Sustainable Living

What is Sustainable Living?

Written by Greystar
Edited by Greystar
Greystar Green April 13, 2016

Sustainable living has become a popular topic in recent years and we have provided many great tips on how to live a sustainable life within your apartment home. At the end of the day, many people are still unclear what sustainable living really means. At its most basic, sustainable living promotes a lifestyle that uses few raw resources and causes the least amount of impact to the environment.

For example, a sustainable diet is focused on foods at the base of the food chain. A vegetarian lifestyle is the most sustainable because it requires the least amount of resources to produce and causes the least amount of environmental impact and degradation. Ideally, food is grown organically without the use of pesticides or herbicides that can pollute the environment and cause health problems for surrounding plants and animals. What can you do? Buy local. Purchasing locally grown produce reduces the need for long-distance transportation and its associated carbon footprint. If you have a green thumb, you can always start a container garden in your apartment.

In terms of housing, many apartment communities are now looking for more sustainable best practices to implement. Many of the easiest practices to adopt are small but have a big impact. For example, excess water usage is caused by inefficient toilets, showerheads, and aerators, as well as leaks, which waste both water and the energy needed to create hot water. As you know, Greystar has been a leader in this area for a number of years. We continue to encourage building owners to adopt high efficiency toilets, showerheads, and aerators to minimize consumption. Here are some tips to help you reduce water usage. In addition, apartment communities that offer Energy Star appliances or an equivalent can reduce electricity usage by 20 to 50%. Check out the list of apartment communities that were honored with a 2015 Greystar Green Award.

The goal is to maintain a world where future generations can enjoy the same quality of life we have today. To live a successful sustainable lifestyle, you will need to use minimal resources and leave as little impact on the environment as possible. 

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