UC Santa Barbara is one of the top ranked environmentally friendly schools, so we should all contribute to keeping our green reputation! Here are a few tips on how to be a green gaucho:
1. Buy a water bottle
Instead of bringing a one-time-use plastic bottle to class, choose to buy a reusable water bottle instead. It saves the environment AND saves you money!
…And real plates
It’s definitely easier to throw away paper plates after dinner than wash a pile of dishes, but using paper plates everyday results in piles and piles of trash. Plus real plates are way better for those precious foodie Instagram posts.
2. Recycle bin
I know, I know, we’re all poor college students but it’s worth it to buy that extra trash bin for your recyclables. The earth will thank you!
3. Print double sided
If your professors are anything like mine, they will ask you to print out endless pages of readings (even in the environmental classes…ironic right?). So, ALWAYS print double sided when you can! We use enough paper as it is.
4. Reusable bags
You know what’s perfect for those constant TJs trips? Reusable bags! We say we’ll reuse the paper bags, but truthfully we find ourselves having way more than we can use so they end up stuffed under the sink. So invest in some cute reusable bags!
5. Bike
I would say choose to bike or walk when you can, but we all know UCSB students are already great at that!