Happy April! We’ve made it to the final stretch for many college students with summer quickly approaching, but there’s something important to celebrate this month: Earth Month!
Earth Day/Month is important now more than ever with the amounts of waste that we continue to create. College students specifically contribute a good deal to the amounts of single-use plastics used, as well as to littering as “darty” season approaches us.
If you are unfamiliar with the term “darty,” it is a college phenomenon of daytime parties that occur more often as the weather gets warmer. After these events, empty cups, cans, cardboard boxes and bottles line the streets of many college towns around the nation.
This is just one instance of the effects that college life can have on the environment. So, with that being said, I want to offer you five sustainable suggestions that you can ACTUALLY utilize in college.
The dining halls at my university typically offer an array of to-go containers, but at most locations, you can bring your own! Having a to-go container helps to eliminate some of the plastic waste that results from the single-use plastic offered by the campus.
- SAY NO TO THE STRAW (OR AT LEAST REUSE THE SAME ONE)
An alternative to single-use plastic straws, which were immensely popular for a while, was the metal/reusable straw that immerged from the “VSCO Girl” era of the internet. I was influenced by this and strictly used a reusable straw for months to help reduce plastic waste. But I was quickly made aware of how impractical this was for college life. So, adjustments had to be made.
Typically when you order drinks it is your choice if you would like a straw or not. While it is suggested you say no to the straw, reusing the same one when you order multiple drinks is at least aiding in using less plastic and is more achievable for the college-aged audience.
Now this is something that is easy for anyone to do. Those plastic rings that package drinks together are not only another single-use plastic addition but also extremely harmful to wildlife. By simply cutting the plastic rings with scissors or even your keys, you can help aid in creating a cleaner campus.
Fast fashion is such a prevalent issue when it comes to college clothing trends and clothing trends in general. Many colleges have organizations that offer clothing swaps to help reduce the purchasing of fast fashion. Participating in one of these helps you to refresh your wardrobe, save money and reduce the consumption of fast fashion. If a clothing swap is not available near you, start one! Or at least trade with your friends!
- RECYCLE WHEN YOU CAN
Now this one may seem obvious, but a lot of individuals are unaware of the amount of help recycling can do. Aluminum is one of the most valuable recyclable materials, and while I completely understand not wanting to carry around cans all day/night, recycle them if you can! On a smaller scale, another way to help the planet is by saving those pop tabs! Pop tabs help a lot and are taken by most recycling centers! So, at the very least, pocket those pop tabs for later!
Hopefully, you have found a few ways to incorporate sustainability into your busy college life! It can be difficult, but just making yourself more aware of waste is a way to create environmental change. Have any other suggestions? Please let us know on the Her Campus socials!