12 Great Ideas to Spruce Up Your Apartment Grounds and Offer More Services

Transforming your apartment grounds into an inviting and vibrant community space is not only beneficial for residents but can also attract new tenants. By offering additional services, you can create a unique living experience that sets your apartment complex apart from the rest. Here are ten innovative ideas to spruce up your apartment grounds and enhance the amenities you provide to residents.

Pet-Friendly Amenities:

Appeal to pet owners by introducing pet-friendly amenities such as puppy playgrounds, pet grooming stations, agility obstacles for dogs to exercise, and dog-themed benches and trash receptacles. This will not only keep pets happy and active but also encourage social interactions among pet owners.

Recreational Facilities:

Elevate the resident experience by providing top-notch recreational facilities. This may include a modern clubhouse with a well-equipped gym, a swimming pool with a lounge area, and even spaces for sports like basketball or tennis. Such amenities promote a healthy lifestyle and encourage social interaction among tenants.

Outdoor Fitness Area:

Install an outdoor fitness area equipped with exercise stations, yoga decks, and jogging tracks. Providing residents with opportunities for outdoor workouts can improve their overall well-being and encourage a healthy lifestyle.

Community Garden:

Create a community garden where residents can grow their own vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Not only does it promote sustainable living and a sense of responsibility, but it also fosters a strong sense of community among residents who share a common interest in gardening. How about adding a small flower bed or other nature-themed play equipment for kids as well?

Shared Workspaces:

Incorporate shared workspaces within your apartment complex to cater to remote workers and freelancers. Equipped with high-speed internet and comfortable seating, these spaces will enable residents to work from home effectively without distractions.

BBQ and Picnic Zones:

Enhance your common areas with barbecue stations, propane firepits and lamps, and picnic zones. These spaces will encourage residents to come together for cookouts and picnics, fostering a sense of camaraderie and community bonding.

Bike Storage and Repair Stations:

Encourage eco-friendly transportation by offering bike racks and repair stations. This will appeal to environmentally-conscious residents and cycling enthusiasts who seek convenience and accessibility.

On-Site Services:

Consider offering on-site services like dry cleaning pick-up and drop-off, housekeeping, or repair services. By providing such conveniences, residents can save time and effort on mundane tasks, allowing them to focus on the things they truly enjoy.

Parcel Lockers and Concierge Services:

Simplify the package delivery process by installing parcel lockers. Additionally, consider offering concierge services to assist residents with everyday tasks, such as dry cleaning, grocery shopping, and organizing social events.

Outdoor Movie Nights:

Host regular outdoor movie nights under the stars. Set up a big screen and provide comfortable seating to create a memorable cinematic experience for residents and their families.

Art Installations and Cultural Events:

Infuse creativity and culture into your apartment grounds by commissioning local artists to create art installations and hosting cultural events. This will add a touch of vibrancy and uniqueness to the community atmosphere.

Car Charging Stations and solar-powered cell-phone charging benches:

Embrace sustainability by installing electric car charging stations. Catering to eco-conscious residents with electric vehicles will not only attract potential tenants but also contribute to a greener environment.

By implementing these ten innovative ideas to spruce up your apartment grounds and offer more services, you can create an attractive and inclusive living environment that fosters a sense of community and enhances the overall quality of life for your residents. Remember, investing in the well-being and satisfaction of your tenants will pay off in the long run with increased tenant retention rates and a positive reputation that attracts new residents to your apartment complex.

How Local Businesses Can Be Eco-friendly

Eco-friendly goals aren’t just for ordinary citizens, so if you operate a local business, you can get involved with environmentally-friendly ventures, too. Lead by example and make an effort to adopt more environmentally-friendly business practices so that your customers know that your organization cares about the community it serves.

Try these tips if you want your company to operate in an environmentally friendly manner.

Reuse

Using fewer plastic bags is an eco-friendly move on its own, so if your business regularly uses plastic bags, try encouraging your customers to bring their own reusable bags during their visit to your establishment.

