World Environment Day: 7 Simple Ways to be Eco Friendly at University

Robyn Chowdhuryon 5 June 2018
World Environment Day: 7 Simple Ways to be Eco Friendly at University

Today is World environment day, so here are our seven simple tips on living a more eco friendly life at university...

The environment is something all too often taken-for-granted. Despite creating perfect weather for cocktails, the increase in global temperature is nothing to be taken lightly...With this January being the fifth hottest in 138 years, the sea levels having risen a monumental 80mm in the last 15 years, and CO2 level at all all-time high – maybe it’s time we give a little help to the planet we call home.

And here’s 6 easy ways to do it as a student, whether on campus or in your own home:

1. Print only when absolutely necessary


It goes without saying that in this day and age, when almost everyone in the UK has a computer or smartphone, you rarely need to print something off. Reading something online instead of printing reduces paper waste, demand for paper, and consequently deforestation.

So next time you’re reading something for class maybe stick to the online version and keep the planet’s, and your own, paper waste to a minimum.

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2. Cut Down On Your Bottled Water Usage

If you’re lucky enough to study in the UK, chances are the water is clean enough to drink without filtering. So why are you still buying bottled water? Every year, millions of barrels of oil go towards making water bottles. And every year factories making bottled water damage the environment and privatise the basic human right to clean water.

So, get yourself a cheap, reusable water bottle from Poundland and take it into uni to refill instead of buying bottled water. This will not only save you money, but reduce your carbon footprint and keep you hydrated in the process!

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3. Recycle, Reuse and Compost

This one goes without saying. When getting rid of your waste, check for the recyclable sign and make sure you wash out any tins or cartons before recycling them. If you’re lucky enough to have a garden with your university accommodation, see what you can do about making a compost pile with your food waste.

Composting will allow organic nutrients to be put back into the ecosystem and will conserve landfill space. Recycling and reusing reduces resources needed for making new items and also reduces landfill space.

Dedicating just a few minutes a day to correctly sorting your waste can really help!

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4. Turn them off!

Make sure that when you’re leaving a room, whether in uni or otherwise, always make sure lights and sockets are turned off behind you. If you can help it, avoid charging your phones and laptops overnight, as tempting as it may be, as it can be bad for both your battery, your energy bills and the environment.

Put your phone on flight mode to save battery overnight if you need to! Just make sure that at the end of the day you’re making these little changes which go a long way towards saving the environment.

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5. Watch your Water!

Another essential aspect of saving the planet is watching how much water you waste. In one quick and easy step, simply by putting your washing machine or shower on its eco setting, you can save water, money and energy.

Washing in cold water saves energy otherwise used to heat it, so wherever possible wash your clothes on colder settings.

And remember to keep your showering time to a minimum – shaving off just one minute from every shower can do a world of good!

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6. Get Active

It goes without saying that walking or cycling from A to B is much better for the environment than taking the car. Little changes like carpooling or taking the bus for long journeys can really help reduce your carbon footprint.

Plus, reducing your carbon footprint is quite a good excuse to get out and get healthy instead of taking expensive and environmentally unfriendly car journeys!

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7. Get Involved

This one takes a little more effort than the others, but is really rewarding. If your uni is by a beach, it is likely you can get involved in beach clean-ups to help not only the environment but the animals that live in it. Alternative options include helping plant trees, doing community service and becoming involved in eco-friendly groups on your campus.

Chances are there will be lots of people like you who want to make sure that your university and its students are as ecofriendly as possible.

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Even if you do only a few things on this list every day, the habits you make will make a big difference in the long term. Not only will you be saving the environment, but setting a good example to your family and friends on how to live in an eco-friendly way.

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