Over the past several years, I've watched as issues of world ecology have permeated the culture of the self-storage industry. "Going green" is now a popular touch phrase in this business, with more and more developers and operators embracing environmentally sustainable technologies and practices, whether it be the installation of solar panels, building with recycled materials, or using environment-safe cleaning products in the management office.

And it's about time—for all businesses and individuals to acknowledge their responsibility toward global environmental health. But let's be honest about this, too: Part of the incentive for companies to jump on the green bandwagon is to garner the positive public relations it generates and harness its marketing power. There's nothing wrong with this. When it comes to corporations, charity and other social work is often about PR. The thing to remember, however, is that if you're going to "go green," don't just do it in theory, do it in practice. It has to be more than a mission statement.

There are several self-storage companies serving as models in the arena of sustainability. Among the ones that most immediately come to mind are iStoreGreen and U-Haul, but there are many others who are taking green action, such as Thornwood Self Storage in New York, and Pecos Storage in Arizona's Gila River Indian Community. The list is steadily growing.

If you are a self-storage operator who is serious about getting green, we've got some resources you may find helpful. First, we're offering several sustainability-related seminars at the Inside Self-Storage World Expo coming up in Las Vegas, March 1-3.

On March 2, experts from iParkSolar and Baja Construction will present a two-part series on using solar power in self-storage. The first, "Solar Technology 101: Incentives, Rebates and Feed-In Tariffs," will provide an introduction introduction to solar-electric (photovoltaic) systems and how they can be adapted to your self-storage operation. The next, "Using Solar in Self-Storage: An Economic Model for Optimizing Your Site and Maximizing Your Investment," gets more in-depth on the subject, providing a clear understanding about the economics of adapting renewable energy, including real-world data on existing solar self-storage facilities. (For info, read about our "Construction, Development and Green Initiatives" track.)

Later in the morning, Buster Owens of Rabco Corp. will share insight to LEED Professional Accreditation thought the Green Building Certification institute, perfect for those builders who are interested in building sustainable projects. Barry Keyes of Coastal Recycling Centers will teach you what you need to run an on-site recycling center and create a drop-off program for electronic waste such as old computers. He'll teach you how to find and partner with certified recyclers and create attention-getting fundraising events. You managers and owners out there won't want to miss it.

In the meantime, if you want to share and get info about what other self-storage operators are doing for the planet, you can jump into these discussion threads on Self-Storage Talk:

Why not investigate what it takes to "go green" with your business? If not for the planet, do it for your public image. Just make sure you're really doing the things you claim—using recycled paper and environment-safe products, for example. Start with simple things you can manage and work up to the more significant contributions. Perhaps you aren't in a position to immediately install solar panels and sell energy back to the grid. But you can sell biodegradable packing peanuts, recycle boxes and use soy ink. If you approach green as more than a marketing scheme, you'll reap far richer rewards than great PR.