For example, if you are a local dry cleaner, consider providing your regular customers with reusable laundry bags at no additional cost to them.

If your store sells balloons, it’s also a good idea to invest in a non-disposable helium tank and schedule regular helium gas refills with a reliable supplier. 

Recycle

There are several ways businesses can be kinder to the environment, such as using equipment and supplies that are made from recycled materials. for example, manufacturers have been able to produce eco-friendly playground equipment from recycled milk jugs! Not only are they helping to save the environment, kids can be educated about eco-friendliness while playing in the playground as well.

Providing recycling services for your customers will also help get others involved with your goal. If you operate an independent neighborhood pharmacy, you might consider offering a medication disposal service so that your customers don’t carelessly flush medications down the toilet. If you operate a dry cleaning delivery service, encourage customers to return hangers for reuse.

Use Eco-Friendly Technology

Manufacturers are taking steps toward developing more environmentally-friendly machinery and various technologies, so be sure to explore the options that align with your business. For example, installing water-saving sinks and toilets in your restrooms, or switching old machinery for more efficient versions can help your business reduce expenses. You might also be interested in replacing older pieces of equipment with more energy-efficient solutions. On top of lowering your operations costs, you’ll be promoting a greener existence.

Use Clean Energy

Using clean energy sources or finding ways to reduce your organization’s energy consumption can help take eco-friendly goals to the next level. Using propane or solar energy to supplement your store’s electricity use can reduce your company’s carbon footprint. Using propane for heating, cooling, refrigeration, would be more eco-friendly than other energy sources.

Use Energy-Efficient Lighting & Equipment

Energy-saving lightbulbs and smart lighting systems can be beneficial for companies approaching green initiatives. In addition to reducing the overall energy consumption that comes with keeping your office illuminated, your building can also implement motion sensors or light timers to turn lights off in areas that will be empty during certain times of the day.

There is also a wide array of energy-saving equipment available for service industry use. If you operate a restaurant, for example, energy-efficient kitchen appliances are worth considering.

Investing in green products aims to not only reduce pollution and improve the quality of the environment around your establishment, but these measures also aim to financially benefit your company in the long run. Take the plunge and start making more environmentally-conscious decisions to establish your organization as one that’s leading your local area in the right direction.

Recycling Demolition Waste Materials

It’s exciting to demolish old buildings and construct new ones. It signifies progress and allows us to enjoy environments that new technology offers. However, a by-product of demolition is construction debris, which includes metal, wood, brick, concrete, asphalt, stone, and more. These cannot simply be mixed with ordinary garbage for trash disposal in Framingham. Why? The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has implemented waste disposal bans on many construction and demolition waste materials including: Asphalt pavement, Brick and Concrete (ABC), metal, wood, clean gypsum wallboard and other debris.

To be environmentally friendly, we should recycle, reuse and repurpose as much of these construction materials as possible. How do you do that? You can hire a waste management company such as Zoom Disposal Services of Framingham, MA. Waste management companies provide roll-off dumpsters for rent on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. The dumpsters are placed on premises and you can discard all your construction waste into them. When you are done, the company will haul your debris, separate the recyclable materials and dispose of them according to state and town requirements. Construction dumpster rental prices range from $400–800 per week depending on dumpster size and other factors. It is important to let the company know in advance that your trash contains construction debris that requires additional processing. There may be extra costs involved.

How are demolition waste materials recycled or reused? Bricks, for example, often end up as construction waste when fireplaces and chimneys, old walkways, or old foundations are replaced. They can actually be reused intact if handled carefully, or they can be crushed and reprocessed to make a subbase material similar to quarried stone. Reusing bricks reduces the need to mine shale and other virgin quarry materials to make them. Less mining is good for the environment, as is less demolition waste.

Concrete can be crushed for use as aggregate. Recycled concrete can be recycled over and over and used in very much the same way as virgin concrete.

Asphalt shingles and asphalt pavement are crushed and used to mix new asphalt or used as a road base.

