GreenPropertyManagement.com

Shop Locally, Think Sustainably, and Manage Environmentally

Marc Courtenay — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:33:33 +0000

These are mainly good times for property managers. The number of new residents needing rental housing is increasing, rents are rising, and vacancies are filling up. On top of that we learned today (11/10/11) that the average rate on 30-year fixed mortgages fell below 4 percent for just the second time in history. Freddie Mac said the rate on the 30-year fixed loan fell to 3.99 percent, down from 4 percent last week. Five weeks ago, it dropped to a record low of 3.94 percent, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.

The average rate on the 15-year fixed mortgage fell last week to 3.30 percent from 3.31 percent. Five weeks ago, it too hit a record low of 3.26 percent. This means that those who want to buy houses and rent them to residents may find that process more affordable. These owner-landlords will be needing property management sooner than later.

The need for green property managers will increase as well. Many owners and residents care about their local community, the environment and practices that focus on sustainability and safeguarding human health.

A workable definition of Sustainability might include, “…the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non living things on earth.”

“This philosophical interpretation moves well beyond definitions driven by progress oriented economic perspectives that see humans as providing stewardship and the responsible management of resource use.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability).

Begin by Shopping Locally and Supporting Local Merchants

Your reputation as a thoughtful and green property manager will be enhanced if you support local farmers, manufacturers, suppliers and small businesses. In my community there’s a store called Life Source Natural Foods. They go out of their way to provide products and supplies grown locally. They prefer produce, beverages and meats that are pesticide-free, herbicide-free and grown sustainably or certified as organic.

The store thrives and attracts people from all walks of life. The property managers, landlords, attorneys and other professionals who shop there have a reputation of caring and being thoughtful citizens. Local merchants and small businesses appreciate their customer’s loyalty and support. They often reciprocate by sending referrals and new business.

Practices that are Environmentally and Healthfully Appreciated

Our local green property managers avoid using hazardous chemicals and toxic sprays. They utilize organic or non-toxic products and materials in their landscaping and building maintenance procedures.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a very helpful section on sustainable, environmentally safe practices that we can all be aware of and practice http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/.

The section on “Smart Growth and Sustainable Communities” is introduced with these goals, “Supporting development and conservation strategies that help protect our natural environment and make our communities more attractive, economically stronger, and more socially diverse.”

You’ll learn about green buildings and homes, green energy practices and materials management and safe products for promoting the use of cleaner materials and seeking to reduce material waste and chemical contamination.

Often in my articles I remind managers and owners that our communities don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care. Shopping locally, supporting sustainable, environmentally-considerate programs and practices sends out the message that we care, and reflects both the heart and character of the kind of people we all prefer to do business with.

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Backyard Chickens

Jennifer Marcus Newton — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:04:02 +0000

One of the perks of my last apartment in California was access to seven hens. Really, the perk had more to do with the eggs the chickens produced, but the thought of interacting with hens was strangely thrilling. I’d never been around them before and I was extremely curious.

I imagined making my way to the coop with an egg basket tucked under my arm. Gathering eggs was a nostalgic task I attached to the wholesome life on the prairie I’d read about in the Little House on the Prairie series.

Truth be told, I was thoroughly intimidated by the chickens. Not completely alektorophobic, but when I closed my eyes, I instantly imagined a flashing sharp beak, followed by bloodthirsty talons slicing through the air. How had Laura Ingalls Wilder survived a childhood filled with chickens and egg gathering? My fears were pure fiction, I assured myself. But better to be prepared just in case.

During my early visits to collect eggs from the nesting boxes, I donned thick leather gloves and sunglasses to protect my hands and eyes from injury. The hens eyed me warily and gave me a wide berth as I nervously opened each hatch and extracted the eggs. As I got more experience under my belt, my irrational fears gave way to gratitude for the delicious eggs the chickens produced.

I eventually grew to love the hens and found them to be intelligent, curious and intuitive. I also found their behaviors to be disturbingly true to the adages attached to them — a phrase like pecking order was clearly manifested in the featherless backs of the lowest ranking hens. Though my instinct was to help resolve the obvious dispute, I accepted that they had a very specific way of interacting with their peers.

