September 16, 2019, by Shweta
How to be environmentally mindful at university
While it may not seem like it, there is plenty you – as a university student – can do to be more environmentally conscious. Here are some of the ways in which you can help make our planet a better place; one step at a time.
Turn taps and lights off. It’s easy to leave lights on when you rush out on a busy day or take an hour long hot shower when it’s freezing outside, but try to be more mindful of your water and electricity usage. Particularly in dorms where bills aren’t consciously being paid for out of your own pocket, it’s easy to waste. Switch lights off and turn taps off in your own space and do the same in friends’ rooms, public rooms/toilets when you see resources being wasted.
Choose more eco-friendly forms of transportation. Basically, try and walk places! The city centre is a mere 25 minutes away from the university and on a good day, the walk is beautiful. Not only are you saving resources but you’re also getting in some exercise. If you’re not up for a walk, try cycling or even the bus instead of driving.
Recycle! Whether you’re in dorms or in a student home, you’ll find waste sorting bins everywhere you go. Sort your trash and recycle what you can, particularly food related waste. There’s so much plastic going into bins that should be recycled instead. Be better in your disposal of that plastic.
Speaking of plastic, try to minimise your usage by opting for paper bags, metal straws or reusing plastic you already own. One of the easiest ways of doing this is to re-use a shopping bag every time you nip down to Tesco instead of grabbing a new one. Buy a flask instead of using plastic water bottles. Put old clothes in the big red charity bins dotted around the city instead of just chucking them in the trash. Think twice before investing in plastic and remember to recycle to help the planet.
There are so many more ways to do your bit for the environment so comment below your favourite ways to make a change!
Until next time,
Shweta
Thanks for sharing so many fab suggestions that prove just how easy it is to be more eco-conscious and sustainable! As students, it is our generation that really need to step up and protect our planet and this blog completely shows how many easy things we can do that increase our sustainability without making difficult changes.
Such an important blog. Freshers can struggle to adapt to independentt life and sometimes this means that they end up using more single plastic than necessary and more food gets wasted etc. Talking about sustainability alongside tips for budgeting/cooking etc. is not only crucial for the future of our planet but will also help students day-to-day.