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Sustainability

With the rise of energy prices and talk of global warming in the news, sustainability is on everyone's minds these days, including ours. We're very fortunate that the Pacific Northwest is the epicenter of this concept and movement, and the testing ground for all kinds of environmentally-friendly policies and practices. We want to take advantage of this momentum and share the information we learn with the clients, communities, and homeowners we serve. We believe that no matter the size of your commitment to improving sustainability, everyone can do something to make a difference. That's why we're committed to promoting sustainable development and growth.

To that end, we will use this space to provide information, tips, and links to additional resources. Check back monthly for updates, news, and ideas -- both big and small -- for ways you can make a difference.

We're practicing what we preach, too. We're so committed to sustainability that we're making some changes here at Northwest Community Management. We've always recycled paper, of course, and our office kitchen has bins for employees to toss their recyclable cans and bottles, but we're now pledging to take that even further.

Saving paper -- In addition to recycling paper and cardboard boxes, we've also been utilizing electronic documents instead of printed documents more and more over the last year, thanks to an investment in upgraded computers, copiers, printers, scanners, and software that has allowed us to cut down on our printed output significantly. We're now making the choice for recycled paper products when and where we can.
Saving energy -- Our office currently utilizes motion-sensor light switches that turn off the lights when the sensor doesn't detect any movement for five minutes, which cuts down on wasted energy usage. We'll begin turning off all but the most critical machines and devices in the office when we close down at the end of the day. Although we already use fluorescent lighting, we'll replace our few remaining incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents. To further lessen our impact, we will give preference to EnergyStar devices and hardware in our future purchases.
Saving resources -- We recently upgraded our entire office to completely new computers, monitors, keyboards, and mice. That's a lot of hardware! The old equipment and software was offered to employees at a discount and what didn't get purchased was donated to local schools, churches, and computer recycling dealers. Oh, and all of our outdated software that was no longer of any use? It was recycled through Metro's Master Recycler program so that those shiny little discs didn't end up in a landfill. And yep, we even recycled all the manuals that came with that software!

We're on the lookout for even more ways we can make a difference and in the coming months, we'll be announcing more ways that we're putting this idea into practice. So watch this space for more news -- and we invite you to join us in making the change to make a difference!

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