Advanced Management Company (AMC), the premier property management company headquartered in Lake Forest, California, is one company that is trying to help their residents, investors, owners, and the planet by renovating their apartments with eco friendly products.  AMC is taking existing buildings and incorporating systems to manage water and energy resources, creating eco-friendly communities.

 Green communities aid in natural resources conservation through intelligent use of materials that are renewable, recycled/recyclable and durable. Through the use of energy saving fixtures, energy-conserving appliances and water efficient landscapes, AMC’s green communities help minimize their carbon footprint and save their residents hundreds on utilities!

 Just a few of the AMC green features are:

•  Fluorescent lighting with electronic ballasts. Interior fluorescent bulbs and fixtures produce comparable light quantity and quality to incandescent bulbs, reduce energy consumption and lower utility bills. One compact florescent bulb will pay itself back more than ten times over the course of its life through reduced energy use. Electronic ballasts also improve efficiency and reduce flickering.
•  Energy Star appliances
  Refrigerators and freezers are among the largest users of electricity in most homes, using to 25% of household energy. Energy Star appliances use 10-15% less energy and water than standard models.
•  Water-efficient toilets and fixtures
  Ultra Low-flow toilets can save up to 22,000 gallons of water per year for a family of four. Low-flow showerheads reduce the rate of water flow through the faucet by as much as 40% with little noticeable effect on water pressure.
•  Dual-paned energy efficient windows have been selected by AMC to help cut their resident’s energy costs by up to 34% over regular glass. Windows can account for up to 25% heating costs, and in the summer can make your air conditioner work two to three times harder. A dual paned window can greatly reduce energy loss as well as protect items in your home from sun damage caused by UV rays. AMC’s window installation reduces these harmful effects of ultra-violet light up to 95%. They also block street noise more efficiently than a traditional window, creating a serene living environment.

 Water-efficient landscaping

AMC reduces water use and minimizes maintenance by installing synthetic lawn landscape design. This money saver also results in reduced carbon emissions and fuel consumption by totally eliminating the need for mowers, blowers, and weed-whackers. They are also planting native and/or drought-tolerant plants; maximizing water use. Efficient irrigation systems, such as drip and micro irrigation, place the correct amount of water directly at the base of each plant. They are currently evaluating the use of weather-based irrigation controls with high efficiency rotating spray nozzles, as well. These measures all reduce water use and waste from overwatering, minimizing irrigation run off. Finally, AMC communities are truly pet friendly, as their synthetic lawns keep fertilizers and pesticides away from pets and out of the ground water supply.

• Permeable paving materials
• AMC is replacing many old cracked, raised and ugly concrete sidewalks with interlocking paving materials. These materials allow storm water to percolate into the soil, thus reducing the volume of polluted water that flows into waterways, while simultaneously reducing the risk of standing water on sidewalks which could create slip and fall hazards, and they look great too!
•  Carbon monoxide detectors
  These detectors monitor the level of carbon monoxide gas in individual dwelling unit, thereby reducing the harmful human health effects this toxic gas. Carbon monoxide is a common indoor air pollutant created by the combustion of natural gas from stoves and heaters and needs to be monitored closely.

 Recycled flooring

AMC is replacing worn carpet with recyclable nylon carpet, thus reducing landfill waste and oil consumption. Additionally, their carpets are returned to the industry’s largest nylon recycling plant, allowing the carpet to be deconstructed and regenerated again and again. AMC is proud to be the leader in recycled flooring options, including vinyl and carpet tiles. AMCs laminate flooring uses 50% fewer trees, including parts of the tree that would have otherwise been sent to landfill or burned. They are cost effective, as they can be replaced piece by piece, rather than replacing the entire floor if it becomes damaged. Hardwood and vinyl flooring improves air quality, reducing the number of fiber-related allergens inherent in carpeting.

Cabinet shop and warehouse

AMC utilizes their own cabinet manufacturing center in Anaheim, R³ Construction Services, Inc. (R3). The cabinet facility manufactures cabinets from sustainable trees; that were planted in order to be harvested. This facility does not purchase lumber from sources that participate in deforestation. In addition, they focus on recycling scrap materials and sawdust generated from production and they only use low VOC varnish and paint. Their warehouse facility houses the materials that they use to renovate their communities, and they adhere to the strictest of green guidelines; from recycling the packaging material to motion sensitive lighting and water. This company is leading the industry in green initiatives.

 The population of the world is expanding at an astonishing rate, if we intend to leave our children and grandchildren with the same standard of living we have enjoyed, we must take action to preserve the planet Earth. 

 The world has only a fixed amount of natural resources - some of which are already depleted. The more we throw away, the more space we take up in landfills. When a landfill becomes a “landfull”, we have to build a new one. The less we throw away, the longer our landfills will last. The amount of taxpayer money we save by extending the longevity of our landfills is an important community benefit.

 Throwing away items that could be recycled diminishes energy, water and natural resources that could be saved by recycling.

 The United States houses only five percent of the world’s population, but consumes 25 percent of the world’s energy and generates 25 percent of the global warming pollution. AMC is changing the way they do business, changing their communities, and changing our world.

For additional information regarding AMC’s green initiatives, please contact Nick Julian at njulian@amcliving.com