Solar Power and rainwater collection is nice, but there is a long list of smaller green things we do at our properties, from using efficient light bulbs to drinking our fare trade Guatemalan blend from glass instead of paper, that can make a big difference. With every investment decision from new developments to rehab and maintenance, Prometheus applies a long-term approach with an eye on maximizing functionality, timeless design and a long, useful life.

Sustainable Renovations Practices

Our repositioning division made a $70 million investment in renovating 3,500 units by the end of 2008. For Prometheus to undertake this work in an environmentally-conscious manner, great care has been taken to work with other like-minded firms and individuals.

Some of the items we pay special attention to include: requesting that vendors reduce construction waste, minimizing carpeting in our units and common areas, increasing hard surfaces, using sustainable flooring products, using natural materials (granite countertops), recycling old appliances and carpets, specifying light fixtures that are energy efficient, installing double-paned windows, using energy efficient appliances and low VOC paint, installing low-flow toilets and incorporating landscape design that includes turf reduction, indigenous plants, and efficient waterscapes. More details about each of these categories is listed below.

Landscaping

Prometheus has partnered with a team of landscape architects and contractors in order to develop sustainable landscape guidelines. They are provided here. These guidelines also include some great examples of the successful execution of this program at Metropolitan, Miramar, and Timberleaf. The goal is to create more unique and aesthetic landscaping which is also sustainable in design and easy on the maintenance crews.

The landscape architects we employ are sensitive to water loss in their approach. They try to minimize unnecessary turf, which has the same evapo-transpiration rate (the combination of the water lost from soil through evaporation and through transpiration from plant leaves — 1 in. of water across the surface) as a pool.

We are also choosing more efficient drought-tolerant plants to minimize water consumption (for example replacing Algerian and English Ivy with other less thirsty ground covers).

Further, we are minimizing or eliminating decorative waterscapes that have a high-water demand, such as in the Shadowbrook apartment community. At Shadowbrook, we reduced the water surface in a large waterscape by 60% and then added a waterproof liner. The result was a 75% reduction in water usage. Also, the chemicals used to purify the water no longer seep into the ground, which allows us to use less chemicals.

Recycling appliances

We make it a habit to talk with appliance suppliers and recyclers as well as other vendors to encourage them to be as sustainable as possible in their recycling/re-use efforts when they remove appliances for us.

Reduce reliance on carpeting

We plan to reduce reliance on carpet, which is difficult to recycle. When we can, we will specify hard surface flooring. Hard floors typically have a useable life 3 times that of carpeting. Turning more than 8,000 units a year, a 33% reduction in carpet (typical in a renovation) could save 1/2 million yards of carpet from going to landfills over the course of one year.

Carpet vendors

We are discussing with subcontractors their sustainable business practices for recycling old carpet. We want to know what happens after the carpet is carted away from the site. Our goal is to work with contractors who are more sustainable in their practices and products.

Waste reduction in renovation

We are working to identify subcontractors who will separate the various by-products of a construction site (brick, tile, building materials, doors, windows, fixtures, cardboard, drywall, carpet, window, scrap metal, yard trimmings, and garbage) and other salvageable items.

Paint Recycling

Prometheus has entered into an agreement with Kelly Moore Paints to stop by each site in Northern California to pick up any and all outdated or otherwise unusable paints to be recycled. This program is at no cost to Prometheus and they will take any paint (regardless of manufacturer) with the exception of Oil Based Paints. For details on the program, click here.

Dual-pane windows

We customarily replace existing single pane windows with dual pane windows. We recently completed 8 exterior renovation projects that replaced 1,400 apartment units worth of windows with dual pane windows. When it comes to windows, the energy savings are worth the pane.

Low-flow plumbing fixtures

All rehabs now feature low-flow fixtures.

Energy efficient appliances

We continue to upgrade appliances such as toilets, refrigerators, dishwashers, clothes washers, heating and cooling systems, and more in an effort to conserve water, electricity and natural gas; and to save you money! Everything we buy available with a rating is EnergyStar® rated. We are serious about buying products that have low electrical, natural gas and water consumption. Even the common area laundry machines are front loading, which is more energy efficient than top loading machines.

Common area lighting

Where possible we use energy efficient bulbs and lighting systems for both common areas and residential units.

Interior models and natural products

We largely use granite countertops, not plastic laminate for countertops, as they have a 2 to 1 lifespan and are 100% recyclable.

Use of natural light

It seems like a no-brainer, but natural light is a great resource. We have always created big windows and believed in the benefit of natural light in our apartments. We continue to use the maximum amount of window space allowed under Title 24.

Cleaning products

We prefer that the carpet cleaners we employ don’t use harmful products or practices. We plan to create a policy that insists upon it and build this into their contracts.

Smoke Free Communities

As of May 2008, 18 Prometheus properties have gone completely smoke free (click here to see the list). The policy bans smoking inside apartment units and common areas, including balconies and patios, and within 25 feet of the building. Prospective residents must sign a no-smoking agreement upon leasing a unit and will be responsible for enforcing the policy within their apartments. Benefits include reduced fire risk and healthier living environment. Read more.