It seems that the hens, too, grew to accept me hanging around — collecting their eggs, awkwardly fiddling with their food bin or adding more hay to their nesting boxes. What won them over, however, were the rotting plums or figs just beyond their reach that I would scoop up and toss into their coop. If only people were this easy to please.

Here are a few curious facts about chickens: They were first domesticated in Asia several thousand years ago. They can be housetrained, as in trained to use a litter box to live somewhat civilized inside a home. They can be hypnotized. There is an evolutionary link between the chicken and T-rex. Having the T-rex in your ancestry gives you some serious street cred. Maybe this is what’s behind the surge in urban chicken coops nationwide.

In fact, there’s a veritable backyard chicken movement going on. In many cities, you can see some of these creative and fully functioning urban chicken coops firsthand during annual chicken coop tours. Even in Minnesota, where the seasons can be extreme, chickens are flocking to urban neighborhoods.

One neighbor a few blocks down from me built a stunning run around the perimeter of his backyard. After repurposing an old single-car garage as the coop hub, he then used reclaimed wood and other materials to create a run off the coop, accessible to the chickens via a dog door. His two hens can stretch their legs whenever the mood strikes or get a bird’s-eye view of the bocce court or small vineyard just steps from the run.

Another neighbor of mine helped design and build a truly beautiful coop with his adult son who lives a few miles away. Once the hens went into full production, cartons of fresh eggs started appearing at our door – giving a new spin to the traditional sense of a good urban “egging” – here in this urban neighborhood nestled in a city of 300,000 people.

Would you ever consider adding chickens to enhance the value of your rental property?

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Save Paper in Your Property Management Office

Mary Girsch-Bock — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:00:35 +0000

As more property management companies become more environmentally conscious, property managers continue to search for more ways to go ‘green.’ This process can include everything from reducing office thermometers to using more environmentally friendly cleaning products. One of the easiest ways to reduce your carbon footprint is to reduce paper usage in your office.

While this may sound simple at first, we all know that the property management industry is very paper-driven (think application, credit report, lease agreement, lease renewal, etc.). But with some newly formed, environmentally friendly habits and the use of both state of the art property management software, along with electronic invoicing and document management software, many managers are now finding their offices surprisingly paper free.
Here are some suggestions for your office to implement. Some are surprisingly simple, while others may require an investment in both time and money.

Print on both sides of the paper. Deceptively simple, yet I would guess that most people don’t give this a thought when printing a multi-page document. Simply choose ‘duplex’ from your printer, or 2-sided copy from your copier to immediately cut your paper use in half.

Switch to electronic documents. For your next meeting, instead of printing out copies of the agenda, and multiple reports that may or may not be reviewed, simply route the document via email. This gives recipients the option to read the document online, or print only the pages needed.

Purchase recycled paper products, and make sure that your office recycles paper as well. You may also want to consider placing signs (IS THAT COPY NECESSARY?) above the office copier or consider using print management software. Sometimes people are unaware of exactly how much paper they’re using until that usage report is staring them in the face.

Consider purchasing new software. While the most expensive option, this will also ultimately save your property management business the most in both time and resources. You can choose to spring for new property management software that is utilized via the Internet and manages every aspect of the property management business electronically. If you’re not ready for this step, consider purchasing document management software that can easily manage and store documents electronically, giving management and staff quick, easy access to information.

While the route to going paperless can be challenging, reducing the amount of paper your office uses can be easily accomplished by simply changing a few habits.

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An Environmentally Responsible Move-Out List

Jennifer Marcus Newton — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:52:07 +0000

You’re not the only one making wish lists this time of year. Here’s one for your residents to check twice to make sure their next move-out is environmentally responsible. Or, should a tenant leave you with a move-out mess, this handy list will help you navigate the detritus responsibly. Thank goodness for security deposits.

Televisions—Just a few weeks ago, Best Buy announced that it’s dropping the $10 fee for recycling old TVs. Televisions and other electronic waste can’t be tossed in landfills, but not all e-waste recycling is actually environmentally safe. Some e-waste is shipped to developing countries where impoverished people break down and sort it without any environmental or personal safeguards, so I was very relieved to learn what happens to electronics after you drop them off at Best Buy.

