Hey ladies of LMC! My name is Courtney Pollack and one of my biggest passions is definitely the environment. I’m going to be here every week so that I can share some of that passion with all of you. We all use beauty products every single day whether it’s your shampoo or you
r mascara. A lot of the time beauty comes at a cost, which leads us to several questions. Do you ever wonder what ingredients are in your products? Or how those ingredients effect the environment and your overall health? How can you be sure that you’re using environmentally friendly products? I’ll be giving you ladies all of that information and more!
As LMC students there are plenty of steps that you can take in order to help the environment. Let’s start off with some incredibly simple ways to go green in college. In order to dive into this semester in an “Eco-Chic” way, here are the top five ways to save energy and be more environmentally friendly in your own dorm! (Townhouses, apartments, and houses apply)
1. Turn off the light!: Let’s get that Nelly Furtado song out of our heads and focus on the big picture, saving electricity! This may seem like an obvious way to go green but many would be surprised as to how many girls that I have seen (just on my floor!) who forget to turn off their lights when they leave their room. This not only includes your main ceiling light but desk lamps, floor lamps, and even your cute and colorful stranded lights that hang over your window. Make sure that you’re turning all of these off when they are not in use. It’s definitely an impactful way to save some energy!
2. Unplug cords when not in use: When not using your hair straightener, phone charger, or laptop always remember to unplug them from the outlet after you’re done with them. It is very important to keep in mind that when your appliances are still plugged in, even when you’re not using them they KEEP USING ENERGY! It’s crazy I know, but that’s why you’re currently being informed so that we can make a difference together. Next time you lovelies plug in your lighted mirrors in order to pluck those brows, don’t forget to unplug the cord!
3. Don’t leave the water running: This is something that all of us have witnessed at least several times in college. You walk into the bathroom and you suddenly spot your next-door neighbor leaving the water running as she brushes her pearly whites. Water is extremely important. I mean come on ladies we all need our daily shower, but on the broader scale water is extremely crucial in many ways such as with drinking and agriculture. Many see water as a renewable resource but at the rate that we’re using it that may all change. Turning off the tap water while you brush your teeth can save 8 gallons of water a day; that equals about 200 gallons of water saved per month. We need to be using our water cautiously, and for beauty’s sake please do not take it for granted! Remember that water plays an important role for cleansing our bodies from harmful toxins and pollutants, which can affect the body’s health as well as your complexion.
4. Double-side print: Instead of printing your assignments out page for page think about how much paper you can save by printing on both sides. The majority of printers at LMC give you the option to do this. When you’re about to print your papers look for the double-sided print option. It will make a huge difference at the end of the semester with how much paper you will be saving!
5. RECYCLE: Last but not least we come to the most commonly known w
ay to go green, recycling. Sometimes people can forget about the importance of recycling. It may seem hard to believe, but currently Americans use 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour and the majority of them end up in the trash! Now, we all know that plastic is not our only concern. It is important to recycle aluminum, paper, and glass! LMC has recycling bins scattered around campus and there are big recycling dumpsters next to every dorm. Recycling saves a lot of energy and helps to decrease the amount of waste in landfills. In order to make recycling a little easier simply go out and purchase another trendy trash bin from wherever you please and designate it your official recycling bin (If you ladies haven’t already). Whenever you take your trash out take your recycling with you and bada boom! You have just completed a small task that will help reduce your carbon footprints.
Make sure you all stay tuned for future postings there are a lot to look forward to! I’m glad that I can be apart of the Her Campus staff and I’m excited to bring some environmental beauty, fashion, and awareness into your lives.