Start Going Green, Without Costing A Lot Of Green

Simple tips for going green and making a difference. Discover inexpensive ways to improve your ecological profile.

Based on the sheer volume of articles and blog posts about environmental initiatives, you might think most buildings are "green." The reality is only a fraction of commercial buildings are truly sustainable. The good news is there are simple steps you can take to make a difference and appeal to prospective tenants who are looking for an environmentally friendly property.

Incorporate these environmental initiatives to make your space more environmentally friendly:

• Incorporate green cleaning practices. For instance, ask your cleaning staff about environmentally friendly, less-toxic cleaning products.
• Use low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) products in the building common areas. VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products such as paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings.
• Pursue environmental certification for the building. This will show that your management team is committed to minimizing the exposure of toxic chemicals in the building and interested in
  energy efficiency.
• Find out from your tenants if they have sustainability objectives for their leased spaces, such as optimizing energy usage and conserving water.