ISSUE #4 – JANUARY TO APRIL – 2015
FOREVERGREEN@HOME
NEWSLETTER
Bentall Kennedy wants to work with you to conserve energy,
save water, reduce waste and live greener.
We are sharing this resident resource to provide monthly
information and inspiration for a cleaner, greener home.
Together we can be FOREVERGREEN.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: PG2 New Year, Renewed Efforts | PG3 Feeling the Chill? | PG4 LEDs, A Smart Choice | PG5 Unload your Plug Load
B E N TA L L K E N N E DY F O R E V E R G R E E N — N E WS L E T T E R — I S S U E # 4
WE ARE FOREVERGREEN
MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
YOUR INVOLVEMENT
IN FOREVERGREEN IS
IMPORTANT AND GETTING
INVOLVED IS EASY!
WE’LL PROVIDE A
NEWSLETTER EVERY FEW
MONTHS THAT INCLUDES
INFORMATION AND
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
YOU CAN DO TO GO GREEN
AT HOME.
NEED A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION THAT YOU CAN KEEP?
COMMIT TO LIVING GREENER. BENTALL KENNEDY’S
FOREVERGREEN@HOME PROGRAM CAN HELP YOU!
Buildings, including those
we live in, have a big impact
on the environment – we’re
collaborating with our residents
to reduce this impact.
Our areas of focus include:
Healthy homes
Energy efficiency and reduced
carbon emissions
Waste reduction
Water conservation
TAKE IT FURTHER!
With windows closed up
tight to keep out the cold, the
winter is a good time to focus
on indoor air quality:
•Keep dust at bay – regularly
use a vacuum with a HEPA
filter
•Make your home a
no-smoking zone
•Opt for natural cleaners
without toxic chemicals
•Use house plants to act as
living air purifiers
PG 2
BENTALL KENNEDY FOREVERGREEN — NEWSLETTER — ISSUE #4
MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
LAYER UP AND DRESS
APPROPRIATELY FOR THE
WINTER WEATHER.
AVOID USING A SPACE
HEATER IN YOUR HOME. THEY
CONSUME A LOT OF ENERGY
AND POSE A FIRE RISK.
LET THE SUN SHINE IN. DURING
THE DAY, KEEP YOUR BLINDS
OPEN TO HEAT YOUR HOME
NATURALLY.
TAKE IT FURTHER!
WWF Canada’s National
Sweater Day takes place on
February 5th. Put on a cozy
sweater and turn down the
thermostat by two degrees to
show your support for action
on climate change.
PLEASE VISIT
WWW.WWF.CA/SWEATERDAY
FOR MORE INFO.
ENERGY
EFFICIENT HEATING
HAS THE WINTER WEATER LEFT YOU FEELING
CHILLED? BEFORE YOU CRANK UP THE HEAT, TRY
PUTTING ON AN EXTRA LAYER TO FIGHT THE CHILL.
Heating accounts for 80%
of residential energy use in
Canada, and is a significant
source of greenhouse gas
emissions. If all Canadians
lowered their thermostats
by just 2 degrees Celsius
this winter, it would reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by
about 4 megatons – equivalent
to shutting down a 600 mega
watt coal-fired power station.
So before cranking up the
thermostat or reaching for
a space heater (which also
creates a fire hazard!), ensure
you are dressed appropriately
for the weather – this would
typically mean layering with a
sweater during the winter, even
while indoors.
PG 3
BENTALL KENNEDY FOREVERGREEN — NEWSLETTER — ISSUE #4
MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
TURN OFF THE LIGHTS WHEN
YOU LEAVE A ROOM
ADJUST LIGHTING LEVELS
TO SUIT THE TASK
USE NATURAL LIGHT
WHENEVER POSSIBLE,
IT IS FREE AND EASIER ON
YOUR EYES
UPGRADE TO ENERGY
EFFICIENT LIGHTING (LOOK
FOR ENERGY STAR QUALIFIED
MODELS)
TAKE IT FURTHER!
Earth Hour is a global
movement uniting people to
protect the planet. Towards
the end of March every
year, Earth Hour brings
together communities from
across the world celebrating
commitment to the planet by
switching off lights for one
designated hour. Earth Hour
is about collective impact,
beyond the hour. Show your
commitment by switching off
on Saturday March 28, 2015
from 8:30-9:30pm.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT
WWW.EARTHHOUR.ORG
ENERGY EFFICIENT
LIGHTING
Changing which light bulbs you use and how you use
them can instantly save your home energy and money.
There are two main types of energy efficient light bulbs
available. Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and Light
Emitting Diodes (LEDs). CFLs are a cost-effective option for
most general lighting requirements. LEDs are particularly good
for replacing spotlights and dimmable lights. Though more
expensive to buy initially, they are more efficient than CFLs and
will save you more money in the long term.
Before purchasing check with your local electric utility
company, as many of them offer coupons and rebates on
ENERGY STAR qualified light bulbs.
PG 4
BENTALL KENNEDY FOREVERGREEN — NEWSLETTER — ISSUE #4
MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
TURN EQUIPMENT OFF
MANUALLY WHEN NOT
IN USE (E.G. MONITORS,
PRINTERS, ETC).
UNPLUG UNNECESSARY
PERIPHERALS AND SMALL
APPLIANCES WHEN NOT
IN USE (E.G. CELL PHONE
CHARGERS, COFFEE MAKER)
WHEN PURCHASING NEW
ELECTRONICS LOOK FOR THE
ENERGY STAR LABEL
TAKE IT FURTHER!
Use a “smart” power bar for
your computer and home
entertainment systems
to automatically turn off
equipment when not in use.
Conduct a plug load
scavenger hunt around
your home and look for
non-essential equipment
that is being left plugged
in, such as toasters and
phone chargers.
PLUG LOAD
OVERLOADED? IT’S TIME TO UNPLUG!
A Plug load is the energy
consumed by any electronic
device that’s plugged into an
electrical socket. Plug-in products
are a leading source of energy
consumption. In fact, plug loads
can account for 15 to 20% of the
energy consumed in homes.
Savvy users turn it “off”—truly
off! If you leave devices on full or
even in lower-power “sleep” mode
when you are not actively using
them, you are using energy when
you may not need to. This quiet
energy drain is sometimes called
“phantom” or “vampire” power
usage. It is more formally known
as “standby power” and it is now
regulated in consumer electronics.
PG 5
B E N TA L L K E N N E DY F O R E V E R G R E E N — N E WS L E T T E R — I S S U E # 4
Sustainability:
Simply Better Business
At Bentall Kennedy, we know that sustainability is simply better
business. We aspire to be a global sustainability leader in the real
estate industry and have made good progress, as demonstrated by
our 2014 performance.
Bentall Kennedy is proud to have earned a number of awards from
respected and unbiased third-parties:
Named 1st globally for Diversified property type by the Global
Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB), an industrydriven organization committed to assessing the sustainability
performance of real estate portfolios around the globe.
Recognized as Living Planet @ Work’s 2014 Company of the
Year by WWF-Canada for our leadership and commitment to
employee engagement and sustainability, recognizing strong
leadership by our organization across three important fronts:
employee engagement, management-level collaboration and
fundraising for conservation.
Awarded Partner of the Year — Sustained Excellence award
from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy
Star program, signifying superior energy performance for
four years in a row across our portfolio.
For more information on our sustainability performance and
initiatives please visit www.cr.bentallkennedy.com
Printed on paper made of
100% recycled content.
Please recycle when you
are done with this
newsletter.
For additional information on ForeverGreen
contact your Property Manager or visit
www.bkforevergreen.com
PG 6