Hi friends!
This week is Earth week, so to spread the word and remind people to try and live sustainably, I’m going to share some ways that my roommates and I try to live more Earth conscious.
First, a disclaimer! In general, living sustainably may seem more difficult as a university student, so I’m not trying to bash on anyone that does any of the things my roommates and I don’t do. In addition, my roommates and I know that we are not perfect!! And can definitely adopt better habits, so if you have suggestions on how to help us along with that, we’re all ears! With that being said, let’s get into the three ways five university students try to live eco-friendly.
1. Saying “No” to Single Use Dishes
In our apartment, we don’t use any styrofoam, plastic, or paper plates or silverware. While we know that paper plates may be a better alternative to styrofoam or plastic, we use good ole ceramic dishes whenever we eat. We do this for two reasons. One, our parents already had enough reusable dishes and cups at home for us to take to university. We technically didn’t have to spend a dime on dishes and we’re putting to good use things that we already have at home (and isn’t that the true definition of reusable!) Two, single use anything takes up a hefty carbon and water footprint. In a dish lifecycle analysis conducted by Tufts University, they found that it takes about 80 gallons of water to produce 10 single use paper plates whereas it takes approximately .002 gallons to produce 10 porcelain plates. That’s a lot of water for 10 plates that you can only use once!! I’ve attached the article below if anyone wants to give it a read.
2. Saying “Yes” to Energy Conservation
While this may seem incredibly mundane to some, in our apartment we try to conserve as much energy as possible during the day as well as the night by simply turning off the things we don’t need and when they’re not in use. I include this habit because we see a lot of our university friends:
– Leave their lights on during all hours of the day and when they leave.
– Keep their TVs playing even when they’re not watching.
– My biggest pet peeve, have their ACs set to 60-65˚ even when their apartments are
empty and they’re off for spring/summer break.
I secretly wonder how much they pay for their electricity bill but most importantly, I wonder how they could be so okay with being so wasteful. In our apartment, we rarely turn on the lights during the day because our apartment (luckily) has massive windows that allow sunlight to shine through. We also have our AC set to 73-74˚ when we’re home everyday and 76-78˚ when we leave for break.
3. Saying “Yes” to Doing Things as a Group
Luckily, my roommates and I are pretty close and are able to do just about anything as a group. This includes grocery shopping, running errands, and overall having fun (going for hikes, playing tennis, getting food, etc). What is one thing that these have in common? The ability to carpool. Yes, in our apartment, we carpool everywhere together. Not only does this save money, it saves on fuel emissions which is arguably more important. In addition, when we do go out, we all have very similar “good” habits. We wear reusable masks, use reusable bags whenever we grocery shop, use reusable water bottles whenever we get active, and overall, try to cut out single use anything when we go out. For example, when getting take-out, saying no to the single use cutlery they shove inside your bag. Saying “no” to plastic bags in general and carrying the box of food on its own. Lastly, whenever we do need a plastic bag or plastic container, we make sure to try and reuse them or recycle them (yes, we definitely do recycle!)
Overall, our version of living eco-friendly has a lot to do with the smaller things in our daily routine. While we may not have the money or resources to install solar panels or drive a Tesla just yet, we do try to lessen our carbon footprint by adopting habits that minimize wasting energy and single-use anything. These steps don’t really cost a thing and in fact, may even save some of y’all money! So it pays to be eco-friendly. Not just in the long run, but in the short term as well.
I hope this reminded some of y’all to live more consciously. Again, my DMs are open to helpful tips and constructive criticism; let me as well as my roomies know what we can do better to better our Earth!
Love,
Delphi Pradiana