Sustainability is a hot topic for property managers and owners — especially for commercial offices and buildings with multiple tenants.
I recently sat in on a webinar organized by the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA). One of my key takeaways was around the desire to make commercial landscapes more sustainable and environmentally-friendly.
Many of the methods discussed on the webinar are ones that Landscape America can partner with property managers with. See what they are below!
1. Attract new customers and please tenants with electric vehicle charging stations.
Electric vehicles are the future, and more and more small businesses and condos are installing EV charging stations in their parking lots.
One way to join the electric vehicle revolution is to install these stations on your property. If you’re a business owner, installing these stations means your property will show up on EV charging apps, attracting new and loyal customers. According to the EV charging infrastructure company ChargePoint, the installation of an EV charging station increases how long customers stay at stores. If you manage an office space or condo, these are amazing amenities that are sure to please your tenants.
Not only are these sustainable upgrades — they have clear benefits for your bottom line, too. Landscape America has partnered on installations with Inovis Energy, helping with the trenching and adjacent landscape work required for the installation of the stations.
Inovis handles all aspects of EV charging installations, including helping our clients secure all available financial incentives. It's important that whoever you partner with for installation takes full advantage of whatever funds might be available to you — not missing any deadlines. Inovis and Landscape America can also help you "future-proof" your project so that adding more stations a few years down the road has less of a budget impact.
2. Divert organic waste from landfills with composting amenities.
Did you know that biodegradable organic material is the largest component of the American waste stream? Most of what we put in the garbage or into the garburator is compostable — ending up in landfills.
But there’s hope! Composting is really simple, and one of the key ways to increase sustainability on commercial properties is by adding composting amenities. These amenities use a series of bins throughout the property to collect organic waste — like food scraps and paper products — from tenants, transforming them into high-quality compost.
The resulting compost, which is technically a fertilizer, can be used throughout the property’s landscape, given to employees for their gardens at home, or even used at a community garden built on-site. More on the joys of community gardens on commercial properties below!
3. Improve people’s moods with community gardens!
Most people know that an attractive outdoor space can have a positive effect on mood. Cultivating plants with on-site gardens can have an even bigger impact on tenants’ mental and physical health.
These community gardens can be created on any commercial property at a range of budget levels. They can range from basic wooden containers and raised beds to more expensive and larger galvanized metal beds. Our sales team is happy to help you find out what’s best for your property.
Combat the pandemic with green spaces for customers and workers.
While this isn’t strictly about sustainability, the reality today is that the pandemic has changed how we move through the world, where we work, and how we interact with each other. That’s why many developers and property managers are looking to upgrade their landscapes with new living and green spaces for their tenants.
Part of this is to increase the feeling of security that comes from being outdoors instead of indoors. Vaccines might curtail the virus’s spread, but worries about COVID could persist, and properties with outdoor green spaces have an advantage.
So whether it’s a court to play sports, a lawn for outdoor activities or a shaded patio to hold meetings and eat lunch — there are lots of ways to encourage people to gather safely on your property. Many of these spaces have a high return on investment — and their maintenance cost can easily be absorbed in your landscape contract.
Curious to find out more about making your property’s landscape more sustainable? Get in touch with our sales team — we’d love to chat!
