This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at DePauw chapter.

Earth Day may be in April, but that shouldn’t stop you from continually “being green” throughout the whole year. The Earth is currently in a critical state and every little bit helps create a cleaner and more sustainable place to live. Besides, haven’t you heard: green is the new black. Here are 10 stylish ways to go green.

Recycle.

Short and simple. Every facility on campus has a beautiful, bright, blue bin (tongue twister?) at your disposal for all your recycling needs.

Get that firm booty and save the planet! Ride a bike!

DePauw has initiated a Rent a Bike program; all you need is your student ID and credit card. Go to Walden Inn and rent a bike for 24 hours. You’ll be saving the Earth while toning that booty for Spring Break. It’s a win-win situation!

Even though DePauw isn’t exactly surrounded by a booming metropolitan area, it does offer beautiful scenery. Take it in and take a casual bike ride to relieve some stress.

Turn off the lights.

No need to explain this one. Just remember to flick ‘er off when you leave the room. Eazy peezy.

Use a power strip

Living in the dorms and sharing can be a drag especially when it’s the weekend and both of you need to straighten, curl or blow-dry your hair WHILE playing music to set the mood. There never seem to be enough outlets! By getting and a power strip, all of these things can be done without becoming frustrated with your roomie for taking too long to style her hair. And, when you guys are headed out for the night, the outlet can be easily switched off. Now you don’t just look good, you feel good, as the queen of energy conservation.

Avoid Styrofoam like the plague!

Nothing lasts forever (nothing natural, anyway). However, Styrofoam does! It is non-biodegradable, which means when we’re long gone that Styrofoam cup we drank our morning coffee from will still be hanging around.

Cold water

By using cold water for your laundry, you’re saving more energy since hot water requires energy to heat up. Even better, cold water prevents the color running from your red tank top and turning all your whites a funky shade of pink.

Double the sides, double the fun.

Whenever you’re trying to print assignments for class at Roy O. why not make it double sided? Obviously this will save the amount of paper wasted and keep you from having to juggle 50 million separate sheets of paper while studying.

Hang loose, hang dry.

Save some electricity by investing in a clothing rack for your room. This will not only help out the environment, but also prevent some unwanted shrinkage of your favorite sweaters and t-shirts. And they’re super cheap at Walmart!

Stay Hydrated; a metal water bottle will never go out of style.

With the changing of seasons, winter brings cold blasts of dry air, which means dry skin. Solution? Drink water! By getting a handy dandy water bottle you can stay hydrated, which will benefit your body will prevent you from having to buy those pesky plastic water bottles that end up getting scrunched in your backpack or piled in landfills.

You are what you buy.

Invest in products that have a Go Green initiative. Buying products that are environmentally friendly doesn’t simply mean buying recycled paper or organic fabric. It means that you are buying into a lifestyle. You’re taking control by controlling what you consume or purchase. Supply and demand, as they say.

Sources:

Small Things for Big Changes: 10 Tips and Tricks for Going Green at DePauw

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