It's great to want to make an impact on the world when you go to college---as long as that impact isn't an environmental one. This isn't your parents' house anymore, and it's time for you to start creating your own environmentally friendly habits. College is a great time to start implementing green living habits you can carry with you throughout your life.
Buy Used Books
Any college student can tell you that new textbooks are expensive and not very eco-friendly. All those pages mean a lot of paper, a lot of trees and a lot of impact on the environment. Recycled paper is great, but even better is borrowing a book or buying used. If your class doesn't require a new edition, take advantage of used bookstores or websites that specialize in used textbooks. And once you're finished with the class, if you're sure you won't need the book again, recycle it by selling or trading it.
Limit Driving
If you live on campus, walking to class is probably the natural way to get around. If you live off campus though, you probably drive---and maybe even go back and forth more than once a day, depending on your class schedule. Students commuting in cars make a huge environmental impact---the University of Maryland estimated that transportation accounted for 34 percent of its total greenhouse gas emissions in 2008. Shuttle buses, carpools and bicycles are all recommended alternatives to single-driver cars.
Reduce Paper
The life of a college student typically involves a lot of paper. Study guides, notes, term papers and course syllabi are all part of the college experience. Many colleges are moving toward online systems, however, that reduce some of that paper use---the University of Iowa, for example, utilizes an online course management system to post class materials, saving as much as nine reams of paper per course. Encourage your professors to do the same, and then find paper-saving alternatives for your own work. Learn to proofread online, saving multiple printouts of essays and term papers.
Recycle in the Dorm
If your dorm doesn't already have a recycling program in place, start one. And if it does, use it. Those beer cans may look great in the pyramid you've built above your bed, but they'd look even better in a recycling bin, where they can then be put to use making new beer cans. Aluminum cans are 100 percent recyclable, and most are used to make new cans, reports the Aluminum Association.
Use Your Computer Wisely
If you're buying a brand new computer for college, be sure to buy one with the Energy Star designation. Computers with this label use 70 percent less electricity than computers that don't have it. These computers will have a sleep mode, which uses 4 watts or less of electricity and helps the computer last longer. Be sure to get a laptop, too; laptops use less energy than desktops and are also much more college-friendly since you can bring them to class, coffee shops and the library.
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