Processed wood can be chipped and used to make particleboard, landscape mulch, fuel at biomass plants, intermediate landfill cover, and more.

Clean gypsum wallboard with no nails, paint, or wood can be reprocessed into new wallboard. Or it can be used as a landscaping additive similar to lime.

As you can see, much of common demolition waste materials can be recycled, reused or repurposed for many different construction applications. It goes without saying that recycling offers many benefits for the planet and local communities. It helps conserve valuable resources, reduces pollution from production of new materials and creates new jobs. Businesses also save money on waste disposal costs when they recycle.

Your town’s Community Recycling Center may not be designed to accept large quantities of demolition waste. They may not recycle the materials they receive and disposed of them instead. If you have construction waste that you need to get rid of, contact a waste disposal company nearby. They can provide the right dumpsters and disposal or recycling service to ensure your debris is safely and appropriately removed.

About Zoom Disposal
Zoom Disposal is a family owned dumpster rental company based in Framingham, MA. We offer full service open-top, walk-in, roll-off dumpster rental services in Wellesley, Framingham, Natick, Marlborough, Sudbury, Southborough, Newton, Weston, Wayland, Ashland, Hopkinton, Waltham and nearby areas. With a large inventory and multiple dumpster sizes ranging from 10, 15, 20 to 30 cubic yards, we are well-equipped to service your residential, construction, commercial and industrial dumpster rental needs. Our services are professional, reliable and at competitive rates. Give us a call today at (508) 740–8053.

This post was originally published in https://medium.com/@dumpsterrentalframingham/recycling-demolition-waste-materials-6300d1c42f98

Do Parade Balloons Use Helium to Float?

From Ronald MacDonald to Olaf, and Snoopy to Baby Yoda, there’s no more iconic way to celebrate Thanksgiving than watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon lineup.

If you want a peek behind the scenes, you can even watch as the balloons are inflated on Thanksgiving Day eve!

But have you ever wondered what makes those gigantic balloons float?

There is more science behind helium for balloons than you might think. Keep reading to learn about the types of balloon gas and more so you can understand how your favorite parade balloons stay aloft.

Types of Balloon Gas

Helium isn’t the only gas that you can use to fill balloons. Hydrogen also works in some cases.

Both helium and hydrogen are lighter than air. That means that when you fill a container with them (like a balloon), they rise. That’s why they are used in balloons as well as other applications.

Does Hydrogen Work for Parade Balloons?

Hydrogen is lighter than air, so it could hold up a parade balloon. However, it’s highly flammable. It can combust when exposed to high temperatures.

This makes it useful for industrial applications and some hot air balloons. However, hydrogen isn’t a good choice for parade balloons — nobody wants to see their favorite cartoon character explode on Thanksgiving Day!

Does Helium Work for Parade Balloons?

Helium gas is one of the noble gases. This means it’s stable, or nonreactive. It won’t react to extremes in temperature, and it doesn’t burn when exposed to fire.

This makes it the perfect gas for parade balloons. No matter what happens to the balloon, helium gas won’t cause a dangerous reaction like catching fire or exploding. This makes it safe enough for commercial uses like parades.

That’s why parade balloons use helium to stay aloft. It’s not just lighter than air, but safe enough to use.

Balloon Helium Science

Keeping parade balloons filled with helium is no easy feat. Each Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade balloon is the size of a building.

Helium is lighter than air, but it can also lift additional weight. One cubic foot of helium can lift about one-third of a pound, and each parade balloon can weigh up to 400 pounds. Fortunately, each parade balloon contains about 12,000 cubic feet of helium, keeping the balloons afloat.

Gas expands when exposed to heat and contracts in the cold. The cold air of Thanksgiving Day mornings usually causes the balloon gas to contract slightly, giving the balloons a deflated look. To fix this, parade organizers make sure the balloons stay on the sunny side of the street, letting the warmth from the sun plump up the balloons.

Where to Get the Helium for Parade Balloons

There’s more science behind the spectacular balloons you see at parades than you might have expected. With this article, you can understand how helium parade balloons work!

