·      Kick off recycling with a tenant education party. Cook food in solar-powered ovens and hand out reusable water bottles. Get kids involved by offering cash or prizes for cans.

·      Tell tenants the impact of their recycling efforts with updates in community newsletters. Lisa Lunger, manager of real estate services at the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, estimates that a 200-unit property with three occupants per unit creates 3,000 pounds of trash a day. With 50 percent resident participation in recycling, that amount drops to approximately 1,500 pounds.

·      Make it easy for residents to participate by positioning recycling containers in common areas such as laundry rooms and mailrooms. 

·      Reduce water consumption with faucet aerators and low-flow toilets and showerheads—a relatively inexpensive idea with a big impact.

Tips Source: Realtor Magazine February 2009, contributed by Lisa Lunger, manager of real estate services, Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, Denver