Tires—Televisions, tires and mattresses all seem to be commonly dumped items in parks, alleys and on curbs. It’s no wonder: No matter where you live, these items usually cost a few bucks to properly dispose of them. The upside is that used tires can still be very useful. They may lose their treads, but they are nothing if not durable, which makes them excellent candidates for reuse in basketball courts, shoes and even as new tires.

Toxic household chemicals—Most homes contain something that the state or federal government considers toxic. These items – for obvious reasons – can’t be thrown away in the normal trash or flushed down the drain. Check local regulations to see which items are considered toxic in your area. Your state or local municipality web site can direct you to recycling locations.

Mattresses—Despite the fact that thousands of old mattresses get dumped in landfills every year, there are still very few recycling facilities available for this ubiquitous behemoth. If you have an unwanted mattress, first research local regulations about donations or disposal. Research 1800recycling or earth911 to find out if you are lucky enough to have a recycling option near you.

Household goods—From silverware and bedding to books and clothing, used household goods that are still in good working condition can go on to live another lifetime with someone else. Box up reusable items and deliver to a local charity. Or, if you have larger items like a dresser, table or sofa, request a pickup. These types of donations are often tax deductible, so be sure to ask for a receipt.

I used to think that placing unwanted household items on the curb with a “for free” sign was a resourceful way to keep things moving, but I’ve seen my fair share of soggy sofas left on the street. Unless you live in an area without rain, mist, fog, snow, floods or dogs who enjoy marking while on a walk, put your reusable household furniture to better use by connecting directly with a non-profit.

Finally, after the move, tenants can break down those moving boxes and put them out for the next recycling pickup. Or, if the boxes are still in good shape, they can be offered on craigslist.org to save a stranger the trouble of collecting their own.

What’s the oddest thing a tenant ever left behind?

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Increase Your Energy-Saving Awareness and Green Profits Will Follow

Marc Courtenay — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:52:37 +0000

In the many decades that I’ve counseled and consulted with my clients, I’ve been impressed how many want to do the right things-especially when it comes to human relationships and the environment. As Property Managers, we are often measured by how we get along with our clients and residents. More and more we are also judged by the example we set as the “stewards” of the buildings and grounds that compose the properties we manage. You wouldn’t be reading this article if you didn’t have a “green conscience” of some sort. That’s why I’d like to share some simple ideas for increasing your environmental awareness, and why it might actually lead to some financial rewards as well.

Manage Your Home Like You Manage Your Properties

To be precise, and as Mohandas Gandhi said, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” As you implement the latest energy-savings technologies for your own dwelling, you’ll become better acquainted with the many ways to practice conservation and cost savings. Home energy management has become a huge part of the Green Movement, and Green Property Managers are becoming the go-to sources for what’s currently available.

Your owners and residents want to learn more about the topic of sustainability, and you can be the one who offers them help. You might even become a dealer of sorts that saves your clients money, encourages green-energy standards, and makes a reasonable profit in the process. What might you introduce your clients and resident to? The answer could begin with Home Energy Management Systems(HEMS) . HEMS are hot, if you’ll forgive the pun, and the business is booming.

In a recent article posted at the informative website http://www.energynow.com/, I learned that the HEMS market has a compound annual growth rate of nearly 13 percent since 2006, and the global market for HEMS products is expected to reach $85 billion by 2015. HEMS products offer homeowners and renters the opportunity to increase energy efficiency with an automated approach to reducing heating, cooling and electricity bills. The best example of an effective HEMS is a basic programmable thermostat. These thermostats offer at-a-glance energy usage information. This allows users to pick from various automated energy use reduction programs, and even offers remote control of heating, cooling, lighting and appliances in the house or rental unit. A good place to explore HEMS is by calling your local energy utilities to see if they have any promotional programs or subsidies, especially for programmable thermostats. Ask them also about their latest energy conservation programs and whether your buildings or the rental residences owned by your clients would qualify.

Expand Your Green Consciousness By Saving Your Own Energy

My adult son, who is a licensed fitness trainer and personal development instructor, reminded me that the best way for property managers to become more excited about energy conservation and environmentally-friendly practices is by conserving your own personal energy. That’s why he’s begun to lead retreats for overworked, exhausted adults in areas of the world where rejuvenation and appreciation for nature is abundantly available (see an example at http://rejuvacation.blogspot.com/ ). It reminded me how valuable it is to preserve our health and recharge our batteries surrounded by nature. A natural ecosystem is a great example of the importance of symbiosis and ecological efficiencies. It’s also affords amazing rejuvenation.

