College students will soon be heading back to campus and if this is your child’s first year away from home, we want to ease at least some of your anxieties by giving you tips for creating a more eco-friendly dorm space.
Think Local
Yes, not many of us can resist arming ourselves with new dorm furnishings and products before we head off to campus, but shipping all this stuff across the country (or driving it there in a big energy-sucking, air-polluting truck) is not the best option. Students should buy dorm décor when they get to school, but if that doesn’t sit well with your freshman, purchase items from stores such as Bed, Bath & Beyond where you can choose an in-store location for pick up of your online order. Also checkout Ebay Local, Craigslist or even Freecycle to see if items such as shelves, desks and lamps are available to purchase and pick up in your new college town.
Eco-Friendly Storage
We all know there isn’t a lot of room inside most dorms, so storage becomes a key pre-school purchase. Look for environmentally friendly storage solutions such as canvas or metal baskets or plastic bins made from recyclable materials such as these from The Container Store that are made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. This also holds true for food storage—purchase small glass containers (we recommend Pyrex since it can go from freezer to microwave) that students can use to store leftovers or snacks.
Buy Smart Appliances
In addition to looking for energy-efficient appliances (make sure it’s energy-star or other low-energy certified), consider multifunctional items like a 3-in-1 microwave, refrigerator and freezer (we like this one from EdgeStar). Not only are they great space-savers, but they are designed to conserve electricity and reduce circuit overloads. Regardless of your appliance choice, remind students to unplug all electronics when not in use—even when they are “off” they are still using energy.
Go Paperless
Even students who spend the bulk of their lives connecting via cell phones and computers run into a paper-filled stumbling block when they get to college. Encourage students to take class notes on their laptop, subscribe to newspapers and magazines online, and submit papers and reports via email instead of printing them out (with professor’s permission, of course). Also, check with professors about using e-books instead of regular textbooks or if you can share a book with your roommate or friend that is taking the same class. These options not only help save the environment, but will save you some money.
Keeping it Clean
In between the studying and the socializing (heavy on the studying), we know you are hoping your child keeps his or her dorm room clean. Fill a reusable canvas bag with eco-friendly cleaning products (like our Ecospirit Cleaning Products), microfiber cloths, a handheld vacuum and a bottle of DIY air freshener (combine your favorite 10-12 drops of essential oil with 50/50 distilled water and alcohol).
Is your student headed to an apartment instead of a dorm? These tips still apply and you can also read “How To Be An Eco-Friendly Renter” for more great green ideas.
Talk to us: What is your best piece of eco-friendly advice for students headed off to college?
image courtesy of flickr/BY CC 2.0