10 Easy Ways For WC Students To Go Green

By Jennifer Lee
Elm Staff Writer

Lately, all we hear about is ‘going green’. With climate change, pollution and waste, it is important that all of us do our part in making our world more sustainable. The question is how? As a college student, it’s not exactly practical to stick a wind turbine out of your dorm window to power your room and a college student’s budget does not accommodate for an electric car. However, there are many ways that we as college students can make small, simple steps towards being more eco-friendly.

• Print double sided
– Bonus- your folders are less overstuffed

• Use your own mug when getting coffee
– Every disposable cup just ends up in a landfill
– Java George and Play it Again Sam both allow you to use your own mug.

• Use a Brita filter for water
– One Brita filter replaces 300 water bottles and can end up saving you money. (1)

• Use reusable bags when shopping

• Recycle old papers
– This includes magazines, hand outs, junk mail, bad tests…

• Turn out lights when you are not in the room
– This may seem obvious but it really adds up

• Unplug electronics
– Printers, microwaves, phone chargers, hair dryers, etc use energy while just being plugged in

• Shorter showers
– Just a three minute shorter shower saves 52 gallons of water a week. (2)

• Have a collection box in your room or suite for water bottles and other beverage cans
– Fewer trips to the recycling bins

• Recycle old batteries at the help desk in the basement of William Smith

1. http://www.cloroxcsr.com/products-brita/
2. http://www.paystolivegreen.com/2009/01/shower-water-and-energy-use-calculator/

April 8, 2011
Volume LXXXI Issue 21

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