As we all know by now, spring has begun and here in SoCal that means the temperature is going to skyrocket in the next few weeks as it gets closer to summer. So lately everyone has been drinking lots more water to stay hydrated because we still love outdoor activities regardless of the burning sun. Then, just a few days ago was Earth Day so these two things combined had me thinking.
We use A LOT of water bottles, plastic or otherwise.
Then we just throw them away.
I don’t know how many times I’ve run across a trash can with plastic water bottles in the trash rather than in the recycling bins. The same goes for soda cans or the lesser known plastic bottles of laundry detergent and cleaning wipes.
There are 3 ways to help better the environment in regards to disposing of your recyclables.
#1
This is perahps the easiest method.
Whenever you’re going to throw away something, double check if it belongs in the recycling bin or not. Everywhere on campus, most of the trash cans are right next to the recycling bins. The same goes for the dorms.
You can spare a few seconds before you throw away your Arizona Green Tea into the trash can to put it in the recycling bin.
#2
Broke college students, LISTEN.
You can sell most of your recyclables. Across SoCal there are recycling centers, big and small, where you can redeem your bottles and cans for money.
Here’s a link to all of them recycling centers near the ULV campus where you can redeem your recyclables.
Given how many cans of RedBull you go through during midterms and finals, and the amount of Arizonas you chug because hey they’re only 99 cents, you can make a decent amount of money while helping the environment.
#3
Okay, so this pretty much ties into #2 but you can give your recyclables to a friend that does recycle. Perhaps they need a large amount of plastic bottles for a DIY project or they use #2 and redeem them.
You and your friends can even make recycling a group activity. One person can collect all the bottles and exchange them for money, and that money can cover some take-out for a movie night.
This way everyone wins. Especially your wallets.
Recycling something as simple as water bottles and cans not only helps the environment a little, but it can help in the long run too in regards to your habits. Once you see how many RedBulls you drink or how money bottles you use, it can motivate you to buy less and/or use less.
After you redeem all of your recyclables, you can invest in a durable and reusable water bottle.
We don’t all have to live 100% green to make a positive impact on the environment, because at this point in time (given our budgets and time restrictions as college students) it isn’t really possible.
However, we do have to start somewhere.