Being eco-friendly doesn’t have to be hard. By following these eco-friendly tips, you can start to go green and contribute to saving the environment. These 11 eco-friend tips for students will surely make a difference in your life.
In this age where environmental degradation, pollution, and massive waste production rank among the most pressing issues facing society, every little effort to go green counts. This is why students, as the leaders of the future, should be primary advocates of go green ideas. But not everyone knows how to become eco friendly. In this post, we look at 11 eco-friendly tips for students and show how being eco friendly is not only easy but also beneficial in the long run.
How to be Eco-Friendly?
1. Recycle. One of the best eco friendly tips that you can follow as a student is to recycle. Recycling can be done by repurposing items rather than throwing them out. But if you’re too busy for this, separating your garbage and placing recyclables in their proper recycling bins is already a good start.
2. Turn Off and Unplug Appliances. Turning off appliances when they are not used is sensible, but some appliances still consume energy even when not in use. Unplugging them as well can be a good way to save on energy.
3. Check Your Water Usage. In the same way that you can still cut down on your energy consumption, you can also decrease your water usage by being mindful of how you use water. For instance, turning off the tap while brushing your teeth or turning off the shower while lathering will help minimize your water usage.
4. Bring Reusables With You. Everything is disposable nowadays: disposable cups, disposable bags, disposable utensils, disposable boxes. But it takes hundreds of years for disposable plastic to decompose. Instead of using disposables, bring reusable items with you such as refillable bottles, metal straws, and eco bags.
5. Cut Down on Your Consumption. A lot of waste we produce come from things we actually don’t need. Just think of all those items that you bought but never got to use and just ended up in the trash bin. By being more mindful of the things that you buy, you don’t just lessen your waste, but you also get to save money.
6. Buy Local. It takes less resources to handle and transport goods produced near you to your local markets, which means that these goods also have lower carbon footprints. By buying them, you lessen your carbon footprint as well and help your local entrepreneurs, too. This is one of the lesser-known tips, but it’s worth following if you really want to make a difference.
7. Avoid Fast Fashion. The fashion and garments industry is actually one of the biggest polluters in the world, next only to the fossil fuel industry. Instead of buying cheap clothing that you will just throw out after wearing a few times, go for high-quality clothes in timeless styles that you could wear for a long time. You’ll actually save more money this way.
8. Go Electronic. One of the best go green tips to follow is shifting to electronic media. For instance, you may opt to have your monthly bills emailed than delivered via snail mail. Instead of buying print books, you can purchase ebooks. Taking notes can also be done using your laptop or tablet. Such practices can drastically lower the amount of paper waste you produce every year.
9. Walk, Bike, Carpool, or Take Public Transport. While having your own car can be more convenient, it also increases your carbon footprint since you’re using more resources to move around. Depending on your specific needs, you can instead walk to your campus, ride a bike, take public transport, or even set up a carpooling system with your friends and classmates. Any of these options lowers your carbon footprint, saves you money, and provides health benefits.
10. Support Green Companies. It is no secret that many companies contribute to environmental degradation. Fortunately, many companies also strive to be more eco friendly. Choosing their products not only aids in lowering your carbon footprint, it also has the added effects of helping save green companies and sending a message to polluting companies that they stand to lose profits unless they change their ways.
11. Spread the Word. Among all student tips, the best is to simply spread the word. Apart from encouraging your friends and classmates by sharing go green information, you can also use your class discussions as a platform for raising awareness. Got a college paper to submit? Write an eco friendly environment essay! Required to come up with your own project? Initiate a project on environment for students! As a student, you can share so many best out of waste ideas for college students.
Leading a more eco friendly life doesn’t have to be stressful or expensive. By simply following any or all of these 11 eco-friendly tips for students, you are already contributing to change. We have only one planet and the future of the youth, including you as a student, is at stake. By cutting down on your usage of natural resources, being mindful of how you consume, and encouraging others to adopt green ways of living, you help secure a better future for yourself and others. Following these tips is a small price to pay if it means creating a better world for all.