Archives: January 10, 2022

Help your Society go ZERO-waste with these tips!

Reports suggest that 33% of waste isn’t managed and processed in an environmentally safer way. On average, a single person generates from 0.74 to 4.45 kgs of waste in a single day. These numbers are an indication that effective waste management and gated communities’ contributing to a zero-waste lifestyle are the need of the hour.   

In this article, we bring out a few tips that will help your society adopt a zero-waste lifestyle.

Waste segregation is the key

To manage your Society’s waste better, it must be segregated better. Every human should know the materials present in the waste and isolate them properly.

This segregation enables the waste pickers to differentiate between degradable and non-degradable waste and send them to appropriate recycling units. Likewise, poor waste management and untreated waste can release harmful chemicals and toxins into the environment causing air, water, and soil pollution.  

Follow the 3 R’s diligently

Another key move to embrace a no-waste lifestyle is to respect and follow the 3R’s – recycle, reuse, and reduce. As consumers, we must consider our choices and purchase products that cause minimum waste and harm.

For a better environment, unnecessary consumption has to be addressed and we must reuse products that we already have as much as possible.

Avoid single-use plastic

Single-use plastics are the biggest waste contributors that are also harmful to the environment. Avoid products like single-use plastic straws, cutlery, bags, water bottles, etc. These products take hundreds of years to decompose and also hamper the zero-waste lifestyle.

Welcome second-hand products

Don’t shy away from second-hand products. If you want to buy a laptop or two-wheeler, see if anyone is selling theirs for a fair price. If the product meets all your requirements, then don’t hesitate to buy. You not only save ample money but also there will be one less two-wheeler or laptop in use.

Similarly, put up periodic garage sales in your society for residents to buy and sell used goods. This will majorly contribute towards the zero-waste lifestyle.

Indulge in composting

Organic waste materials such as vegetable peels, eggshells, leftovers, discarded coffee grounds, etc can be added to the composter daily. However, avoid coconut shells since it will take a longer time to decompose and also fry waste.

Some of the perfect spots for having a composter are a terrace, garden area or balcony.

Today, there are several kinds of composters available and you can pick one according to your needs, and your family’s size.  Composting options for Societies are also available and can be done in a single spot such as the terrace, beside the driveway, sidewalk, STP area, etc.

When done right, composting is not only simple but also smell-free. Composting is also one of the huge contributors to zero waste.

Conduct workshops and seminars

As a community, be vocal about sustainability and waste management. Conduct workshops about waste management and zero-waste lifestyle to create awareness among your residents. This will make them conscious about the products they buy and use and will have a positive impact overall.

Going zero waste cannot happen overnight but with small and consistent changes it is achievable. These changes will have a positive impact on your Society, residents, and the environment.

Take these little steps today and see your environment and lifestyle change!

To know about how to reduce pollution in your Society, read here!


A guide to successfully conduct AGMs online

With COVID variants threatening the country to go under another lockdown, online AGMs have become the standard way to review a Society’s performance across several verticals.

In this article, let’s explore more about the requirements and purpose of AGMs, how to effectively conduct online meetings, and how ApnaComplex can assist you.   

Mandatory reports

Before commencing the AGM, a report of the previous fiscal year’s income-expense statements, audited balance sheet, performance report of the Management Committee, and the previous AGM’s MOM (minutes of the meeting) needs to be prepared.

For easy access, the MOM can be digitally recorded and uploaded to the ApnaComplex repository and be shared with people who will be taking part in the meeting.  

Sending AGM invites in advance

The AGM invite has to be sent at least 15 days before the meeting to the respective members. The invite can effortlessly be broadcasted to attending members using ApnaComplex via e-mails, SMS, App Notifications, and Notice/Discussion boards. The invite should have the link to the meeting, also the date and time of the meeting.

Appointment of Auditor

The appointment of the Internal and Statutory Auditors is done during the AGM only.

Successfully conducting AGMs online

–          The first step towards conducting a successful online AGM is picking the right platform that enables you to send unique meeting links along with the ID and password.

–          The platform should also enable you to share your screen, allowing virtual presentations.

–          Pick a very user-friendly platform that has a user interface that is easy to navigate. Even non-tech-savvy residents should be able to use it with minimum effort.

–          Before commencing the meeting, ensure that your internet is stable and request other attendees to also have a stable internet. Similarly, insist that the participants turn their video cameras on to prevent imposters and proxies.

–          Use a platform like ApnaComplex to have spot voting for decision-making. The ApnaComplex app comes with polling options including one vote per member, one vote per household, and 2 votes per household (owner and tenant). This feature enables you to create a separate voting list consisting of AGM attendees only. Here, they can cast their vote through the app.

 Apart from online polling and document repository, ApnaComplex comes with a host of other modules including Accounting, Facility and Asset Management, Gate Management, etc. To know more about our features, visit our website apnacomplex.com.


Moving-in and moving-out – here are the do’s and don’ts to know!

Moving-in and moving-out are common scenarios in every gated society. If you are new to living in a gated community or if you are a part of a newly formed association, then it is vital to know and have standard procedures in place.

Having a criterion helps the management know about the new residents who are moving in and enables them to onboard the new residents into the Society’s system. Likewise, it also helps them keep a record of residents who are moving out.

The Association of GM-Infinite, Phase 1, Bengaluru, shares the basic procedures they follow with ApnaComplex which you can implement for your society as well. Keep reading to know about the do’s and don’ts of the move-in/out process!

The Do’s

–          Before the tenants move in/out, the owners must inform the association and furnish full details at least a week in advance via email including the date of the move-in/out, new tenants’ details, etc.

–          A small move-in charge can be levied on the new residents while they are moving in. For instance, GM Infinite levies a one-time payment of Rs.1000 via online or card payment.  

–          Have a rule that move-in/out can happen only during particular hours. GM Infinite allows move-in/out only between 8 am and 7 pm.

–          The new tenants must furnish ID proofs, rental agreement, and/or owner’s Email to initiate their registration with ApnaComplex.

–          They must furnish their vehicle’s RFID (if there is one), RC Book photocopy, ID proof, parking allotment copy, etc.

–          The residents who are moving out must clear all their maintenance and other dues before initiating the move-out procedure.

–          They have to return the RFID sticker (if applicable).

–          The management must delete the moving out tenants’ records in the ApnaComplex app.

–          The NOC from the Maintenance department must be submitted at the security gate before moving out.

Don’ts

The don’ts listed below are primarily applicable to the tenants and are pertinent to their stay inside the Society.

–          Tenants must never take the Society or the association for granted. They must never violate Society rules that are stipulated.

–          They must never fail to pay the maintenance dues.

–          They must never indulge in any sort of commercial activities inside the residential premises. If the residents are found to be non-compliant, the association has all the right to take necessary action against the said tenants.

The above rules are applicable to most of the Societies and these do’s and don’ts can be altered depending on how each Society functions.

Having a guideline in place makes things easier for all the parties and streamlines the whole process. We hope you find the above guidelines useful. To know how you can efficiently streamline and automate your Society’s everyday operations, please visit our website –  apnacomplex.com