Planet-Friendly Tips For Your Facility
By Tammy LeRoy

With all of the headlines in the past few years about the effects of global warming and pollution on our planet, we are all concerned about saving the environment. But what can a self-storage manager do to help? The short answer is conserve water, make “greener” choices in the products you use, and take proactive steps to reduce energy usage. Not only will following these tips conserve natural resources and release fewer toxins into our already fragile environment, it will lower energy costs and save your facility money!

1. Conserve water. Repair leaky water fixtures and toilets promptly; a leaky faucet wastes gallons of water in a short period. Don’t water grassy areas or beds at midday when the most evaporation takes place. Also, letting the grass grow a little longer holds more moisture into the soil. Even better,―plant native or drought-tolerant plants.

2. Find an ecologically-friendly alternative to using pesticides or herbicides on grassy areas and plantings. Along with nitrogen fertilizer runoff, these are major water pollutants.

3. Your HVAC system offers great opportunities for saving energy. Lower your thermostat in winter and raise it in summer. Install programmable thermostats or timers to automatically control temperature settings. More tips: Replace filters monthly. Caulk and weatherstrip around doors, windows, electrical outlets, and plumbing fixtures. Install rubber gaskets behind outlet and switch plates on exterior walls. Install ceiling fans to circulate heated air. Check your HVAC system and ducts for air leaks, looking for obvious holes and sections that should be joined but have separated.

4. Is painting part of your facility fix-up plan for spring? Oil and latex-based paints are toxic to the environment. Leftover paint is often poured down the drain and ultimately enters waterways. Volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) such as cyanide in paint contribute to global warming. Instead of traditional paints and floor sealers, look for the non- or low-VOC versions offered by many manufacturers. Paint with light colors, as dark colors absorb light. The lighter the colors you use, the less artificial lighting required to illuminate the area.

5. Reduce energy use for lighting by taking advantage of natural daylight. Turn off unnecessary external lighting in the daytime or use a timer. For hallways and units, consider installing occupancy sensors. They can reduce lighting costs by up to 40 percent by keeping lights off in unoccupied areas. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), which can last up to 10 times longer and use up to 75 percent less energy. Using LED fixtures in exit signs can reduce the costs by up to 95 percent over the incandescent bulb type.

6. Turn off or set office equipment to power down when not in use. Turning off a computer and monitor nightly and on weekends can save up to $80 per year! Connect PCs, monitors, fax machines, and computer “peripherals” to one power strip, and turn off that power strip each night. Setting PCs, monitors, and copiers to sleep mode when they are not in use can cut your energy costs by up to 50 percent. Disconnect unnecessary or unused equipment.

7. Don’t put batteries, antifreeze, paint, motor oil, or chemicals in the trash. Use proper disposal sites for toxic materials.

8. Overall, consider the environmental costs of purchase decisions. Choose products with lower energy inputs and less negative impact on the environment.


Tammy LeRoy is Editor of Self-Storage Now and Associate Editor of the Mini-Storage Messenger.