5 Tips for College Students to Live Sustainably

1. Walk or bike to campus rather than driving. This is a really easy way to be more eco-friendly as a student, especially since this can actually save you money on gas. I don’t even have a commuter sticker on my car, so I walk to all my classes, and from Bard to Rowland is only about a 15-minute walk. These short distances though can really reduce your carbon output throughout the semester. Car emissions and fuel consumption play a major role in global climate change, so reducing how much you drive is critical when trying to live more environmentally conscious.  
2. Recycle. This tip is even easier than number one thanks to the work of Cumberland County. On and off campus, Shippensburg borough offers single stream recycling at no additional cost to residents. This means you don’t need to separate your paper from aluminum cans from plastic water bottles, so all recyclables go in one bin and are sorted at the facility. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that of all the waste Americans create, three quarters of it has potential to be recycled. However, only 30% of it actually is. Recycling saves trees, helps the economy and prevents waste from piling up in landfills, so be the change!  

3.BYOB to the grocery store. Using your own, re-usable canvas bags at the grocery store prevents paper or plastic bags from ultimately ending up in landfills. In the debate of what’s more environmentally friendly, paper or plastic bags? The answer is neither, bring your own. Also, do you really need any more plastic bags floating around your house? The EPA reported that only 2% of plastic bags end up being recycled in America, and the rest either end up in landfills or oceans where they leak toxins into the water and marine mammals may accidentally eat them mistaking them for food. Paper bags are equally environmentally damaging, so don’t be fooled by the misconception they’re the better option. Paper production emits greenhouse gases and requires more energy (in turn requires more fuel) and more water than it takes to make plastic bags (HowStuffWorks.com, “Which is more environmentally friendly: paper or plastic?”).  

4.Eat less meat and dairy. Explaining the science behind this one can turn into a five-page document. Essentially though, cows produce methane which is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global climate change and the demand for meat leads to deforestation and reduces biodiversity which provides us with necessities such as medicine, employment opportunities and food. Red meat has more of a negative environmental impact than white meat, but a good way to be more eco-friendly on campus is just to consume less dairy and, more importantly, meat all around. SU actually makes this a feasible option with at least one vegan/vegetarian option offered at every meal time. The options are clearly labeled at every food station if you’re looking for hot food over a salad. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals actually graded SU with an A for its vegan dining options.  

5.Search sustainably. There are search engines floating around on the internet that benefit the environment! It’s crazy to think you can be more eco-friendly just by using different search engines, but is a totally do-able option for students. Google-black.blogspot.com or blackle.com help save energy by putting white text to a black background which saves watts meaning your device is using up less energy/power. Ecosia.com is another search engine that plants trees with its ad revenue based off of searches. So far, they’ve planted over six million trees! 

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