After all, how much is your health worth? Is it as important as your business and your finances? There are so many ways to hone our effectiveness as green property managers. It begins with us, our own practices, awareness and education. The benefits and rewards will surely follow.

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Getting Personal about Public Transportation

Jennifer Marcus Newton — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:34:42 +0000

Public transportation is really an unsung eco hero. Some people complain that trains are dirty or buses run late. And sure, there are some strange folks who take the train once in a while. But there are also strange folks who get behind the wheel and drive behind you (or in front of you).

But no matter where you are in the world, local public transportation reduces carbon emissions for every person on board. It also reduces the number of personal vehicles on the road, thereby reducing traffic congestion. Over the course of a year, you can cut your own carbon emissions by nearly 5,000 pounds just by hopping on a bus rather than driving.

Other perks of public transport? Nap time. Catch up on your reading: sit back and crack open a book, the newspaper — even peruse your inbox. Make a dent in your work projects. Some folks use the ride to complete personal hygiene tasks while en route to their destination; they apply makeup, strategically change clothes or even clip fingernails. On more than one occasion, I’ve heard the telltale click of a fingernail clipper on a subway. But let’s get back to the benefits of public transportation.

Mass transit also allows you to get up close and personal with your neighbors. You sit or stand close together. You practically have permission to eavesdrop on conversations. You can unapologetically read over someone’s shoulder. Public transportation gets us to our destinations, but it also delivers an intimate experience that reminds us that we’re part of a larger community of people who work, run errands or meet friends for dinner. No matter who you are or where you come from, if it’s raining, everyone on the train is a little soggy. When the sun finally emerges after a cold, bleak week, everyone’s mood on the bus is buoyant.

I’ve depended on public transportation as a student, worker and traveler. I’ve ridden buses, commuter trains and subways in many cities. I didn’t have a car until I married one — that is to say I married my husband who had a car. Up until then, public transportation was my only method of getting to and from school or work, shopping, visiting the dentist or any number of other routine excursions of daily life. Like it or hate it, I needed mass transit to function. I didn’t choose it for its green attributes.

But those green attributes are compelling. For example, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), the second largest public transportation system in the country, replaces roughly 400,000 vehicles each weekday. And my life depended on it during grad school. I took it to and from work and class, the airport, the salon, the dentist, the vet, grocery shopping, and occasionally a club. I committed my bus and train schedules to memory and could stitch intricate travel itineraries together in seconds to facilitate any errand. I don’t live in Chicago anymore, but the CTA still holds a special place in my heart, which is why I was delighted to discover that it has some impressive green initiatives in place for further reducing its ridership’s collective environmental impact.

Of course, public transportation doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. If you have the luxury of choice, opt for mass transit once a week for a work commute. Or on a weekend for a baseball game or the farmer’s market. And if you use public transportation out of necessity rather than choice, looks like your carbon footprint has lost some weight — about 5,000 pounds, I’d say.

What’s your favorite public transportation experience?

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6 Green Ideas for Your Residents

Nora Betz — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:26:47 +0000

Property managers can find ways to green their offices and green their properties in order to attract ideal residents. After all, you want the kind of residents who will respect their interior and exterior environment, believe in a minimal impact way of life, and are likely to build a sense of community. These environmentally friendly folks may be looking for new ideas on going green.

Be the resource for your residents!

1. Encourage residents to pay bills online and get rid of paper mail. Automatic bill pay allows residents to consistently pay their utility bills which is great for property managers! Offer residents the ability to pay their rent online as well and this saves you tons of time and the environment some trees.

2. Use green cleaning products. Before residents move into their home, hire a cleaning crew who will use green cleaning products. Then, let your renters know that you selected non-hazardous products to be used in their interior environment which contributes to cleaner and healthier air. Residents with kids and pets will especially appreciate this.

3. Allow residents to personalize their space and keep it fresh with low-VOC paints. Residents who are allowed to select the color of paint in their living room or bedroom are more likely to think of the property as their home and may stay in the unit for a longer period of time. Property managers can select a small wheel of paint colors for residents to pick from and have professionals select a non-toxic paint for the job. Just remember to include this service in a clause in the lease with conditions that you agree to beforehand with your owners.

