With the cost of living rising in the UK and worrying figures about the gradual descent of the global climate into hotter temperatures, and Greenpeace highlighting that a truck load of plastic enters the ocean every minute, there is greater need than ever for ways to change our lifestyles. These must be methods that are both money saving and that help combat climate change, to reduce waste in whatever ways we can.
So, here are eight simple ways to minimise your waste production and save money as a student (and beyond!):
1) Swap to bars of soap and bars of shampoo. Even though it feels convenient buying the same old shower gel in bottles, bars of soap are usually cheaper last just as long and give you a touch of luxury as you create a lather in the bath or shower. So why not pick your favourite scent, save some money and swap to bars of soap to make your routine more eco-friendly?
2) Composting. As students, and in London especially, it is hard to compost without an outdoor space, but it is worth checking with local authorities if they have a compost bin scheme for residents. These schemes are usually free or subsidised for residents, so you may be able to get one for your accommodation and start composting your biodegradable waste.
3) Make your lunch at home. The packaging, CO2 and food waste caused by not using up ingredients from the fridge at home is also contributing to unnecessary waste, not to mention you can just clean your tupperware at home and save some money too! Pro-tip: use big jars from food as glass tupperware will look minimalist and help reduce waste!
4) Freeze your fruit and veg. If you know you won’t use certain veg and fruit quickly, chop them up and freeze them in bags or boxes to use for cooking and smoothies. Pro tip: freeze slices of lemon or any other fruits in an ice cube tray, and add to a mug with some hot water for a quick, uplifting, hot and fruity drink.
5) Make your own body scrubs. Another waste reducing but wellness enhancing tip! Make your own body scrubs from leftover sugar or salt, oats or used coffee grounds. Exfoliate your skin and feel good, while saving money and cutting down waste.
6) Use reusable face pads to remove make-up. The great thing about reusable face pads is that you can wash them in your laundry and don’t need to buy disposable ones that add to landfill. The advantage of this is that you are also saving on the regular expense of face wipes and cotton pads.
7) Carry a reusable water bottle, coffee cup and reusable shopping bag with you. Single-use plastic cups are one of the top items washing up on beaches in Europe so although reusable water bottles are now common and sales of reusable bottles are set to rise, there is still more to be done. Carrying a reusable bottle or cup can still save you money on water and your morning coffee, as at UCL cafes you can save money off hot drinks if you bring your own cup and water fountains for refills are all over campus!
8) Switch to eco-friendly toilet paper. Whilst this might not be an obvious choice, the UK population is one of the largest consumers of toilet paper worldwide recycled toilet paper is more sustainable than those made from virgin pulp from trees.
There are also so many ways to start living a zero-waste lifestyle even while on a student budget, though some are more simple changes than others, the money saving benefits make the small changes worth it. Alongside more pressure on governments to take tackling climate change seriously, these changes will also benefit the planet in the long-term.