Pizza boxes, soda cans and plastic bottles are items commonly found scattered in college dorms; instead of throwing these items in the garbage, try recycling them. Cardboard, plastic, glass, aluminum and paper are all recyclable materials. Students can set up designated containers for recyclables and empty them about once a week. You can contact your college to find out where recycling dumpsters are located on or near your campus. If your college does not have a recycling program on campus, students can try petitioning or starting a club that works toward providing recycle bins in cafeterias and popular spots on campus. You can also purchase recycled items such as rugs and paper.
Students who live on or near campus can walk or ride a bike instead of driving to classes. In addition to saving gas money, you will protect the environment from pollution. If you are looking to buy a new car, consider a hybrid or fuel-efficient car. Most colleges offer free public transportation for students on and around campus. You can ride the bus to classes located too far away for biking or walking and check bus routes to locations frequently visited, like malls and grocery stores. If you live in an off-campus apartment, try car pooling with your roommates and friends. You can also plan weekly grocery trips with your friends and rotate who drives.
Students can buy used textbooks instead of new ones at the start of each semester, which will save money in addition to helping the environment. If you use plastic grocery bags when shopping, reuse the bags as garbage bags for small trash cans in your dorm room. Instead of buying packs of water bottles, wash and reuse a bottle or buy reusable water bottles such as Nalgene and SIGG. Another option is to use water filters, like the Brita Filter, which will allow you to drink the tap water in your dorm. You can also use plastic food containers to store leftovers and transform glass jars into pencil holders or coin jars.
There are numerous ways to save electricity and water while living on campus. Simple things like remembering to turn off lights and televisions will reduce energy usage. Unplug your electronics and power strips when you are not using them and invest in fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which, according to Energy Star's website, use 75 percent less energy and last 10 times longer than incandescent light bulbs. Energy Star claims that if every home replaced one light bulb with a CFL, we would prevent greenhouse gases equaling the emissions of about 800,000 cars. Buy other Energy Star-rated electronic products that both save money and are energy efficient--a list of green products is available at their website. Save water on campus by taking shorter showers and turning off the water when brushing your teeth. When you are doing laundry, do full loads and wash with cold water.