Partnership with Purple Tie

As part of our Concierge services platform across over 2,500 units within the Prometheus portfolio (and at our corporate offices), we have a relationship with Purple Tie, which offers dry cleaning, laundry, wash & fold, alternations, shoe/purse/eyeglass repairs and photo processing. The best part? They’re green. Purple Tie promises the best care - for your clothes and the environment- at a great price. Read more.

Partnership with Microcycle

Prometheus has employed Microcycle, a professional recycling consultant, to sort our trash, and reduce the amount of material that ends up in a landfill. By redistributing the materials in our dumpsters, and pulling materials that could be recycled, Microcycle has been able to reduce property trash expense by 25% on average. This is good for us and good for the environment.

Plastic Reduction

Bottled water is commonly offered to future neighbors in our industry, but it isn’t the best choice for the planet. In an effort to reduce waste from plastic bottles and provide a more unique experience, we are implementing an infused water program at a handful of our communities.

Select communities received recycled, branded, corn-based cups, a Brita water pitcher, cutting board, mixing spoon, serving/display tray, water recipes and safety guidelines. It’s a change that will signal to future and current neighbors that Prometheus communities are providing a high-quality, living experience with less impact on the environment. Read More: List of Properties with Infused Water

Online Services

Once you are a Prometheus neighbor, you have the option to pay your rent, get renter’s insurance, sign up for utilities, or even make a service request all online. This saves paper as well as time. And the environmental benefits of going digital are staggering. If every US household viewed and paid its bills online, solid waste would be cut by 1.4 billion metric tons and greenhouse gas emissions would decrease by 1.9 metric tons per year. To access this service, navigate to the Online Services section of the Prometheus website, select your property, and complete the steps listed there. You’ll be instantly greener!

Online Leasing

It’s paper intensive and time consuming to complete traditional rental applications and credit check forms! To reduce the paper burden for our future neighbors and to make the process more effortless, you can now complete the Prometheus rental agreement online at a handful of our properties listed here: http://leasing.prometheusreg.com. Currently, future neighbors at these listed properties, can access the rental forms on our website by clicking on the “Pricing & Availability” link within each of the specific property pages.

Multi-Family Buildings mean sustainable Living:

There are numerous environmental benefits associated with our focus on multi-family buildings. Multifamily residents tend to drive less, use less water and electricity, and tend to use public transportation more. Housing more people on less land requires fewer roads, sewer and water pipes and also leaves more open space left in a natural state.

Corporate Initiatives

Being green is great for the home, but it’s also important in the workplace. Here are some of the environmentally friendly things Prometheus is doing at our corporate offices.

Corporate Clean Up and Recycling Day

Our very first Corporate Recycling Day Event was a great success, generating 112 boxes of recyclable items, including 3 boxes of aluminum cans! The event gave all corporate employees a chance to reduce recyclable clutter in their areas as well as to increase awareness of the amount of paper we each consume.

Paper Reduction

As a starting point, we will be reducing non mission-critical, paper-intensive processes wherever possible. We are partnering with properties to identify processes applicable for this effort.

Double-Sided Printing

We implemented a company-wide double-sided printing process (where possible) to save paper and we are buying recycled copier paper. Friendly reminders to conserve paper are strategically posted by all printers at the corporate office, encouraging paper conservation whenever possible.

Recycled Paper

All of our marketing material is now printed on recycled stock. Recycled paper is getting so good now that it can produce a professional and high-quality product that we are proud to share with our neighbors and the community!

Recycled Print Cartridges

Prometheus uses recycled print cartridges. By third quarter 2009, we are looking to change out the copiers and printers to a brands which reduce print toner use even further. This will further maximize the life of the product and reduce waste.

Energy Efficient Office Equipment and Recycling

All obsolete office equipment at Prometheus is donated to an E-Waste Recycling company that either rips apart everything and recycles the parts or repairs them for schools and non-profits. This is the same company that the California Properties use for all their E-Waste as well.

Prometheus uses HP Thin Clients and LCD Monitors for our desktops, which use 20-30% less energy than a standard desktop PC with a CRT Monitor. Also, we are a leader in virtualization technologies saving on energy and size of equipment. More specifically, our server farm is virtualized with 4 physical servers and over 30 virtual servers which use much less energy and cooling as well as requiring a smaller foot print in a server room.

Electronic Recruitment: I-Recruiter

The careers section of our website combines the friendly, warm experience of our brand with the powerful functionality of I-Recruiter making it easier to view all open positions and apply and review resumes on-line. Prometheus now receives over 300 resumes per week online, which saves at least a ream of paper every week.

Sustainable Coffee/Tea Drinking Practices

All corporate employees will be encouraged to participate in our “Mug Off”. The goal of this program is to reduce the paper cup consumption at the corporate office by asking each coffee/tea drinker to bring in their favorite mug from home and use it on a daily basis.