Reducing personal waste to help better the environment has become increasingly important. Although, certain social media trends have made it seem difficult and given many people the impression that it must be done perfectly or not at all. Finding ways to live more sustainably is possible, though. It might just be different for everyone.
Social media, primarily Instagram and TikTok can be the hosts of such trends. Currently, the people interested in sustainability and the environment have defined the new trend as “under consumption.” After months of seeing influencers buy and promote various versions of the same items such as water bottles, skin care, makeup etc., they are now promoting having minimal items and using things until they are worn down. In theory, this trend is promoting the right mindset when it comes to reducing waste. But many trends have underlying problems and can honestly be discouraging for people that are new to living sustainably. Because the process can be overwhelming, I wanted to share some ways that I have found to improve personal environmental impact, especially for college students who may not have access to certain things.
One of the first things that comes to mind is walking between classes and taking public transportation, such as buses, when leaving campus for work or to go shopping. When these modes of transportation are easily accessible, it also makes traveling more convenient for students on campus. While reducing carbon emissions can be considered to be on a larger scale of environmentalism, it is a simple aspect and one that is common on college campuses.
Moving on, a different aspect of living a more sustainable lifestyle deals with personal waste. More specifically, how to change your single use items to reusable ones. Some things I have tried personally and now incorporate into my everyday life are tote bags in place of plastic shopping bags, a reusable water bottle and wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. I will admit that I have imperfections, like paper dishes in my dorm room and plastic water bottles because I found the water fountain slightly distasteful. Remedies to these wasteful items would be reusable dishes (like those plastic ones everyone seems to get from Target or glass dishes) and a water filter.Ā
However, many ways of being sustainable suggest buying new items, which in and of itself is unsustainable. This has made it difficult for myself and others to continue pursuing less wasteful habits. Something to keep in mind when looking for replacements to single use items is: See if you already own something and can continue to use the item until it becomes old or you run out. For example, I already have the paper dishes in my dorm, but when I run out of them, I can buy reusable dishes instead. Also, when I cannot find a replacement or solution for single use items, I will recycle when possible.
There are many reusable substitutes to single use paper and plastic items. Other forms of sustainability include shopping at sustainability stores, which sell cleaning and hygiene products without all of the wasteful packaging. Besides shopping in less wasteful manners, shopping second-hand in thrift stores or even in locally owned businesses is more sustainable than constantly supporting large corporations that mass-produce items.Ā
Although there are many aspects to consider when beginning a journey of living more sustainably, it is perfectly acceptable to start small. Perfection is nearly impossible even though some like to claim they have achieved it. Ultimately, reducing waste in manners small and large can help better the environment.