I'm sure that a lot of us would like to be environmentally friendly, but we're not sure how we can do that, or we're not even aware of the options we have in our daily life that can help us be greener. Well, as students on a college campus, there are probably some steps you never considered in your effort to be green.
Do you use a little plastic cup to carry ice cream out of the cafeteria? Instead of using a cup and a spoon, you could plop your ice cream on a cone. The little cups may not even be recyclable; if so, they're going straight to the trash. The cone, on the other hand, will not end up in the landfill, and it adds some nice crunch to your dairy treat. If you don't like the taste of ice cream cones, consider eating your dessert in a glass while you're still in the cafeteria. Or, if you're in a rush and you need some extra calories to sustain yourself, grab a cookie or piece of fruit instead.
If you find yourself frequently getting lunch from your college's Grab n' Go, ask the attendants not to put your meal items in a plastic bag. Bring your own reusable sack or basket. You can keep this in your backpack; it won't take up much space (well, the sack won't. But you could double the basket as a purse). And who cares if people look at you funny for bringing your own bag? Do it anyway! Heck, it might even catch on.
Also, consider the type of food you pick up at lunch. Plastic wrapped items generate more trash, whereas fruit like apples and bananas come prepackaged in their own environmentally sustainable wrappers. If you substitute a banana for that bag of chips, you're being health and earth conscious at the same time -- woo hoo!
If you already bring your own cup or thermos for drinks, good for you. I know that I really liked using disposable cups because I wouldn't have to clean them afterward, but does washing a cup really take that long? If you only put water in it, then you don't need to clean it that often. And if you know that you habitually drink coffee every morning, you can get in the habit of quickly washing out your thermos before bed and having it ready to grab in the morning when you head to wherever it is that you eat breakfast.
Recycling is really great, but the best thing to do is to reduce our use of disposable items. I understand that being rushed for time influences our choices, and I will not demonize anyone for using a to-go cup; I do it myself on occasion. I'm absent minded, so I don't always remember my thermos or water bottle. The important thing is to cut down our use overall.
