For most of us, college is our first meal of freedom. Sure, we’ve had bites of freedom before, but college is a time consecrated for self-exploration, growth and making choices all on our own — or with a little help from our friends.
With all the opportunities for decisions we encounter on a daily basis, from little ones like where to grab lunch to big ones like major changes and post-grad plans, it can be easy to fall into a state of self absorption. Sometimes we may forget that our choices don’t always only affect us. We may even fail to realize that our seemingly small choices can actually affect the beautiful, finite world we live in. Although recycling has its merits, it’s even better when we can reduce waste altogether.
So in honor of Earth Day, here are five ways to reduce waste as a college student and make the best choice for our home.
1. Carry a reusable water bottle
Although reusable water bottles are not always a perfect, environmentally conscious-made product, they are a better alternative to buying numerous plastic water bottles from vending machines and dining halls throughout your day. Not only do refillable water bottles reduce waste, they save you money you would be throwing away with each bottle that ends up in the trash.
2. Buy in bulk
Buying in bulk cuts down on packaging waste by a lot! I would suggest buying products you use often, such as tubs of yogurt or boxes of cereal, in larger packages and then portioning them out on your own. You have more control over your portion sizes, and less trash being thrown out! If you have a little extra cash, you can check out the Friendly City Co-Op’s bulk section of grains, flour, beans, candies and snacks. You buy only what you need, which limits unnecessary packing and food waste.
3. Invest in reusable shopping bags
Reusable shopping bags have revolutionized my shopping experience since coming to college; cloth bags are both larger and sturdier than the plastic bags offered at the store, so I can fill just one or two with all my groceries and manage them without making multiple trips back to the car. It eliminates 6-8 plastic bags going in my trash or ending up stored in our pantry. You can even buy insulated reusable bags to store your cold products in, should you need to make another stop before you get home. I advise buying a few and leaving them in your trunk or in a behind-the-seat pocket, so they are always there when you need them!
4. Cancel that subscription
Many of us receive magazines or catalogs in the mail that we simply toss in the trash with barely more than a passing glance, but those magazines and catalogs don’t simply disappear once you tie your trash strings and toss it in the dumpster! Spend a free weekend afternoon cancelling the subscriptions that have accumulated in your mailbox. Less unneeded mail, less waste!
5. Think before you buy
We live in a culture obsessed with consumption, but when consumption is treated as a hobby or a social event, it often leaves us with more than we know what to do with. So, next time you’re about to make an impulse buy, think critically about whether you really have use for that product. Oftentimes, I’ve found that the dress I needed for a special event — a dress that I would only wear once and would then end up in the back of my closet for the next year or two — could just as easily have been borrowed from a friend for the night. I’ve looked down and realized that my grocery cart full of food would go bad before I’d be able to eat it all myself. I just didn’t need it all.
It takes practice to see where we are over-consuming, but if we are mindful about our consumptive habits, we have the power to change them and ultimately, honor our beautiful planet.
And that is something to smile about on Earth Day.