From Guest Blogger Izzie: How to be Environmentally Friendly at College

Moving away from your home is rarely an easy process. With the multitude of items that need to be relocated, on top of severing ties to the old house, it can be quite the upheaval. But moving away to university or college is full of its own unique little challenges.

Not only are you tasked with shifting a lot of items to what is very likely going to only be a temporary residence, but you are usually doing so alone. You’re entering a new social scene, a new location and a new occupation all at the same time. So how can those with an environmental concern possibly continue their efforts during this stressful and sometimes chaotic time?

Fortunately, as more and more people are discovering, being kind to the world we live in doesn’t take a great effort – just a little bit of effort. So even whilst you are in the process of moving to Uni or College, here are a few things you can do to remain green in life.

Recycle and Reuse All You Can

Recycling may be the one thing you are confident of carrying on with regardless during this time. You’ll hopefully be acutely aware of the benefits already, and most campuses will already have recycling schemes (it may be worth seeing if there are any environmental societies with the Uni/College). But there is one aspect of campus life that can be improved with recycling if you are smart about it.

Eating on the go is a big part of higher education establishments. Tight deadlines, masses of work and the general “rush rush rush” feeling make it almost a necessity. But this kind of eating is very detrimental to the environment. Paper plates, plastic knives and forks, and a lot of containers get used up this way, all of which are very wasteful.

How do you combat this? Firstly, try to reuse any containers you do get. A small tupperware tub with utensils in means you don’t have to use paper plates. They can also be avoided by eating food that needs no container, like apples and bananas (there is even more benefit if the produce is grown locally). And buying a reusable bottle at the start of the year can save a lot of plastic bottles going to waste.

Don’t be flippant with electricity

Most University and College campuses won’t charge you for electricity (you may be charged if you are living in rented property elsewhere). As you no longer have one eye on the bill, you may start to become lazy in your electricity usage. You have to keep check of yourself to make sure no bad habits start forming (like leaving the TV on standby etc.) when you aren’t paying attention to your energy bills.

Also, installing energy efficient lightbulbs is always a good idea. You may have to ask for permission to change it, for health and safety reasons, but it will have an impact on your energy consumption. Might be worth trying to convince your new housemates to try it too!

Find what’s local

Exploring your new location was likely to be top of your agenda anyway. But while nightlife and bars are going to be your first port of call, it’s worth finding out what you can source locally. A quick search online can show you where organic food shops are, or anywhere else that can help you stay environmentally friendly.

The more within walking distance these places are, the better. You’ll have to use some form of transport when it comes to large shopping trips, but smaller shopping can usually be done whilst walking. This is another great way to curb your environmental impact.

Don’t throw away – sell

When the end of term, or better still the end of year, approaches, there is one final thing you can do to help continue with your green living. Most people will throw away old books and furniture ahead of their graduation or relocation to another place of accommodation. But there is a massive market for these items, so not only does it help the environment to sell these items on, it also cuts your costs! Win win!