Sustainability—Though many argue that there are multiple definitions to what this means, a particular definition stood out to me the other afternoon. Sustainability is to find “peace between ecology and economy.” As Collegiettes, it can be very difficult to find this balance apart from purchasing those cute reusable totes at Trader Joes® or shelling out those extra cents for “organic” labeled fruits and veggies.
But it’s a lot simpler than that! So we here at HerCampus UCI, in celebration of Go Green week this late February, have decided to show you just how easy it is to maintain this sense of sustainability throughout a school day!
Rise and shine ladies! Not only are these products organic and eco-friendly (words you’ll be seeing a lot from here on out) but portable as well. To start her morning, Victoria Secret angel Miranda Kerr, known for her organic and very healthy lifestyle, has her KORA Organics (3) line of facial moisturizers and cleansers. EoS (4) (short for Evolution of Smooth) hit the cosmetic world by storm with their popular lip balms. Their unique shape is recognizable in most girls’ purses, but as an added bonus the lip balm claims to be “95% organic and 100% natural.” For the eyes, we have Physician’s Formula (2) whose line of organic wear showcases a number of difference mascaras that are free of harsh chemicals for both length and volume. And finally, try these tin lip balms from Figs & Rouge, for on-the-go moisture!
Unbeknownst to some, and usually ignored by others, the amount of plastic wasted by using bottled waters from the grocery store produces up to 1.5 million tons of plastic waste a year. One efficient and highly recommended way of combating this waste is through the use of refillable water bottles. (1) Bobble water bottles have a unique shape and particular feature that has made them increasingly popular campus-wide. The replaceable filter attached to it is known to filter the water as you drink for as much as you would get with 300 water bottles. Durability is also an important factor in choosing a water bottle, so for that you’d most likely enjoy a stainless steel model such as the ones crafted by (2) Kleen Kanteen. If you’re looking for fashion rather than function, there are a number of different prints and colors such as (3) PINK for Victoria Secrets water bottles. Most importantly, in looking for your perfect bottle, is to make sure it’s BPA free. Stay hydrated, Collegiettes!
Zip-Loc bags and backpacks treated with a number of chemicals are definitely not eco-friendly, nor practical. Fortunately, there are a number of different options a girl can take that won’t sacrifice style. BAGGU as show above, creates multiple types of bags and holders for any sort of occasion, all of which are durable, reusable, and extremely affordable such as backpacks (1), shopping totes (4), and even mesh lined produce bags. In terms of food for your afternoon munchies, opting for a stainless steel lunch ware such as ones from LunchBots not only eliminates the extra trash from cellophane and instead provides the modern day Collegiette with a lunch box tough enough to last those long, rigorous days (and even nights) on campus. Carrying your things and packing delicious lunch is now made “green” and absolutely do-able. Bon appétit!
What’s a college girl without college?! Perhaps the simplest way to incorporate “green” and environmentally friendly products into one’s life without feeling too uncomfortable is by tucking away our beloved Five Star notebooks and opting for recycled school supplies. Yes, I said it ladies, recycled, though I mean that in the best way possible. Starting with notebooks, check out these Liberty “Eco-Friendly” notebooks featuring soy-based inks on recycled pages. For writing utensils, O’Bon creates pencils in all sorts of prints, all of which are made with recycled newspapers. Hold all your important school cards and business cards collected through endless bouts of networking in one of these MightyWallets made of recycled materials and is 100% eco-friendly! In fact, you can find a number of these snazzy wallets on campus at the UCI Bookstore! Finally, when you find yourself sitting at Gateway through those early hours into the morning and are dying to keep yourself awake with some fresh tunes, splurge on this pair of Paul Smith Green House of Marley headphones. Your neighbor and the Earth will thank you!
So there we have it, Collegiettes. Modern day science and technology has provided us with so many different ways to “Go Green” and fully embody this idea of sustainability despite our bustling college lives. Small changes can make a big difference, and we hope that this week and the months following after, we begin to realize that the choices we make now may have serious consequences to the environment and world we live in later.
For more information on this theme of sustainability, check out http://www.sustainabilitystore.com/sustainable.html.