’s go green! Earth Day is April 22. Earth Day is celebrated with over a billion people worldwide, promoting a clean, green environment. Companies that have developed robust Environmental Social Governance (ESG) standards are seeing better profitability, stronger financial performance, and happier employees.

Yardi was recently awarded the ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy for the fifth year. Earth Day is important to us at our offices worldwide, as it is for our clients and their communities.

No time is more vital than the present to act and invest in our planet. Here are some ideas to mark Earth Day at your properties and be good guardians of the environment.

Host a “lights out” event for your community. Host a happy hour in the clubroom for an hour and encourage residents to turn off their electronics inside their units. Have organic paper-made utensils and plates. Serve up some organic cupcakes, green juices, and organic coffee.

Clean-up event at a local park. Host a trash pick-up day if you are close to a park or recreation center. Residents can come out and help clean up the park free of cans, plastics, or any other trash that is on site. Be sure to provide supplies residents need, such as trash bags and gloves. Then, take it a step further and plant a tree with residents. Plant a tree or some flowers around the property. Native plants are the best option for local bees to pollinate. Plants serve as mood boosters and increase productivity and creativity. Your green efforts will give you leverage over the competition to retain or attract new residents.

Explore the outdoors. This saves on indoor gym equipment that uses a lot of energy for the day. If you want to make it more of a challenge, have a 5K run/walk for residents. Winners can get added amenities or a gift basket full of eco-friendly goodies. Everyone will feel great and enjoy the planet by engaging in healthy physical activity. If you don’t want an entire 5K run, have an Earth Day scavenger hunt with residents. This can get the whole family involved. Create a list of items residents can find­­­: leaves, bugs, birds, flowers, sticks, and litter. Then, let them break into teams to scour their surroundings to check things off the lists. Finish the day with a picnic lunch. Be sure to include organic fresh fruits and vegetables along with eco-friendly utensils.

Partner with local charities. Springtime is auspicious for cleaning out clutter. Nonprofits rely on the goodwill and care of people. If you are involved with some local nonprofit charities, partner with one and host a donation drive. Residents can get to Spring cleaning and donate items no longer needed. You can also investigate a nonprofit that protects the trees, rivers, and the land around you.

Get social. After getting residents to implement green practices within your property, encourage residents to seek further information and attend other Earth Day events. Get social by using social media to raise awareness and sustainability. Send an email to residents and list some things they can do to lower their carbon footprint, such as reusable shopping bags, upholstering furniture, re-purposing items before throwing them away, and walking more outside than using the treadmill.

No matter which activity you choose, your residents will appreciate something new. A few of these activities will likely spark some memories and enjoyable conversations for years to come. So, get more involved with Earth Day and invest in our planet.