I have complied this list of ten ways to be more sustainable from multiple different blog, Pinterest, and article posts. Most of this is based on my personal experience and what has worked for me at my school. It is possible that none of the content included will work for you and that is a-okay! Figure out what works for you and makes you feel better about your environmental footprint. I hope this helps, but if it doesn't then do your own research, test-drive some ideas. And if they work, great! If they don't try again! Sustainability isn't a science, and it won't look the same for everyone. The important part of this all is that you are not turning a blind eye to the quality of the world. Thank you, I appreciate you so very much for that!
For most teens, college is all about learning to live without your parents for the first time in 17-18 years. You have to do your own laundry, go to sleep at a "decent" time so that you can get to your classes on time, and haul yourself to health services when you've got the flu, (or better yet get a flu shot like your mom told you too so that you don't have to suffer through the flu in a cramped dorm room). You make mistakes and, hopefully, learn from them. College is the chance for teens to learn who you are, or at least who you want to be. For me, being more sustainable is a part of who I want to become during these four short years. I will admit, being sustainable while living on campus is hard. You constantly want snacks or fast food because the cafeteria food that seemed so tasty at the beginning of the year has lost it's exuberance. Since this is the first time that you've had to do your own laundry, you're not really sure how to do it. Do I really have to do a load a week like my mom did? The story of dying your whites pink with a red sock is a myth right? And probably the most problematic thing for me is the constant laziness that looms over you once my parents aren't there to tell me to get my life together. Even though it is hard, I still believe that it is doable. Luckily, I go to a school that is very environmentally conscious, and that allows some laziness on my part.
Still, I decided to test drive some ideas that I thought would benefit my goal. 10 ideas to be exact. To be honest, I test drove (drived?) more than just 10, but a couple things just did not work out the way I had believed they would. First and foremost, cutting out my snack foods cold-turkey to avoid food packaging waste. That ended with me crying over a bag of skittles. Tragic. But somethings seemed to work well for me, and even though they don't make as big as an effect that I first wanted to make, I think it's a good start! Feel free to just read the titles, or dive deeper into the subjects by reading my accompanying paragraphs, as long as you become aware of what you can do to help. So, without further ado, 10 ways to be more sustainable while living on campus!
1) Buy Things Second-Hand
As a college student, with no consistent income, I am constantly short on cash. However, the modern idolization of wanting more is still very present, so I have come up with a (slightly) cheaper, and more sustainable alternative. Buying things second-hand means that not only are you not contributing to the constant circulation of new and "trendy" things being bought and thrown away less than a year later, but you also are saving money! And when you no longer need or want whatever you bought, if it is still in good condition, you can donate it again. Don't get me wrong, there are multiple downsides to buying second-hand. First of all, almost 12.8 million tons of clothing donated to second-hand stores ends up in the trash, which is not helpful at all when you are trying to be sustainable. It is definitely a sad thing when something that seems to be lessening your communities' environmental footprint ends up increasing it. Another thing is that, when clothes are as cheap as they are in second-hand stores, you end up buying more than you need, just because you're able to. I am more guilty than most with this. I have spent hours in Goodwill buying things that I think I can fix up to fit my style or put somewhere in my already crowded room, and end up never touching it again until I put it back in a donation bin. Finally, it is very time consuming to look through the multitudes of clothing, books, etc. at your local shop. Luckily, there are positives to most of these downsides as well! Sure, a lot of fabric is thrown away, but by making second-hand shopping more popular, we can drastically decrease the amount put into landfills. And, with a little self-control, it is easy to walk into a thrift shop with the thing you need in mind and getting only that. Although there really is no way to avoid spending the time finding whatever it is, it will always be worth it when you walk out with what you need cheaper than you could've gotten it new. BAM! Sustainable!
