Register for the NRC Fall Conference!

July 2023

Having trouble viewing this email? View as Webpage

NRC Fall Conference September 19th

Blonde woman checking in at registration table at 2022 conference

You can look forward to engaging with session speakers, networking at the cocktail hour, getting inspired by our keynote speaker, and much more.

Become a sponsor or vendor and register here! Early bird pricing ends July 31st. See you then!

Start Recycling at Multi-Family Properties

By Allison Majerus

Almost 60% of Americans living in multi-family properties lack access to onsite recycling.

It is estimated that each person in the United States creates nearly 5 pounds of garbage each day. Many of these materials are recyclable, such as aluminum cans, cardboard, and newspaper. Read why and how you can start a recycling program at your multi-family property.

Why?

Highlight property public image: Many potential tenants seek apartment complexes that offer a recycling program
Save Energy and Protect the Environment: The energy spent to recycle materials like aluminum, plastics and paper is far lower than the amount of energy it takes to produce these products from raw materials.
Encourage Community Pride: As more people recycle in a community, the more people feel good about their community as a whole.

How?

Start Simple: Start by collecting one material, such as cardboard or aluminum cans.
Engage Property Management, Tenants and Custodial Staff: Reach out to everyone and decide together how to proceed and who is responsible for what task. Provide training to staff and educational materials to tenants.
Write it into Your Lease: Add language in your lease agreement that specifies that all tenants are expected to participate
Place Appropriate Containers and Label Them: It should be as easy for tenants to recycle as it is for them to throw things away. Place recycling containers near all common areas where garbage is being collected. Use clear signage, communicate with color and images that will communicate across language.
Start a Green Team in your building to help promote, monitor and strengthen your recycling program

Citations

The Multifamily Recycling Toolkit (The Recycling Partnership)

Recycle Lincoln: Recycling in Multi-family Housing

Waste 360 Multifamily Recycling: Challenges and Strategies

Rewilding urban landscapes for soil health, biodiversity, and human/nature connectivity

By Carina Olivetti

Have you heard of the term rewilding? Rewilding in urban environments has grown in popularity for many reasons. Rewilding turf grass lawns or parts of your landscape with native plant/tree species; improves soil heath, provides habitat for insects and birds, conserves water, eliminates chemical use, and increases human/nature connectivity.

Rewilding was first coined in 1990 by conservationist biologists Michael Soule and Reed Noss. Since then, the term rewilding has come to include environments of different scale and levels of meaning. Urban rewilding tends to focus on converting lawns to native plants, insect biodiversity, and food foresting. The most comprehensive definition of rewilding was written by 33 coauthors from around the world (including Soule and Noss). Guiding principles for rewilding in Society of Conservation Biology clarifies the principles that constitute rewilding and illustrates its varied applications. This paper emphasizes the importance of understanding your rewilding project and site-specific limits in order to be most effective.

Keep Reading...