Have you wondered how you can become a more sustainable student on your college campus?
In a world filled with plastic, it is difficult to live a one-hundred percent sustainable life. However, there are some easy habits you can adopt to reduce your environmental impact on campus and beyond.
1. Ditch the plastic straws
You may have heard that switching out your plastic straw for the metal alternative is the key for saving all turtles living in the ocean. While there are many other sources of plastic and microplastics harming marine life, ditching the plastic straws is an easy step in the right direction. Getting started on this step is easy. You can find cute and reusable metal straws and cutlery on Amazon. Also, keep an eye out for free straws distributed by the sustainability club.
2. Walk or bike to class
Get creative in different ways you can get yourself to class. Walking, running, biking, skateboarding, longboarding, and even rollerblading are all fun ways to get to class. Plus, they reduce carbon-dioxide emissions and keep you active.
3. Cook more
Home-cooked meals are delicious, testing out new recipes is exciting, and cooking at home reduces your consumption of single use plastics. Also, you can bring leftovers to eat in or in between classes the next day.
4. Visit the Bucknell Farm
Have you visited the Bucknell Farm yet? Located above the Senior Apartments, the Bucknell Farm is all about community engagement and growing food sustainably. Make sure to check out the Community Garden for upcoming events and for information on how you can get involved.
5. Know your recycling policies
Unfortunately, plastic bags can no longer be recycled on campus. Read up on Bucknell’s Recycling Policy to understand what can be recycled and what needs to go in the trash. Not surprisingly, there is so much more to understanding recycling than what you learned back in middle school.
6. Invest in a reusable coffee cup
The next time you go the Bison or Library for your iced latte, bring a reusable coffee cup. Did you know 16 billion disposable coffee cups are thrown away each year? By using your own cup you can help eliminate some of that plastic waste.
7. Eat less red meat (or ditch meat entirely).
By reducing your consumption of animal products you are reducing the use of energy, land, and greenhouse gasses. It takes a lot of food and land to raise animals. Plus, there is a lot of gas used in the transportation of meat across the country. More importantly, a lot of animals are mistreated and kept in inhumane living conditions. By choosing to eat less or no meat, you reduce your carbon footprint immensely as well as the demand for meat in markets across the country.
8. Vote for sustainably-minded candidates
You have the power to make sustainability a priority by voting for environmentally conscious candidates who are advocates for progressive environmental policies.
9. Go thrift shopping!
Curb your compulsive online shopping by going to your local thrift store. Buying used clothes or repairing your own is a fun and easy way to reduce your carbon footprint. Less consumption of new products means less waste, less demand for the harvest of new materials, and less gas used for transportation of goods.
10. Join the Environmental Club
Finally, make a difference and use your voice by joining Bucknell’s Environmental Club. Contact lab04lab042@bucknell.edu to see how you can join the movement for a more sustainable future!