Every day, we are told we must do what we can to preserve the environment we have and help save our planet. However, among this massive social media push encouraging everyone to do their part, there aren’t many helpful suggestions for college students on how to minimize their wastefulness and be environmentally conscious.
There are many ways WVU and its students can cut back on waste at dining facilities. Making an effort to save the environment can make a lasting impact.
The biggest way WVU dining facilities can cut their environmental waste is by eliminating styrofoam. At restaurants, including Taziki’s and Chic-Fil-A, cutting down on the use of styrofoam cups and containers can help a lot. Even offering an alternative to the styrofoam to-go containers at the dining halls by allowing students to bring their own containers – with obvious size restrictions – is a big step in the right direction. Allowing students to give restaurants their own bottles instead of using a plastic or styrofoam cup for water is another positive way to help the environment.
One way you can increase your environmental conservation efforts on your own is by opting out of styrofoam and plastic. For instance, if you carry a water bottle to classes and around campus you can opt out of getting a drink with your meal. If you are eating somewhere such as Which Wich or Taziki’s, you can carry your food instead of using a plastic bag. Even at Taziki’s, you can avoid styrofoam by asking for your meal in a brown paper bag.
There are plenty of ways to be eco-friendly at home outside of the food realm as well. Buying a water bottle to refill instead of using plastic ones can cut down on plastic waste and there are tons of cute options out there. Instead of buying plastic cutlery and paper plates for your dorm, purchasing cheap reusable utensils can help you drastically cut down on your environmental impact.
There are many other small things you can do to help lower your impact, such as switching to a non-plastic toothbrush or razor, and even cutting down your shower time. Turning off the lights when not in use and unplugging chargers when not in use may seem small but all of these small things do add up and can make a positive impact.