7 College Student-Approved Ways To Begin A Green Life On Campus | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics

7 College Student-Approved Ways To Begin A Green Life On Campus

Start your adult life right by saving the planet!

166
7 College Student-Approved Ways To Begin A Green Life On Campus
Lauren Gallup

As college students, we are beginning our adult lives. Most of us are moving out on our own for the first time, having the responsibility to buy things for ourselves, and generally make choices that we will make for the rest of our lives. For the first time. What to eat, what to wear, how to get where we need to go, what to do in our free time. It’s a lot of new responsibility but it is also a great opportunity.

An opportunity to go green.

I’ve always cared about the environment, but I never considered myself an environmentalist. I paid attention to products I shouldn’t buy that were harming our environment, took the bus around instead of using a car, and recycled. But I was pretty passive in my approach.

And then I went home for winter break and watched the movie “Before the Flood.” For those of you who have seen it, you’ve probably had a pretty similar experience to myself. Afterward, I felt much more enlightened about the ways our environment is hurting and how huge my role in it is. I was angry at myself but I knew just being angry wouldn’t help. I needed to actually make some change.

Climate change is the biggest problem facing our world today because it affects every single person that inhabits it. And it is in each of our hands to make a change.

I spent winter break researching different ways to lessen my impact, products I shouldn’t use, and alternatives to them. I even bought a book, “Wake Up and Smell the Planet" by Grist, offering everyday ways to be green. But in the back of my mind, I was thinking about all the things I would need to change once I went back to college life.

Being green on campus is not always easy. There are a few barriers in our way as college students (money, time, access), but, as I said before, there is no time better than when you are just beginning your adult life to make it a green one.

To get you started, here are some of the easy switches I made in my dorm life.

1. Use reusable grocery bags.

While many places are starting to ban plastic bags in stores (yay!), not everywhere has. Bringing your own bag to the store takes one thing of plastic out of your life and makes a step to rid plastic out of our lives once and for all. If you’re a broke college student that doesn’t already have reusable bags, collect five or six brown paper bags on your next shopping trip and reuse them! No one said you had to get all fancy; whatever works!

2. Invest in a reusable water bottle.

The benefits of a reusable water bottle are plentiful. They encourage you to drink more water, they take one more thing of plastic out of your life, and they help the environment! Win, win, win! If your school doesn’t already ban plastic water bottles, start a petition today!

3. Read the ingredients! Avoid palm oil!

We should all be better informed consumers. Take a minute to look around your room and read the ingredient list of the food and other products you may have. You should know what goes into what you are buying. Next, if you see palm oil (or its other names), do not restock after it is depleted! Read more about how big a problem palm oil is. Of course, if you have bought something, do not just throw it away; that defeats our entire purpose. Which brings me to my next point…

4. Switch to products that are natural when you run out of the ones you are currently using.

If you notice you are using something with palm oil, or other nasty chemicals, or that uses way too much plastic, finish it up and move on! Find an alternative that is better for yourself and for this planet. And since money is at the forefront of every college student’s mind, here are some natural alternatives that are actually cheaper:

At Walgreens: Arm & Hammer Essentials Deodorant with Natural Deodorizers Fresh, $3.49 (vs Dove Advanced Care Antiperspirant Deodorant Cool Essentials, $5.99)

At Target: Blue Diamond® Almond Breeze® Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk - 32 fl oz, $1.99 (vs Nestle® Coffee-Mate Original Coffee Creamer - 16oz, $3.39)

5. Buy in bulk.

If your local supermarket has a bulk section, use it up! Not only can you buy in the quantity of exactly how much you need (eliminating waste), but you can bring in reusable containers to fill up. No plastic!

6. Take the bus! (Or, you know, walk.)

It’s a no-brainer that cars are a huge pollutant, so it should be a no-brainer to avoid using them as much as possible. Learning to use public transit is a great skill to have and a green one too. Riding on the bus exposes you to less pollution than riding in a car because you are further away from the tailpipes floating along (check out Grist for more)! And if the place you’re going is in walking distance, stretch those legs and enjoy the benefits of exercise. Get those steps in!

7. See if your school has an environmental club you can join.

Don’t go in on this alone! Find a club, or make your own, dedicated to taking care of the environment. Having a few friends that are working to be sustainable with you will make things so much easier. You can feel like you’re making a real difference with a community of others.

Good luck in going green! It's never too early to start making a difference in this world.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

2255
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

448824
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

21262
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Moana's Top 10 Life Tips

"Moana" is filled with life lessons that involve far more than finding true love as many other Disney movies do.

44324
Animated image of a woman with long dark hair and tattoos
StableDiffusion

1. It's easy to be fooled by shiny things.

Digital image of shiny gemstones in cased in gold. shiny things StableDiffusion

Tamatoa created a liar filled with shiny things simply for the purpose of tricking fish to enter and become his food. He too experiences a lesson in how easy it is to be tricked by shiny things when Moana distracts him by covering herself in glowing algae so Maui can grab his hook.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments