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With lectures, seminars, e-learning, assignments & that student loan that needs spending. Learning about going green and becoming more sustainable can sound like another boring lecture...but it doesn't have to be!
Today, we are your teachers and guides. Whether you're a new starter taking your first steps into the all out chaos of freshers week or a 3 year veteran coming into the final push...going green is for everyone.
In this blog, we have put together everything that you may need on that new sustainability drive...from how to reduce waste in your student home, eating on a budget, plus the best apps that you can download for discounted food and freebies & who doesn't want that?
There are plenty of ways of reducing waste in student homes, it is just all about finding the best techniques that works for you!
No matter what the waste, there is always a way of reducing it, all it takes is a little patience and waste management.
Recycled Notebooks & Papers: Purchase recycled paper & notebooks & encourage the use of both sides of the paper, even though we know which side everyone likes to write on!
Recyclable Binders & Folders: Search for recycled binders and folders that have less plastic in them.
Online Submissions: Submit essays online rather then spending £50 on printer credits at the student library. Not only is it saving yourself money, but you are reducing the paper waste generated.
Double-Sided Printing: If an essay does need to be printed out, printing on both sides is an easy win for paper waste reduction.
Refillable Water Bottles: Using refillable water bottles ditches single-use plastics and is one of the easiest ways to become a more sustainable student.
Eco-Friendly Backpacks: Swap the plastics for recyclable backpacks. Mix style with sustainability!
Collect Compost: We don't expect you to be piling up the banana peels by your back door, unless you are into that of course, however, you could create a little area where you can gather up your old tea bags, fruit & vegetables.
Look to invest in a small composting bucket for your inside space. This could be a compact worms bin or bokashi bucket.
Once it is time to harvest, use your fresh compost for soil for your indoor plants.
It is not just your own personal energy that you need to conserve for your lectures...conserving your uni digs energy is also important.
Gas & electricity bills as well as food prices are rising each year, so, learning a few tricks to reduce your energy consumption can give you some extra pennies for your latest student union pub crawl!
Biking and Walking: Some Uni Halls or Campus may be within spitting distance, so why not get those legs working and treat yourself to a cycle or walk. By using these are your primary transport, you can reduce your carbon emission and cycle on your way to going green.
Public Transport: For any long journeys, look to take public transport. All modes of public transport such as (Tram, Bus, Train) offer a discount to students to encourage a more sustainable way of travelling.
Carpooling and Ride-Sharing: If you own a car or one of your flatmates/classmates owns one, why not chip in for the petrol and ride share? This is a great way of being more sustainable and also, who doesn't enjoy a sing-along car journey?
With the vast amount of different equipment and materials needed for your first steps into University, you can be forgiven for selecting items that are the cheapest, but, are they the most sustainable?
Choosing eco-friendly products doesn't have to cost the earth....there are plenty of different items, big and small, that you can purchase to do your bit towards a greener way of learning.
Choosing Sustainable Materials
Eco-Friendly Furniture: Look for furniture that is made from sustainable materials such as bamboo or FSC certified wood. Bamboo & Hemp are also great items for bedding and decor.
Green Cleaning Products: Choose cleaning products that don't contain nasty pesticides or contaminants, this helps create a cleaner environment & also protects wildlife & insects.
Supporting Eco-Friendly Brands: Purchase from brands that pride themselves on reducing the amount of waste generated and helping promote sustainable development. Companies like Shared Earth are a great example!
Shared Earth offers eco-friendly products & gifts. This ranges from Stationary to Bamboo products. Everything you could possibly imagine can be found on this site!
Website Link: https://tinyurl.com/yck9vee5
Community Gardens: If you university currently has this then great, get involved. If not, why not recommend this in your next student union meeting?
Talk to university administrators, local government officials, community organisations, and residents to generate support for the project.
Indoor Plants: If you don't have a garden area outside, don't worry, indoor plants can work just as well! Plants aren't just nice to look at, they also improve the air quality around you...perfect for getting rid of those after party stenches!
If you feel that you don't want to be watering them all the time and caring for them, look to get low maintenance plants.
Students deal with technology pretty much every minute of every day. Rather then using all your apps for the constant 5 minute satisfaction you get from doom scrolling on the timeline, why not use technology to your advantage?
We don't mean using it to stalk that attractive person you saw across the club on Facebook, use it in ways to make your more sustainable!
There are plenty of apps out there that promote going green and reducing climate change, even if you don't realise that you are doing your bit!
Apps for reducing waste
Too Good To Go: Prime example of an app where you are being more sustainable without even realising. This is an app that lets you collect food from local businesses to ensure that no food waste is thrown away. You can pick up discounted surprise bags from stores such as: Greggs, Asda, Co-op etc.
A great way to stay sustainable whilst also getting a little treat back!
Freecycle: These are a not for profit organisation that encourages neighbours, friends, students and communities to share items with each other for free. This is great way of sharing unwanted items, whilst knowing they are going to good home rather then landfill.
University and community programs that support recycling efforts
You will find that most, if not all Universities, will have a recycling program or a recycling guide to encourage all students to recycle and use more sustainable practices.
Just like modern day sports, there is actually a University league of Sustainability and Recycling to help promote.
You can see who is topping the leader board: https://peopleandplanet.org/university-league
Apps for Carpooling and Public Transit
BlaBlaCar: BlaBlaCar is a popular carpooling app that connects drivers with empty seats to passengers heading in the same direction. This is ideal for long journeys and is widely used in the UK!
It is a cost-effective and eco-friendly way for students to travel between cities or regions.
GoCarShare: Another app that promotes car sharing. across the UK. Using these apps not only gets you meeting new people in your area, but reduces your pollution and is a more sustainable way of travelling.
Sustainable Textbook Solutions: If you have purchased your books from the library, once you have finished with last years book or current subject, why not look to donate them to your university, or, pass them to another student.
Use social media channels such as Facebook to offer your books out.
Digital Textbooks: Scrap the hard backs,..and we aren't talking about those vertebrae's that need a scrub after achieving 7 nights out in freshers but 0 showers! We are talking about books! Encourage your University to switch to online e-books and resources to minimise paper waste.
Moving in or out of student halls/houses can be a very stressful experience, so seeing piles of empty boxes & plastic lining every corner can add to the rising frustration.
By minimising waste during the moving process, you can help alleviate the annoyance of moving. We can't promise to alleviate the sweat from running up and down all those stairs though!
Planning Purchases: Just like food, not shelling money on impulse buys when first moving into your halls, can help minimise waste. Plan purchases with roommates to avoid duplicate items such as kettles or toasters being purchased.
Donation Drives: Hand-out old items that you don't need anymore to charities or look at organising an end of the year donation drive, so that all student flats and houses give unwanted items to organisations that help it get to a good home.
Plan for Disposal: Look to hire a private waste company to environmentally dispose of your waste. Alternatively, check if your University offers any environmentally friendly recycling facilities.
There are thousands of student events taking place throughout the year all over the UK, so why shouldn't there be an eco-friendly one?
If you are running any events on your campus, here are some great tips to make them a little more sustainable:
Green Event Planning
Digital Tickets: Ditch the paper based tickets & embrace the digital era. Every student has a phone on them at all times, so use digital tickets to keep your event brimming with sustainability.
Local Food: Source food from local farms, shops and bakeries to not only reduce your events carbon footprint, but help out your local community.
Recycle: Provide plenty of recycling stations around the event area & if possible, set up a composting area so that all food waste doesn't have to be thrown away.
Volunteer Clean-Ups: Why not organise a volunteer clean-up day? This not only reduces waste around events and areas but also, fosters a sense of community within the campus.
The student budget is already going to be tight, so we aren't going to ask you to warm your beans on toast up by sitting on the beans and putting your bread in the microwave to save on the electricity bill.
We aren't that stingy, plus, there are plenty of other ways in which you can eat more sustainable:
Plan Meals: Get together as a flat or apartment to create specific meals that you all can enjoy. This reduces the amount of left over food creating a smell in your fridge, or that 25 day old bolognaise.
Sharing is Caring: When you have ordered that KFC or just done a big shop at Iceland, it can be tempting to hoard that food for yourself, but, by sharing your food together or chucking your flatmates your left over scraps, you are minimising your food waste..
We have come to the end of today's subject, thanks again for your attendance.
By adopting eco-friendly living habits, like using digital textbooks and embracing reuse and reusable items, you are not only reducing waste but making education more affordable for everyone.
Remember, every small, sustainable step counts, and as students, you have the power to make a big difference. So ensure that you go green and make a mark on the world!
One light bulb and greenhouse at a time!
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