We’ve all seen the picture of the zero-waste girl who can keep all the trash she’s created in the past four years in a mason jar. The idea of being that waste-free is exciting but feels unattainable for the average college student. If you’re not ready to take the full-on zero-waste lifestyle leap, there are still ways to be conscious and make a difference. Here are a few:
1. Watch what you buy and where you shop.
Nearly everything that we buy and interact with on a daily basis comes in some sort of plastic or paper packaging. This pervasive use of plastic sometimes makes us blind to the amount of packaging we throw away. Almost all our products come in unnecessary and excessive packaging. An image comes to mind of a potato being sold at the grocery store individually wrapped in saran wrap when it already has its own skin to protect it.
To combat the packaging problem some brands have opted to offer their products in recycled packaging or naked altogether. Lush Cosmetics has made a considerable effort to reduce the packaging they use and offer naked products that range from naked shower cream to shampoo bars. They even have a guide to using their naked products to ease the consumer out of the plastic packaging madness and into an eco-friendly alternative.
Courtesy: Lush Cosmetics
2. Use reusable water bottles.
Almost all of us are on board on the reusable water bottle train, so this one may seem obvious, but I know I still reach for disposable plastic water bottles when I’m having a lazy day. There are so many brands, shapes and sizes of reusable water bottles that boast extended cooling, water filters and even compartments to put fruit in to infuse your drink. So, we all must make sure we stick to reusable bottles and even when we do slip up and grab the plastic, make sure to recycle them.
3. Swap out disposable period products.
Doing anything at that time of the month is a feat and most people don’t want to add being environmentally conscious to the list of worries they have. But around that time, we make an excessive amount of garbage. The average person who experiences a menstrual cycle uses around 9,600 tampons in their lifetime: that means 9,600 plastic wrappers and 9,600 plastic applicators. Swapping disposable period products for reusable ones is easy, economical and environmentally-friendly! There are so many options out there from menstrual cups to period underwear and they work just as well and give you peace of mind that you aren’t contributing to the already massive amount of waste that ends up in landfills each year.
Courtesy: Getty Images
4. Say no to disposable products.
Everywhere we go one-use plastic products are being offered to us. At the grocery store we are offered plastic bags, at restaurants and drive-thrus (because let’s be real we’re college kids who don’t cook) we are offered plastic straws and Styrofoam to go boxes. We can avoid all this extra waste if we take small steps. Bring cloth bags to the grocery store: most stores sell their own cloth bags inside the store and some chains even give you a discount for every cloth bag you use when you shop there. At restaurants and drive-thrus say no to straws and lids. It may not seem like a lot but that’s two fewer pieces of plastic being thrown away. If you prefer to drink through a straw like me, you can order metal or glass straws online and throw them in your bag or backpack so you’re prepared when you get a drink.
5. Recycle!
This seems like another obvious method but some people still don’t do it. When you do slip up and accidentally (or lazily) use a disposable product if it can be recycled, recycle it! Many college students live in dorms or apartment complexes and unfortunately, not all of them have recycling programs. My first apartment didn’t so I just kept a bin of my recyclables and at the end of the month I dropped them off at one of the many recycling bins around town. A quick internet search will show you where in town you can drop off your monthly collection.
These are just a few ways to help you reduce the trash you create but there are so many more. It all starts with re-evaluating your habits and the products you bring into your life. By understanding and adjusting our lifestyles we can make a real difference in the state of the environment and protect the planet for future generations.