4. Designate space for a garden. Property managers can block out a space for an edible garden or raised bed. Try and find a place that gets moderate sunlight and is accessible. Allow residents to buy their own plants and agree to a maintenance program. If a resident is growing their own fruits and vegetables in the garden, they are more motivated to keep it up. An alternative idea is to landscape using drought tolerant plants that require little water and maintenance. This is a green idea that can improve the aesthetic value of the property.

5. Educate residents on the regional public transportation or great features that are nearby and easy to walk to or ride their bike to. Green minded residents will appreciate the option to drive their car less. Once you highlight the proximity to local restaurants, schools, and parks, you add value to the property!

Residents will appreciate you being a resource for green ideas and information and are more likely to build a strong relationship with you.

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The Aesthetics of Recycling

Jennifer Marcus Newton — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:00:17 +0000

What comes to mind when you hear the word recycling? Do you ever think of anything more aesthetic than an iconic plastic recycling bin?

My household’s recycling system is pretty basic. When we moved to our house seven years ago, I was ecstatic to have a garage — not so much for storing our car and bikes, but rather for the recycling area I planned to set up.

I had lived in a lot of small or unusually shaped spaces. In one apartment, the interior stairs were transformed by necessity into a library (a nightmare to dust). In another apartment, a tiny kitchen hid behind a closet door (which made perfect sense to me, a truly uninspired cook). And in yet another living space, a large closet became a guest room when overnight visitors passed through town (an arrangement that never would have made it to the three-day-stink test).

Now that I had a little breathing room, I wanted to set up a recycling system that would be easy and completely functional, while being accessible in an out-of-the-way sort of way. I placed a plastic shelving unit behind the garage service door and slid four blue plastic recycling bins side by side on two lower shelves. The upper shelves provided ample space for collecting reusable household donations, burned out CFLs, old electronics, number-five plastics and other items that need to be disposed of or recycled at specific facilities.

Our sustainability project is also very simple. We collect recyclables during the week inside a covered stainless steel garbage bin on our back porch. When it’s full, someone (usually me) takes it to the garage and noisily sorts all the items into the various categories collected on our curb every Tuesday morning.

This is about as fancy as our household recycling program gets. It’s beautifully functional, which obviously trumps plain-old beauty. We’re certainly not the least fancy on the block, however; neighbors across the street store their bins on the front lawn and toss recyclables into them al fresco throughout the week. Not aesthetically ideal, but it gives me pleasure to know they actively recycle and are setting a solid example for their three young children.

Of course, there are folks who inhabit the other side of the spectrum with truly inspiring and downright attractive recycling systems. Check out the links below. Maybe you’ll be inspired to adapt your own system with a few of these ideas from www.apartmenttherapy.com.

Recyclable Recycling – “Recycling Made Easy”

Indoor Sorting – “Separate Recycling Bins?”

Eschewing the Bin – “Folding Recycling Bags from Gaiam”

Recycling by Design – “Recycling Organization Options”

My recycling system is not at all sexy like some of these examples. But it’s entirely functional. And the plastic shelves and bins were free — the shelves belong to a family member and we inherited the recycling bins from our home’s previous owners. I guess there’s a little reuse going on in my recycling system to boot!

Any idiosyncrasies to your recycling system?

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Sustainable University 101

Jennifer Marcus Newton — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:19:59 +0000

What do college campuses generate? Students. And what do students need? Rental housing.

This is certainly not news but what you might not know is that college and university campuses nationwide are implementing strategies to be more sustainable.

Back when I was an undergrad in the early nineties, recycling was about as green as my campus got. I’d been recycling for quite some time at home, but institutions were slower to embrace large-scale recycling initiatives. Being able to conveniently recycle a soda can after class seemed downright progressive — a rather frightening assessment these days.

Still, being able to recycle anything on campus made an impression on most students. Tall cardboard receptacles – each with two round holes slightly larger than an aluminum can – stood like sentries next to vending machines in most campus buildings. Folks who were new to recycling soon made it a habit to toss empty cans in the bins on their way out of class. Not everyone was on board, of course. Despite the convenience, cans still occasionally landed in the garbage.

