You know the right thing at the moment is to become Eco-friendly. Believe it or not, you can be kind to the planet and stuff your wallet, without much effort at all.
Adopting a greener approach to life doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are some easy ways you can live greener while you are a student:
Take notes electronically
Thankfully, the world is now digitally focused and your studies can be, too. You’ll save money (and stop wasting paper) on purchasing notebooks and flashcards if you begin to electronically take down what you need to remember in class.
Adopt reusable bag practices
Take reusable bags to the store with you to the grocery shop instead of opting for paper or plastic. It’s wasteful and unnecessary, and several bags with every grocery trip can add up to a whole lot of garbage over a lifetime.
Zero bottled water
Reuse old water bottles or purchase water bottles that you can refill instead of tossing out a new bottle every time you need to quench your thirst.
Recycle
By now, this should be a no-brainer. When you’re able, recycle. Whether it’s paper products, plastics or upcycling old items, it’s important to think about which trash can be saved from a landfill.
Power Down
When you are not using appliances or you’re not in a room, turn off lights and other electronics. An easy way to implement this is by connecting your electronics to a surge protector and flipping the switch when you leave the room. Bonus: your electric bill will thank you!
Walk or Bike more
In addition to helping you live a healthier lifestyle, trying to cut down on driving can help the environment and save you a lot of gas money as well.
Use energy efficient light Bulbs
Try to switch your bulbs to energy-efficient compact fluorescent (CFLs) or LED bulbs. Though they may be a little more expensive, it’s worth it because they can last up to five times longer than regular light bulbs and are very bright so you won’t need to turn on as many lights.
Save Energy
Set your thermostats a few degrees lower or your air conditioner a few degrees higher. You probably won’t notice much of a difference, but the environment will.
Decrease meat consumption
Raising livestock produces large amounts of greenhouse gases into the environment. According to a United Nations report, “cattle-rearing generates more global warming greenhouse gases, as measured in CO2 equivalent, than transportation, and smarter production methods, including improved animal diets to reduce enteric fermentation and consequent methane emissions, are urgently needed.”
Think about your water usage
You can save water in your daily life by turning off water while brushing your teeth, washing your face or shaving. In addition, cutting down your shower time can save more water and make a bigger impact than you’d think. It’s estimated that, using an average number of 2.5 gallons per minute from the typical shower head, reducing your shower length by 4 minutes per day would save (assuming you shower every day, ahem) 3,650 gallons per year. Now that’s a lot of water saved for such a small sacrifice!