2) Just Repair It
Sewing a button on, or fixing a slowly growing hole in your sweatpants ("Oh, this part doesn't look so slippery!") is way better than throwing them out and either having to go without it or buying a new pair. I get it, you're not a professional sewer, and honestly that is okay! You don't have to be to repair clothes. All you need is a needle, thread of similar color, and a good Netflix show because it might take a bit. Maybe you're still a little antsy, so ask a friend with a little more experience to do it. I can't tell you how many holes I've sewn in my clothes, and my friend's clothes. I promise you that most of them won't mind if you ask nice enough. Definitely try this before buying, even if you plan to buy second-hand. BAM! Sustainable!
3) Lessen your Loads
This one is an easy fix. All you have to remember is one rule. If you've worn it less than three times, it doesn't have a stain, and it doesn't smell, then you don't have to wash it! Easy fix. I get it, you aren't able to see how much water goes into doing a load when you are living in a dorm and sharing a washer and drier with 50+ people, but believe me when I say that it is still being used. Water is not an infinite source, and neither is the energy it takes to wash all your clothes, so do a little deed by lessening your loads. You don't have to do a load on the same day every week. Keep wearing your clothes until they truly are dirty, then do a load only when your laundry basket (or bag in my case) is full, and then do your load. And as a bonus, if you have the time and space to air dry your clothes, do it! It actually lengthens the life your clothes and saves a ton of energy. I personally can't afford to because of lack of space, but I definitely encourage you to. P.S. as long as you don't have newly dyed clothes (aka new jeans, t-shirts from beach shops, or super pigmented red socks) you can stick your whites in with your regular clothes without the fear of them changing colors. BAM! Sustainable!
4) Don't Waste Water
What do I mean by, "don't waste water"? Well, it applies to a couple things. First of all, turn off the water while you're brushing your teeth. You aren't using it, there is no need for the faucet to stay running, so just turn it off. Personally, I like to multitask by returning to my room whilst brushing my teeth. Another thing you can do is take shorter showers. I know how tempting it can be to stand under hot water until you start to blister. I mean, where else would my many adoring fans be able to hear me hum show tunes? (Answer: anywhere. I have a problem.) Start off slow. Break the habit of just standing there. Find ways you can shorten your shower. Time yourself. It may seem weird, but it is nice to finally be able to get your necessities done in 5 minutes. Finally, when (or if) your'e doing your dishes, don't scrub with the water on. You just need a little bit of water to activate the soap, so get that little bit of water, then turn the faucet off. This is one of the 10 tips that is harder to follow, because you don't directly see the affect, and that is okay! The sad thing about trying to lessen your environmental footprint is that, even if the entire population of the world started to be actively conscious, we wouldn't see results for years. The point of sustainability is to create a better world for future generations, not necessarily ours. But, trust me when I say, that even the little things you do can create a big difference, so keep on keeping on. BAM! Sustainable!
5) Turn it Off
(Like a light switch. Just go click!) It may seem stupid, but turning off the lights and unplugging appliances when you're not using them is actually helpful. It saves energy, obviously, but it also creates a good habit for when you eventually move into your own place. By turning off lights and appliances, you can save money on your electricity bill. That's something that every person wants, whether you are a broke college student or a middle-class family with 2.5 kids. Saving money is a universal incentive to be more sustainable. BAM! Sustainable!
