If you are at all aware of the current state our Earth is in, it can be hard to feel as though you’re doing enough to contribute, especially as a college student. However, there are many untraditional ways you can live a more sustainable lifestyle. Here are 5 easy-to-implement, eco-friendly tricks:
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
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It’s the oldest trick in the book. While the impact of traditional recycling has been debated over the years, the idea of upcycling is still central to the sustainability movement. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, means more than recycling your old milk cartons. It also means donating old clothes and books, as well as buying secondhand.
- Invest!
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On the topic of “resuing”, reusable products (glass jars, canvas totes, kitchen towels, wool dryer balls, etc.) will be your godsend as a college student. Over the years these reusable and biodegradable products have become more attainable and affordable as the sustainability movement has grown
- Pack a Lunch
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Avoid the single-use plastic in the dining halls, and pack yourself lunch. Don’t forget your reusable water bottle and straw. In the same vein, try swapping out your plastic sandwich bags for glass containers or beeswax wraps.
- Thrift It
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Buying secondhand is the college student’s greatest trick to always having new clothes without expending money and other resources. Encourage some clothing swaps amongst your friends, visit your local Goodwill, or enjoy the plethora of pop-ups and online thrifting shops here in Chuck.
- Shoestring Express
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Here at the College of Charleston, we have been blessed with beautiful weather on a rather small peninsula. You can usually get anywhere in Charleston on foot or on a bike, within reason.