With a heavy workload and a busy social life, it’s hard to remember to take of yourself, let alone the planet. When you’re running late, it may be much easier to mindlessly get your fix of caffeine in a paper cup than to bring your own thermos to a coffee shop. However, small eco-friendly changes like this really can make a difference in the size of your carbon footprint. Below is a list of ways you can do your part for the planet without any crazy effort!
1. Walk, don’t ride
Although it is easier to “Uber Everywhere” taking a car to and from class every day can take a toll on the environment. Try your hardest to walk to classes, even when the weather is cold. You’ll manage to get some exercise in addition to reducing carbon monoxide emissions. In a hurry? Use public transportation or rent a bike for a day. Indego bikes are placed all over the city, and they’re super affordable.
2. Skip the paper plates
It may seem easier to buy paper plates and plastic spoons. Why not throw out dishes to avoid washing them, right? However, the paper and plastic you buy will accumulate, increasing your part in landfill waste. Also, continuously buying disposable paper and plastic products can take a toll on your wallet. To save the planet and your bank account, try investing in silverware and dishes. Target and Ikea have affordable options for kitchen sets.
3. Recycle what you can
In college, you receive hundreds of paper handouts that’ll end up forgotten at the bottom of our backpack. Instead of throwing out your old tests and empty water bottles in the trash cans, use a recycling bin. On campus and in restaurants and cafes, take the extra minute to separate food, trash, and recyclables.
4. Upcycle what you have
Upcycling is the practice of creating something new out of old products. Also, it is great for the environment and much easier than you think. In addition to upcycling your old clothes, you can upcycle household items. For example, use the jar from your applesauce as storage or a cup instead of throwing it out.
5. Turn off lights and electronics
When you’re running in and out of your dorm between classes, make sure to unplug all of your electronics and turn out the lights. Think of it like this: if nobody is in the room, do you really need the light on? If it’s sunny, open the blinds and use the sunlight instead.
6. Go paperless in the classroom
This is the easiest and possibly most convenient way for students to be eco-friendly. Taking notes online or purchasing an online textbook will help eliminate paper waste. Also, your backpack will be much lighter if everything is online. You won’t forget your textbook because it is on your laptop! For note taking, I recommend using Google Documents because all of the documents are saved in the cloud and can be accessed on any computer.
Hopefully, these tips will help you to decrease your carbon footprint while saving your money for your student loans. What do you do on campus to stay green? Let us know!