It’s not always easy to find the best balloon helium, especially when helium resources are scarce. An industrial gas supplier with their own wells and fill plants might be the way to go to ensure your helium supply.

Daily Uses of Helium, Propane, and Other Industrial Gases

The global industrial gas market is predicted to reach $146.6 billion by 2028. You may be wondering: how is this market so expansive?

Industrial gases by used by a wide range of industries, including oil and gas, petrochemicals, chemicals, power, mining, steelmaking, metals, environmental protection, medicine, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food, water, fertilizers, nuclear power, electronics and aerospace.

Believe it or not, we use industrial gases like helium, CO2, propane and others in our daily lives, too. There are many purposes that you might not have thought of before. For example, you’re planning a party. There are at least four industrial gases involved in this activity: Helium, Propane, Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen.

Helium Gas: Balloon Ready

What do you picture in your mind when you think of a party? Balloons, of course! These floating balls of celebration cannot be possible without the use of helium gas.

Helium is a lighter gas than the oxygen in our atmosphere, allowing the balloons to stay in the air for long periods without falling.

Some people inhale balloon gas for fun as this can heighten the pitch of one’s voice, but inhaling helium is dangerous and should be avoided because it can cause your body’s oxygen level to drop to dangerous low levels.

Propane Gas: Cookout Galore

The best parties offer a variety of foods, and propane grills are often used in outdoor parties whether you’re cooking burgers, sautéing vegetables, or toasting a marshmallow.

Heating lamps and fire pits often use propane to light up and warm outdoor restaurants and other activity venues.

Propane gas is also used to heat and power home appliances, as well as industrial and construction sites.

Carbon Dioxide: Drink Up

There’s no party without a nice glass of carbonated deliciousness. Carbon dioxide is used to carbonate your favorite sodas. A mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide (CO2) gas, often called beer gas, are used to dispense draft beer from the taps.

Carbonation can be a naturally occurring byproduct of fermented drinks such as beer or kombucha. However, that process is inconsistent. Therefore, the drinks we purchase today still get a little boost from a carbon dioxide tank. It’s unlikely that you step into a restaurant or club that does not have carbon dioxide attached to its drink machine.

Nitrogen Gas: Keeping Things Cool

No one wants a warm drink or stale appetizers during a party. Thanks to nitrogen, these things are kept cool in the refrigerator!

Nitrogen gas is a key cryogenic agent that aids in freezing our foods. It plays an important role in reducing food spoilage, discoloration, and off-flavors. So the next time you want a quick meal after a long day, thank the nitrogen that made it possible!

Party on With Industrial Gases

Whether it be a cookout, soirée, dance party, gala, or stay-at-home date, industrial gases like helium, propane, carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas have saved the day. They keep you comfortable, satisfied, and festive day-in and day-out.

Choosing a Propane Supplier

In Greater Boston and Eastern Massachusetts, heating is crucial to survive the winter. This applies to home heating, as well as commercial buildings and industrial sites. For those who use propane for heating, it is important to carefully choosing a propane provider.

How do you choose a propane delivery supplier? The first question to ask is whether you are in the propane supplier’s service area. You’d be wasting your time if they are not. Then you should ask the same questions you would normally ask when selecting a vendor: how long have they been in business? Do they have a good reputation? Is this their main line of business? When vetting propane service providers, you would prefer those have served your area for many years and avoid vendors that don’t have track records that you can verify.

Mishandling propane can have serious safety consequences. Therefore, it is important to choose a company with lots of experience in delivering, installing and maintaining propane. Ask the vendor about their commitment to propane safety. A professional propane supplier can tell you about their safety record and the regulatory programs they take. They will educate you on propane safety, what to do in an emergency, and the signs of a propane leak.

Speaking of emergency, being able to reach your propane provider in an emergency is critical. When there is a problem with your propane tank, you may need help immediately. You should choose a propane vendor that offers 24-hour emergency assistance, with a live service agent ready to assist you with any type of emergency, even in the middle of the night.

