If you don’t live under a rock and contribute to mass internet usage like the rest of us, you probably have seen in recent news that our oceans are severely polluted, our coral reefs are dead, the climate is getting warmer which is causing places like Greenland and Antarctica are melting (causing freshwater to go into our oceans), and so much more that could easily have been avoided.
Scientists are saying that by the time that our generation (Gen Z) is in our mid-forties, the Earth’s climate could be irreversible and can only get worse from here. Since hearing about this, I have been doing as much research as I can to try to do my part in keeping this planet going. I have combined a small list of little things you can do to help be more eco-friendly especially while living on campus!
Turn it off!
Using electricity has an effect on our planet as much as it affects your electricity bill. So why not decrease both toxins and just turn off your lights or even unplug your electronics?
Recycle
Cannot stress the importance of recycling. We use so much plastic in our day to day activities it is insane. It is super easy to just spend the extra $5 on blue or white trash bags, put your plastic bottles, plates, etc in those bags and just leave them outside for the trashmen every week. Almost anything can be recycled!!! If you do not know what can or can’t be recycled, it is just one google search away! If you know you go through a lot of aluminum cans, you could be recycling them and even making a little profit from it.
Metal/Bamboo > Plastic
Or instead of recycling all of your plastic, you could just get rid of your plastic use altogether! Personally, I have tried my hardest to stay away from all things plastic whether that be by buying glass plates to eat off of at my apartment, bringing my reusable cup to Starbucks, carrying around a metal straw, using bars of soap instead of containers, or even bringing reusable bags to the grocery store. I know that trying to remember to bring reusable bags and then carrying them around the grocery store seems like a hassle, but it is the little changes that we have to make to be able to create a habit out of it.
Public transportation
Here at Illinois State and at most college campuses, they offer free bus services to students with their IDs. Even though I have a car on campus, I take the bus or walk to class every day to reduce my carbon footprint.
Go Paperless
As college students, we know how much textbooks can cost. A great thing about college though is that they allow you to purchase your textbooks online and just bring your laptop to class. This helps reduce our paper amount and it even costs less to purchase an e-textbook rather than having the physical copy.
Those are just some small ways I have been using to reduce my carbon footprint and switch to a more eco-friendly lifestyle. I know many people do not want to make the switch or could care less, but it is up to us to help save this planet and keep in good condition for our children and our grandchildren.
Lot’s of Love,
Jess