The first choice for green apartment homes in Silver Spring, MD.

At The Blairs in Silver Spring, MD, we are firmly committed to the principles of smart growth and sustainable green building practices. That commitment was behind the creation of the Blair Towns, America's first community of LEED® certified apartments. Recently, The Blairs received the LEED EB:OM Platinum 2009 designation for operations and maintenance, the first in the world. The Blairs is also proud to be one of the first communities to promote a smoke-free living environment and use the purchase of 100% wind power for energy use, making the community 100% carbon neutral. Other green measures implemented by The Blairs include recycling up to 63% of its trash annually to reduce impact on landfills, using energy-saving CFL light fixtures in communal areas and installing new chillers and boilers that reduce the building's energy consumption by 50%.

For those who are concerned about environmental impact on a more personal scale, The Blairs offers unique ecopads®, filled with green apartment features from appliances to finishes.

Live like you GREEN it^®.

• Turn off lights. Install low-mercury bulbs, turn off lights when you leave a room and use task lighting to reduce energy costs.
• Order renewable energy, support the environment. Green power is available to residents through PEPCO Energy Services.
• Wash laundry in cold water instead of hot, to help reduce energy costs.
• Wash only full loads in the dishwasher or laundry and be sure to use the right water level for laundry to help reduce water consumption.
• Don't leave the water running when you wash dishes or brush your teeth to reduce water consumption.
• Recycle! Recycling decreases the production of materials from raw resources and minimizes impact on landfills. This provides more space to recycle within the community and cuts trash truck emissions.
• Before buying new furniture or other household items, first check your local Craigslist or Freecycle to help reduce waste.
• Use durable re-usable bags for grocery shopping and other shopping needs to help reduce waste.
• Don't buy bottled water. Drink tap water. Use a Brita filter and reusable water bottles to help reduce waste.
• Use earth-friendly cleaning products and re-usable rags instead of paper towels, to help support the environment and reduce waste.
• Put a stop to junk mail. Cancel unwanted mail and pay bills online to reduce waste in landfills.
• Buy local and organic. Go to farmers markets for meat and produce, join a CSA food-share to support the local economy and help reduce carbon emissions from food transport.
• Buy house plants for your apartment. This reduces toxins in the air for better indoor air quality and provides a friendly atmosphere.
• Go outside as much as possible. People spend on average 90% of their time indoors…take a walk outside whenever possible!
• Buy earth-friendly cleaning products and recycled paper products at local stores. Ask for:
  • Seventh Generation - www.seventhgeneration.com
  • Ecover - www.ecover.com
  • Earth Friendly Products - www.ecos.com
  • The LEED Program - www.usgbc.org
• For a more detailed guide to sustainable purchasing, click here.