5 Ways To Reduce Consumption As A College Student

/ Post by Katie Billing of Polar Bears International

1- Eat GREEN: If you live off campus make sure you shop locally at Farmers Markets. If you have to eat the food in the cafeteria, keep your hopes up! You still have the opportunity to eat a meatless meal a few times a week, and try and find out if the vegetables served are locally grown. Want to go further? Perhaps you can start a community garden on campus!

2- Revamp your Dorm: Switch the light bulbs to CFLs. Bring re-useable napkins and towels to clean spills or use for dining purposes. Have a small vermicomposting bin! Compost your leftover snacks with a small and easy to handle compost bin where worms do the work!  Want to go further? Advocate for a campus compost pile and encourage the dining halls to add their waste to it! 

3- Cut Down Water Consumption: Bring a drying rack for your clothes, it saves you money and it helps save the bears! Also make sure you limit your showers to 7 minutes or less. If you are a lady, keep a cup or small tub to collect grey water, use it for shaving your legs.  Want to go further? Install a low-flow showerhead!

4- Keep it Classy: When buying schoolbooks see if you can rent them or purchase used textbooks, then sell them to other students or businesses later. This saves money and trees. Also try and bring old folders from high school to re-use. Nobody cares if your folder has a puppy on it.  Lastly, make sure you recycle old papers and supplies at the end of the year.  Want to go further? Start a swapping business where you and your friends trade old school supplies and borrow books for class. 

5- Spread the word! Tell your roommates to join you! Want to go further? Get the whole campus involved! Make it a challenge!