Now on to the good-to-have stuff:

Propane delivery

Good delivery service means that you don’t ever run out of propane. Automatic delivery is an option where the supplier knows when to deliver propane to you without you having to call them. You never run out of fuel because you forgot to check or to call. Of course, sometimes you really only want refills when you need it. Then the vendor should also be able to accommodate your requirement. Additionally, you want to check that the vendor has adequate staffing and trucks to service their customers. You don’t want to hire a company that is stretched so thin that they fail to deliver when you need it.

Propane tank delivery, installation and maintenance

Most propane suppliers offer installation and maintenance of your propane tank. You may choose to buy your tank or lease one for a monthly fee. Some suppliers offer free installation, a big savings because installation may cost thousands of dollars. If you sign up with a full service propane company that provides delivery, installation and maintenance and maybe even check your propane appliances, you can save a lot of time and have peace of mind.

Cost

Last but not least, you want to compare the costs. Everybody wants to save a buck here and there. But beware of extra fees. National propane gas companies sometimes offer low initial new customer rates but soon you’ll find that the fees add up to outweigh the initial savings. If you then switch to a local company, the national company may charge you a big termination fee.

Some propane suppliers offer a pre-buy program where you can buy propane in advance in the summer and have it delivered in winter. That way, you avoid buying propane when the prices spike in winter. It’s a cost-saving option that is worth investigating.

To find a propane supplier, it’s a good idea to get suggestions and referrals from family, neighbors, co-workers, and other people you know. You can also check the online reviews. Once you have a list of vendors, then evaluate your options and choose the one that best fits your needs.

Fired Up: Why You Should Consider Switching From Oil to Propane

These days, electricity appears to be the energy of choice. But in reality, liquid fuel is also a big player in the energy industry. In fact, the industry for fuel dealers in the United States alone is worth more than $36 billion every single year. There are more than 10,000 separate businesses providing fuel to people around the country. They include suppliers for oil and propane for heating and other uses.

In the Greater Boston area, homeowners usually use either propane gas or heating oil furnaces and boilers to heat their houses. Both propane and oil have proved to be effective in keeping homes warm, and are generally better than electricity-based heating systems. But there are many advantages of using propane rather than oil.

Propane Gas Provides Increased Efficiency and Lower Heating Bills

The better efficiency of propane gas is one of the main reasons that Greater Boston residents prefer it to oil. While propane-burning equipment often costs more to purchase than heating oil-based systems, it is less costly to maintain. This is because oil furnaces need to be frequently cleaned professionally, and oil tank leaks, which are not uncommon, are expensive to clean up. The cost for repairs and maintenance services tends to add up. Propane boilers, on the other hand, are more energy efficient. Because propane burns clean, propane heating equipment requires less maintenance and last longer than heating oil-based equipment.

Moreover, propane usually costs less per gallon than heating oil (although oil generates more BTU than propane per gallon). Propane tanks can be much bigger than heating oil tanks. That means fewer deliveries, and you can also “stock up” when prices are favorable. Both contribute to lower heating bills.

On top of that, propane can be used to power household appliances such as ranges, water heaters and clothes dryers, more efficiently than electricity.

Overall, you can expect to save on energy bills when you use propane!

Propane Gas is Better for the Environment

Propane is not only good for your energy bill, it is also better for the environment. Propane burns more cleanly than oil does. It does not produce much carbon dioxide. Propane has been approved as a “clean fuel” by the US Government.

Propane is not toxic. Even if you have a leak in your propane tank, it doesn’t contaminate groundwater or soil. That also means you can safely bury propane tanks out of sight – an added bonus.

Another advantage of propane gas is that propane boilers and furnaces can be vented from a PVC pipe through the roof or a wall. No need to clean and maintain dirty chimneys!

When you use propane gas, you help to save the environment.

So when it’s time to replace an older heating system – or to install one in a newly-built house – don’t just stay with oil simply because it is what you are used to. You should consider using propane, a clean fuel that costs you less money.