As a college student, I knew I wanted to stay eco-friendly, but I was always dreading the fact that it could make my wallet very unhappy with me. However, throughout these past 3 years, I’ve discovered some eco-friendly habits that are suitable for me. Here are some of my affordable ways on how stay true to Mother Nature on a daily basis:
1. Recycle and reuse paper: Try printing on both sides, reusing scraps of paper (maybe for math problems or to-do lists) and printing on draft mode (because it saves ink). I also reduce paper usage by taking notes on my laptop instead of in notebooks. Just remember not to multitask when you’re on your laptop!
2. Switching out the light bulbs: I switched the majority of my bulbs to fluorescent bulbs. Not only does it decrease the electricity usage, but decreases the electricity bill too!
3. Turning the lights off: Self-explanatory, I turn off the lights whenever I don’t need them. In addition to this, I try not to use lights for as long as I can. Enjoy Mr. Sunshine while he’s still out!
4. Reusable water bottle: Definitely get a reusable water bottle instead of using plastic disposable water bottles. I’ve recently gotten a CamelBak bottle and am in love with it.
5. Water: Turn off that water when not using it and take shorter showers! This also lowers your water bill. Another thing with water is to use cold water when washing laundry. There’s less heat damage to your clothing and it also uses less electricity, therefore, produces less CO2.
6. Methods of transportation: Walking, walking and walking. As most of my friends know, I love walking to and from places. It gives me time to think and enjoy the scenery around UCI. If walking isn’t your thing, try biking, bussing or even carpooling. Any of these ways will definitely decrease smog and gas emissions into the air.
7. Food in my tummy: I think it’s safe to say that the majority of us spend our savings on food, at least I know I do. Ever since college, I’ve been going on numerous food adventures all over OC area. However, with adventures…comes great responsibility. When the portions are more than I can handle, to-go is the way to go! Always try to save leftovers for the next meal or simply split with another food lover.
Hopefully some of these easy methods have inspired some new eco-friendly lifestyles. It’s not too difficult to stay green in college as long as we’re attentive of our surroundings and lifestyle. Have more ways to stay green in college? Let us know in the comments below.
Sources:
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/community-news/college-green-55100102
http://www.online-college-reviews.com/101-ways-to-go-green-in-college/
Picture sources:
http://www.dpoe.com/products/document-solutions/index.asp