Happy Earth Day everyone! As tradition would have it, it’s that time of year when targeted ads make vehement attempts to guilt-trip people into cutting down on their carbon footprint by emptying their pockets. It can be incredibly stressful confronting the dichotomy of a deteriorating planet and the dilemma of not knowing what to do about it, especially when it is often simply not affordable to make consistently “greener” choices, particularly if you’re on a college budget. But as these next five tips will show you, making a difference simply doesn’t have to mean draining your savings in service of the planet.
- Take a trip to the Farmer’s Market!
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Most of us can relate to the experience of walking into Whole Foods with a shopping list that’s been halved by the time we get to checkout simply because of how pricey buying organic produce can be. But one of the perks of living in New York City is that it is abundant in farmer’s markets! Farmer’s markets can often be more affordable than grocery stores and offer the additional benefits of being environmentally-friendly. Food generally travels shorter distances to get to you compared to imported grocery store produce and farmers often use organic and sustainable growing methods, but avoid taking the formal steps to be recognized as such since the cost certification can be quite high.
While it’s always great to buy as local as possible, you might consider purchasing basic staples such as onions, carrots, celery, russet potatoes, iceberg lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, scallions, and bell peppers at the grocery store, since they are usually cheaper with minimal variation in quality, especially if you buy organic. So you can diversify your palate without breaking the bank by saving your farmer’s market budget on rarer ingredients! Another great tip is to visit farmer’s markets near closing to take advantage of any deals that may arise from farmers wanting to sell as much as possible before heading back.
Keep in mind though that things like sustainably raised meat, poultry, and dairy products will generally be more expensive at farmer’s markets. But consuming them less often and splurging once in a while is a small price to pay to ensure better taste quality, lower environmental impact, and safe and healthy conditions for the animals supplying the produce.
- Wash your clothes with cold water!
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Turns out making a slight adjustment to the temperature at which you wash your fabrics can have significant impacts on not just the environment but also the longevity of your clothes!
75 – 90% of the total energy used during a hot-water cycle goes towards heating, so switching to cold water can save a significant amount of energy and money per load — specifically between $50 – $150 per year, depending on your washing machine — avoiding up to 1,600 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually. With these savings, you could also decide to spend some extra cash on eco-friendly detergents and softeners!
Moreover, one study shows that the amount of microfibers released during a cold-quick cycle (77 ℉ for 30 minutes) was much less than during a longer hot water cycle (104 ℉ for 85 minutes), while also resulting in lower color loss and transfer. Cold water additionally reduces wrinkling, adding up to more energy savings by reducing the need to iron.
It’s important to keep in mind though that using cold water does necessitate following some laundry best-practices. Liquid detergent is probably a better choice for cold water since powdered formulas may not dissolve properly. Pretreating stains and taking care not to overload the machine will also help result in the best wash. Furthermore, since cold wash temperatures are reliant on outside weather conditions, if your tap cold water temperature falls below 60 ℉, using a cool setting (which adds a small amount of hot water to the load) will help better activate your laundry detergent.
Despite these benefits, remember that hot water might still be a more suitable choice for some loads such as heavily soiled work clothes, linens and towels, bedding, socks, underwear, white garments, or clothes you’ve worn while overcoming an illness. Hot water is most effective at killing bacteria, so these would be better served by being washed warm.
- Use multi-purpose cleaners!
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These days you really don’t need separate cleaning agents for every type of surface, especially when one good multi-purpose cleaner can do it all while saving you time, money, and cabinet space.
Varying formulations give each multi-purpose cleaner different strengths, but generally, a single non-toxic multi-purpose cleaner is a good investment as it will prevent you from being overly exposed to chemicals common in cleaning agents such as surfactants, acidic ingredients like hydrochloric acid, and ammonia, which can not only damage your household surfaces but adversely affect your health. This guide to multi-purpose cleaners by Cleancult also provides specific recommendations about how to use your multi-purpose cleaner appropriately for different surfaces.
If you’re feeling brave, you might also want to try making an even cheaper DIY multi-purpose cleaner using simple ingredients. Recipes like the ones developed by Good Housekeeping generally consist of things like vinegar, water and essential oils to make a cleaner that can be used to wipe down counters, disinfect, wash stubborn pots and pans, and even act as a quick floor cleaner. If you don’t plan to use the cleaner for skin or ingested applications, you could also consider purchasing cheaper versions of the ingredients to further reduce costs.
- spend time in the sun and Cut down on utilities!
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Another obvious, but supremely efficient way to go green while saving money is to cut down on your utility bills. There are many ways to do this, with the most efficient being to simply turn things off as often as possible. With longer summer days approaching, you can cut down on your electricity use by maximising the availability of daylight. You can do this by keeping your blinds open as long as possible, but also by trying to find south-facing windows if you are currently in the search for an apartment, as these tend to get the most direct sunlight here in the northern hemisphere.
All-nighters can often be inevitable though, so as a college student, the best way to reduce your individual energy-consumption and electricity and internet bill is to pull these in buildings that are lit throughout the night anyway. Here at The New School, the University Center is now open 24/7 throughout the year, with other campus buildings being open 24/7 for approximately 2 weeks around finals season. It might be uncomfortable, but your wallet and the planet will thank you for taking advantage of shared spaces.
Apart from this, washing dishes in a full dishwasher and installing inexpensive low-flow showerheads and tap covers can help cut back on water use. In terms of heating and air conditioning, aiming for a 3 – 4 degree change in home temperature according to the season will certainly help those savings. Moreover, if you do this one degree at a time over the course of several days, your body will adjust and you should be able to make the change without breaking a sweat or freezing in the cold.
- Thrift and stoop to your heart’s desire!
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Now of course any sustainable living article catered to the youth would be incomplete without a recommendation to buy pre-owned, pre-loved items! Obviously, think before you buy at all and avoid making purchases you know you won’t use, but if you do feel like indulging in a little spree, an environment and budget-friendly way to go is thrifting or stooping!
NYC has an abundance of thrift and vintage stores offering all sorts of unique items to curate your wardrobe, and The Good Trade has some great tips on how to navigate them like a pro. Additionally, popular Instagram accounts like @stoopingnyc, @curbalertnyc, @stoopinginqueens, and @nycfreeatthecurb notify New Yorkers of the latest street-finds across the city, making for the perfect daytime adventure with a buddy to find your next household accessory. Remember to clean everything you find thoroughly though, especially upholstered and wooden items. Termites or bed-bugs are absolutely not a worthwhile price to pay for new furniture.