Eco-Apartment – Student Living And Eco-Friendliness Don’t Have To Be Enemies

Do you want to start living an eco-friendly life but don’t know where to start? Well, look no further!  

I felt the exact same when I moved into my apartment in September. Now by no means am I a pro when it comes to being sustainable: I leave lights on, don’t plug out any of my plugs and I buy a bottle of water nearly every day.  I am the worst for buying products online and not thinking about the big, unnecessary cardboard boxes filled with excessive amounts of bubble wrap that will arrive at my door.  

So, I decided to use college as not only a fresh start to my academic journey, but as a fresh start to my sustainability journey too! I researched a few small and easy ways to live a more eco-friendly life and to kickstart my sustainability journey.  

USE WHAT YOU ALREADY OWN 

When I was researching, I discovered the one mistake that most people make when going green is buying all these new fancy eco-friendly products. I nearly fell victim to this when I was walking around the shop seeing all these eco-friendly cleaning products and bamboo dish brushes. We get a rush of excitement starting out on our new lifestyle, impulse-buy and don’t think straight about what we are actually doing. You can just use what you already own until the end of its life and then buy the eco-friendly products. This tip is friendly on your pocket and the environment. 

DITCH THE DISPOSABLES  

As students, especially coming into the cold and stressful winter months, we will consume more tea and coffee than you can imagine. Why not try bringing your own coffee travel mug? Think of the change we could make and the waste we could reduce if we switched to reusable coffee cups. As well as that, why are we still buying bottled water when we could just invest in a reusable water bottle? You can refill them all over campus although I will warn you that there are a few that are out of order. The SU will gladly refill a bottle and in a few more places like The Phoenix, every floor of the TSI building and the Eolas building there are water dispensers. Personally, I use the one in the library on the south campus the most, but you can find them everywhere. Not only will you reduce waste, but you will also save money which is a very good bonus! 

REUSABLE BAGS 

How many of you actually keep your “bag for life”? It’s a simple and easy tip but instead of buying a bag every time you go to do your shopping, try to bring one as you walk out the door. I keep one hanging up beside the door so I remember to bring it when I’m doing some shopping! 

SWITCH OFF 

With the price of electricity increasing, this next tip is definitely in your best interest. You wouldn’t believe it but leaving your appliances on standby can be responsible for up to 10% of your electricity bill. If you turn switches off and unplug devices that aren’t in use, think about the amount of electricity (and money) you could save! 

 BUY LOCALLY  

As I mentioned above, I’m ashamed to admit it but I buy a lot of products online. I’ve been trying to buy more products in local shops and take a browse in town first before heading online. I have actually noticed that most products can be found in stores nearby which is amazing for cutting down on packaging and delivery. Even if the shop doesn’t have it in stock and they have it in a different store, you can order it online or in-store and pick it up at your local store. Most shops will offer free delivery to their store so you can eliminate the packing and delivery costs! It’s never been easier to cut out the forever increasing amounts of cardboard boxes, plastic packaging and costs by shopping locally!  

SUSTAINABLE SELF CARE 

This is my personal favourite and I find it quite enjoyable! Instead of buying face masks and hair masks, I have started making my own. Face mask sheets and packaging can be pretty wasteful, so why not cut them out? There are so many recipes out there that you can make at home and this way you actually know what is going onto your skin.  You can also start using a reusable face cloth instead of makeup wipes or pads to cleanse your skin. There are endless options for sustainable self-care, you just have to find what works for you! 

One thing to keep in mind when trying to live an eco-friendly life is that it won’t happen overnight. It’s a change in lifestyle and it won’t be easy, but you have to start somewhere.  

Just remember, doing something small is better than doing nothing at all!