4 Easy Ways to Go GREEN in College

The college campus is the perfect place for environmentally conscious students to grow their green identity. These students have the rare chance to explore green opportunities and initiatives that aren’t necessarily available to people outside of an academic context. Best of all, the free exchange of ideas and encouraging intellectual environment provides the ideal setting for students to reflect on the positive and negatives processes and movements that affect our environment. Where else than college can you expect to have candid conversations about renewable energy and decreasing your carbon footprint?

I’d like to take this time to talk about students interested in green initiatives, but who aren’t sure where to start. There are a number of simple things students can do to get involved with campus green/environmental movements; here are four of them.

Green transport: bike around campus

Many students travel to and from campus using either public transportation (like a school bus line) or simply driving their by car. But as you know, most buses and cars run on fossil fuels that pump high amounts of carbon dioxide and other chemicals into the air. I’m not saying that driving a car or taking a bus is a bad thing, but it’s certainly an avoidable method of transportation if you want to reduce your carbon footprint. Students who live near or on campus can easily substitute gas-guzzling transportation for a road bike. Bicycles have zero negative impact on the environment and they’re handy for a cardio workout, so why not give them a try

Join a student run environmental group

There are more direct ways to contribute to the green movements on your campus. For example, you could try joining a student-organized environmental group likely sponsored by your college. Student run environmental groups offer a huge gateway into the campus’s green scene. Some groups will be politically motivated, pushing for new laws and guidelines meant to spread environmental awareness. Others might be more active in the local community, organizing events aimed at growing the immediate green community. Either way, you’re likely to learn a lot from the students behind these types of groups.

Shop at a local food co-op

Both large and more rural college towns often boast a food co-op or two. These institutions are run by local farmers, food producers, and volunteers who want to sustain an environmentally conscious food community that’s built around products grown and raised in the area. Most co-ops are filled with organic and free-range foods that were harvested or produced mere miles from the building in which they’re sold. Joining a co-op is an easy way to become of the local green community, and a smart way to get access to healthy and nutritious food.

Reuse, recycle, repeat!

Reuse and recycle: that was the mantra of many of my friends in college who helped me to understand a greener way of living. With their help, I learned the benefits of recycling products rather than trashing them, and reusing products that didn’t need to be thrown away quite yet. I learned that a sturdy to-go container from a restaurant could be used many times over to store my own food. I learned that shopping for clothes at thrift stores wasn’t only economical, but also fashionable. And I learned how big of an impact I could make in my community if I just learned to recycle every week. It’s my hope that more college students adopt a similar green outlook.