We all love a reason to go shopping and moving into your uni room is a very good one. But wait! Don’t just purchase everything from that massive Tesco in Beeston. If you put a little thought into what you buy, you can support good causes, save money and help make the world a better place just through your shopping! Instant good karma!
Here are 10 easy ideas to get you started:
1) Stock up on recycled printer paper and notepaper
You’re going to be using a lot of paper over the course of your degree. Ease your conscience by using recycled paper instead of cutting down more trees. The SU shop conveniently sells pads of recycled paper and you can buy recycled printer paper (and all sorts of other stationery) online from The Green Office. This adorable recycled notebook was just too cute to keep to myself. You can get it for £5.99 from Nigel’s Eco Store, a fantastic online shop for all things eco that usually offers you 50% off your entire order if you sign up for emails! Get in!
2) Buy yourself a whiteboard
Like in school but you are allowed to draw on it; hours of joyful procrastination. Wipe-clean white boards are also useful with university assignments and revision because you don’t have to rely on an array of post-its littered through your notes and around your room. When you are have finished with the notes, you can wipe it down and use it again. Simples!
3) Keep all those free pens from Freshers’ Week
They can last you the year if you collect enough! Not only does this save you money from buying your own, but it means that you aren’t creating demand for more pens by purchasing that multipack of biros in the SU shop come November (and again in April) because you’ve already managed to lose the ones you brought with you from home (again).
4) Buy anything from a charity shop
Charity shops don’t just sell old, smelly shoes, they have amazing clothes in them (Calvin Klein tuxedo for £10, true story) and are always worth a good rummage for things new and secondhand (double the good karma) but don’t forget their online shops! Selling a wide assortment of (brand new) clothes, homewares, stationary , books and gifts they are always worth a browse. If you need a pin board for your room, why not add some character with this cute owl pin board from Sue Ryder Hospice Care? Suitably student priced at only £2.99!
5) Have a Bag for Life
In 2012 UK supermarkets gave out over 7 billion plastic bags, according to DEFRA. Not only does that use an awful lot of resources, it also causes an awful lot of litter and even properly disposed of plastic bags can take up to 20 years in a landfill to decompose.
We all know about Bags for Life and I’m sure your mum has some in the boot of her car but why not get one yourself? They are inexpensive, are sold in almost every shop and make you feel all sophisticated when you get to reply “Oh no thank you, I brought my own bag today” and flaunt it on the walk home. More to the point, you can help to cut down on all that waste, so there really isn’t a reason not to buy yourself one! Tesco sell this adorable jute bag – designed by Emma Bridgewater – for £3.00, with 50p going to Marie Curie Cancer Care. How good is that? It is the perfect size for a few bottles of some cheap French wine too…
6) Get an Eco-button
These marvellous little buttons plug into your computer via USB and are possibly the most convenient bit of eco-tech out there. You push the button when you leave for a cup of tea or for a night out and this little button keeps everything how it is, powering down your computer to the most economical and efficient sleep mode possible. Then when you come back to your computer you press the button again and it instantly picks up where you left off, simple as that! You can buy them from Nigel’s Eco Store for £14.99.
7) Don’t buy all the textbooks
Yeah, you probably aren’t going to read those. So before you buy them check out the uni library as they are most likely to have a couple copies of all the core texts anyway. These days lots of textbooks also come in online or e-book versions too which are great if you have an e-reader or tablet. If you definitely want to buy the books for yourself though, then save some money and save the world some trees by buying them from a second-hand website like Abe Books or Sell Student Stuff (for more than just books) and keep your eyes open for emails and posters around campus from previous students.
8) Definitely bulk buy snacks
Go on and get that family sized pack of nachos and sack of pasta, it is cheaper in the long run. Save on packaging and buy yourself 2 litres of cider instead of a 4 pack, you’re going to drink it all anyway, and it helps the environment if you buy the biggest tub of ice cream in stock. You’re just being responsible.
9) Get an extension cable
Buy an extension cable that has a switch for every socket. This way you can easily shut off the appliances that you might not be using all the time (such as a printer or phone charger) without having to reach behind pieces of furniture and risk unearthing that lost coursework you have just rewritten. This one is for sale at Argos for £14.99.
10) Treat yourself to a reusable water bottle
If you drink during the day (as most of us do), having a reusable bottle or travel mug can save a great deal of waste over its lifetime and can save you money if you bring your drink from home. Plus charity shops sell really cute ones making you twice as awesome for buying one. I found a lovely set of two travel mugs for £7.99 from the Dogs Trust and a collapsible water bottle for £5.99 from the RSPB that earn you double the good karma.
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