6) Stop Buying Fast Food
Or if this seems like too daunting a task to take on, lessen how much fast food you buy. I get it, after a while cafeteria food gets old, and the snacks at the Market don't rotate (The Market is the small, on-campus grocery store that you can use your meal plan in at Appalachian. Super helpful since I don't like to have the same 7 meals every week), a person can start to crave fast food. We all know that you don't have the money for it, and most likely, you have to pay someone to bring it to you. I am more guilty than most about this. What can I say? I'm a major sucker for Chicken Lo Mein and Steamed Dumplings. It doesn't matter to me that I have to pay almost $15 each time I want it because I know that it will most definitely taste better than the Asian bar at school that can barely call their food cooked. However, each time you succumb to your cravings, not only are you spending money you most likely don't have, but the amount of energy and waste that comes from it is HUGE. Each fast food restaurant produces about 200,000 pounds of waste every year. That doesn't seem like much until you consider how many fast food restaurants there are globally. For example, back in my hometown, there is one street that is home to a Wendy's, Mellow Mushroom, Taco Bell, Arby's, plus three other restaurants. So for that one street in a relatively small town, 1,400,000 pounds of waste is created annually. So, save the fast food for special occasions, i.e. birthdays, celebrations, or holidays, not just when you get tired of the provided food. That way, when you do get it, it will taste so good it hurts, AND you won't have to sell your soul for the few dollars it takes to get it. BAM! Sustainable!
7) Bring a Reusable Bottle/Mug Everywhere
I'm sure this one doesn't require much explanation. I'm someone who insists that you "hydrate or diedrate" 24/7 so I almost always have a reusable water bottle nearby. Personally, I think its easier to carry my own water bottle and refill it then trying to find a place to buy one every other hour. In case this is incentive enough, only about 23% of the water bottles that are produced are recycled. The other 77% end up in landfills where they will sit for the next 450 years. That means that the first ever water bottles made in 1973 that weren't recycled are still around. Coffee cups won't last quite as long, but they still take 50 years to wear down. So, make the switch. Bring your water bottle with you and fill it up. Take your mug with you and ask for your coffee to be in it instead. Some places will even give you a discount. And, a special hint just for y'all, you don't have to just get water in your water bottle. Now, I wouldn't advise putting soda in a camel back (Learned that way back in the day. Ginger ale + Khakis = a strange looking stain that will most definitely be mistaken for pee.). I know it is incredible, but true! BAM! Sustainable!
8) Try a Vegan/Vegetarian Day
First of all, we all know that some vegans are very... strong-minded, which makes it very easy to have them be the butt of jokes, but they have the right idea! This is one of the seemingly harder things to try, but it also is super eco-friendly. Every day, a person who eats a vegan diet saves: 1,1000 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 square feet of forests, 20 pounds of CO2 emissions, and the life of at least 1 animal. How awesome is that for just a day? I will be honest, I tried to do the Veganuary (which is where you go vegan for the month of January). I lasted a week. I broke because I missed chicken, fish, and above all chinese food. So, I called it quits. However, I find that if I commit one day of the week to veganism or vegetarianism, than I can make a difference without having to completely give up my favorite foods. BAM! Sustainable!
9) Walk, Bike, or Take the Bus
This idea is easy for me, seeing as I don't have a car. However, it is always tempting to use my friend's cars. Even though Boone's bus system is very intricate and has bus stops almost everywhere, I always seem to driving a car instead. Cars are a very tempting item to have, and sometimes they are necessary, but they have become a crutch. We are such a lazy being that we are willing to drive what would take 15 minutes to walk. Why is that such a big deal? For every gallon of gas, 24 pounds of carbon dioxide and other dangerous fumes enter the atmosphere (which, if you are unaware, contributes to global warming). So, yes, it is a big deal. As a small rule of thumb, if you can take the bus, take it. Better yet, if you can walk or ride your bike there in less than 30 minutes do that. The atmosphere will thank you for it. BAM! Sustainable!
10) Lead by Example
The best thing you can do is lead by example. One person CAN make a difference. I stopped using straws, openly declined them at restaurants. And guess what? Eventually my dad would just tell the server that the entire family didn't need them. So yes, when you lead by example, you can start a movement, and you can make a difference. Don't believe me? Look at Greta Thunberg. Look at Martin Luther King Jr. They have started or furthered revolutions simply by doing what they think is right and spreading the word about it. They don't use violence, they use words. One quote especially reaches me. Billy Graham said, "Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened". So, take a stand, even if it's small. Do what you can and others will follow. And one day, the world will be walking in the same direction.
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