Housing cooperatives are leading the way with sustainability initiatives by using smart building practices for new construction and refurbishments of older buildings to reduce energy and water consumption.

To lower CO2 emissions, co-ops are using strawbale insulation, passive solar heating, district heating, and cooling from renewable sources. They are also using less water by installing low-flow toilets, rain barrels, slow drip irrigation and planting native plants that are hardy and low maintenance.

Want to make your housing co-op greener? Start by adopting an environmental sustainability policy. It will help guide your co-op’s procurement practices, operations, and member education.

Watch the video for more details.