The Earth is dying, friends! I know you’ve heard this many, many times in a variety of different ways, but the fact still remains. The human inhabitants of Earth are polluting our beloved planet to death at an alarming rate and we need to take action as soon as possible if we are to salvage our one and only place of residence. However, no matter how much you care about the environment, it’s hard to be 100% Earth conscious as a college student. The majority of us live on campus or in other large buildings where we have no control over how heat, recycling, and waste are handled. We tend to live on budgets in a world where the Earth-friendly products cost a little extra. And we’re generally low on time too, so we may not be able to go the extra mile to live without waste.
Both situations – college students’ and the Earth’s – really are a pity, but here are a few small, but sure ways to do the most without having to turn your life upside down:
- Stop buying bottled water and get used to the taste of college water. To be completely honest, it’s really not that hard and you’re not gaining much by purchasing your 24 pack of Dasani anyway. It’s much cheaper to fill up at the water fountain, and plus, a reusable water bottle is the perfect place to put those millions of stickers you keep acquiring. But if you really, really just can’t seem to make the switch, the very LEAST you could do is make sure every single bottle you use is being recycled.
- Invest in reusable cups and bags. They usually even come with discounts for every time you use them. Our own SLU campus Starbucks has $3.00 reusable venti cups which take 10 cents off your total at every use.
- Stop using plastic straws! You’ve definitely heard this before, but I’m going to repeat it just in case. Drink from the cup, use silverware, please use paper over Styrofoam if you have to, etc. etc. etc. If you SLU students really want a straw though, Grand Dining has paper straws now!
- On the occasion that you eat at your school’s cafeteria, get less food on your first round and go back for seconds if you have to. I’ve noticed this a lot in my own eating habits when I get a certain amount of food thinking it’s the perfect amount but end up being unable to finish it. So to reduce food waste, get just one entree or choose a smaller dish and then return for more.
- Turn off your lights when you leave the room. This one seems obvious, but it’s surprising how many of my own friends just walk out of the door while all of their lights are on. Even if your light switch isn’t right by the door, it’s not exactly like our rooms are huge anyway. So always make that tiny effort to cross a few feet and flip the switch.
- Unplug appliances, like coffeemakers, that aren’t in constant use. Like the lights, it’s good rule of thumb is to turn things off if they’re not in use. Of course, there are some electrically powered appliances, such as refrigerators, where this is not a good idea (unless it’s over break).
- Don’t eat a lot of fish. The commercial fishing industry’s habit of overfishing and polluting the waters with hooks, lines, and nets are having a horrible affect on marine life. You’ve seen the pictures of sea life choking on plastic, but they more often get entangled in fishing equipment than in those plastic 6-pack rings.
- Use these cool blue fiber towels instead of paper towels. They’re cheap in bulk, reusable, last a really long time, and are super absorbent. Just use it as you would a paper towel, rinse it afterwards, and let it dry for the next use. My mom introduced them to me as an alternative to dish towels when wiping windows and such, but they’re very versatile for every cleaning related need around the house.
Even though the condition of the Earth isn’t really looking up right now, our future does not have to be bleak. The Earth belongs to us all – animals, plants, humans, and every tiny organism out there – and it really is the only one we have. Even if corporations, not individuals of the general population, should be taking the majority of the blame for the state of the Earth, we all have a part to play in this mess. Even if it’s as small as recycling or pulling the plug on your phone charger before leaving the room, take the time to care for our world and reduce the waste we put out there. If you’re concerned with the ways that the existing trash is being cleaned up and ready for some happy news, you can look into the launch of an exciting project called The Ocean Cleanup. Here’s a neat video explaining how the technology behind it works.