Want to do your part to help the environment, but don’t have the time to plant a tree or help clean a park? The best way to contribute to the cause is to change things about your lifestyle. If you are looking for ways to be an eco-friendly college student, read on.
Students tend to accumulate of lot of things that can be recycled. Recycling is important because it reduces the demand for raw materials, therefore saving energy and money. From old class notes to school newspapers, students tend to collect a lot of paper. Instead taking up space in your tiny dorm room, it can be recycled into new paper products like packaging and tissue. Had a party at your place over the weekend? Make good use of all of those empty plastic and glass bottles by recycling them. Glass has no limits on how many times it can be recycled into new glass bottles, containers, and jars. Plastic bottles can be used as raw materials to make products like carpeting, detergent bottles, and clothing.
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the largest source of air pollution in the United States is transportation. Pollutants from your vehicle include nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide. Not exactly stuff you want to be breathing in. To save your lungs and the environment, you can reduce how much you drive by using alternative transportation. Do you live in an apartment complex suited for college living? Chances are it’s on your school’s bus route. By taking the bus to school instead of driving, you can help reduce the amount of cars on the road and save yourself some gas money. If you live close to campus and enjoy being outdoors, you might want to consider biking to school. Most campuses are bike friendly and have bike lanes for students trying to get to class and bike racks outside of buildings.
Now that you are living on your own, all grocery choices are up to you. You can make a choice to support green endeavors and buy recycled. The next time you are strolling down aisle five, look for products with a postconsumer symbol on it that are made with recycled content, like canned food, cereal packages, detergent and cleaning supply containers, and household paper products. Many school supplies can also come from recycled products, such as printer paper, binders and sheet protectors.