Being away from home, it is difficult to be more sustainable because of the reduced access to recycling bins, and less sustainable products are purchased to spend less on groceries. At the same time, there are a lot of ways college students are reducing their ecological footprint. Every time someone walks to class or takes the bus, that is being more sustainable; Going to stores to recycle cans to earn a little cash is helping the environment. These are just a few ways students at college can be more sustainable without changing much of their habits.
Reduce Shower Time
Most shower head flow rates are 2.5 gallons per minute. Most people shower for at least 10 minutes a day, some people even reaching the hour point. So turning off the water while shaving, lathering shampoo, or doing a face mask can save multiple gallons of water from going to waste.
Take the Bus
Instead of driving to a grocery store or your next class, taking a bus is reducing your ecological footprint. Busses on a college campus are generally free and also efficient. Though if busses are not offered at your campus, carpooling with a classmate would also reduce energy.
Turn off the Light and Water
Most apartments and dorms come with utilities already paid for. This leads to students having the mindset to not turn off the light when they leave the room, or to leave the water running while they’re brushing their teeth. This leads to a lot of waste that can be easily avoided because the truth is that there is not enough clean water right now to go around at the rate everyone is using.
Use the dishwasher!
This might be a very surprising idea to a lot of you, but when it comes to more than 8 dishes, using the dishwasher is actually more sustainable than handwashing. The dishwasher when it comes to a lot of dishes, all built up from roommates, is very efficient and sustainable with the amount of water being used.
Lastly, Do Research
There are many ways to easily change into a sustainable lifestyle. I would fight against the norms of what everyone expects such as using paper plates, buying plastic wrap, or using take-out boxes only once. There are many ways to be sustainable in a cheap money-saving way that will reduce your carbon footprint and slowly make a difference.