Think about the average campus population. Undergrads and grad students mix with professors and an army of support staff. Everyone is busy-busy-busy, sleep deprived and intently focused on personal priorities. In this environment, it’s challenging to see beyond today’s deadlines.

And yet, a heavy consumption of resources makes a university environment the perfect place to implement a unified sustainability strategy that goes well beyond simply recycling the odd aluminum can. Today’s initiatives include native plantings on campus grounds, composting food waste, community gardens and reducing overall energy use.

The American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment is a nationwide effort focused on bringing leaders from colleges and universities together to pledge support for climate neutrality, which is defined as “having no net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, to be achieved by eliminating net GHG emissions, or by minimizing GHG emissions as much as possible, and using carbon offsets or other measures to mitigate the remaining emissions.”

If your rental property is situated near a university campus, find out if the administration has any sustainability initiatives in the works. The College Sustainability Report Card allows you to look up leaders in campus sustainability and see how specific campuses rate.

Campus-wide sustainability initiatives are giving students a better overall education inside and outside the classroom — and providing you with an opportunity. Students participating in sustainability efforts on campus will expect similar initiatives in their off-campus lives as well. If your rental property has eco-assets, make sure your local campus crowd knows about them. If your property doesn’t have much to offer in the way of sustainability, now would be an excellent time to explore a few initiatives.

Sure, there will still be college students who just want to rent a place with four walls and a level place to store the keg. But they’ll also want a bin or two to recycle bottles, and maybe a small garden to grow hops.

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Rethinking the Toilet

Jennifer Marcus Newton — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:06:31 +0000

John. Water closet. Lavatory. Can. Facilities. Powder Room. Gents. All of these terms (and many, many more) are used frequently in place of ‘toilet,’ surely to disguise the ugly truth of the activity that takes place therein.

The toilet might be a tad unglamorous and even a little embarrassing, but it’s something the majority of us use on a daily basis. When we travel to foreign lands, the first phrase we learn is “where is the toilet?”

Humor me for a moment and think about the different types of toilets you’ve encountered in your life.

Without getting too personal, here’s my list: Squatty potty, sawdust, self-cleaning, traditional western at both regular and elevated heights, dual flush and pull chain. I’ve used a toilet on a plane, a train and a ferryboat crossing the English Channel.

Believe it or not, the first squatty potty I ever encountered was in Paris. The sawdust toilet was, for all intents and purposes, en plein air on my friend’s front porch in a Tibetan village outside Zhongdian, China. The dual flush? Germany, of course.

Did you know the earliest form of today’s flush toilet first emerged in 1596? And while ordinary toilets today do what they are primarily designed to do – that is, flush waste away from wherever you are to a treatment plant far, far away – mainstream flush toilets haven’t undergone truly significant innovative retooling in quite some time. Meanwhile, they continue to flush about 4.8 billion gallons of water every single day in the U.S.

But just imagine a toilet that generates electricity. Or one that converts waste to fertilizer or water for hand washing. It’s precisely this level of ingenuity and innovation that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seeks in its Grand Challenges Explorations grant. The waste-to-fertilizer project is currently in the works in Ecuador. Described as waterless and odorless, the toilet is powered by pedals and designed to produce plant fertilizer from human waste.

And hold on to your seat: There’s even a World Toilet Summit. This is a green event and according to the website, “the ultimate goal of the World Toilet Summit is to promote cooperation between government agencies, research institutes, aid organizations and the sanitation equipment industry to solve the toilet problem of the 2.5 billion people who have no access to sanitary toilet facilities.” The eleventh summit is scheduled for later this year in Haikou, China.

Until solar-powered toilets that generate electricity are installed in every bathroom across America, bring a little innovation to your toilet today by retrofitting your current one to a dual flush. There are actually quite a few products that enable you to install a dual-flush system in a single-flush toilet. Prices range from $20 to $60, compared to the $225-$400 range of new dual-flush toilets, which seems like a pretty good deal. Plus, a still usable toilet stays in circulation longer and out of a landfill.

Or, try this DIY approach to reduce the amount of water your toilet requires for each flush. It’s completely free. And it should save a half-gallon of water with every flush.

Do you have a toilet retrofit experience to share?

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