5 Best Tips for Low-Impact Living In College

    I graduated from college in May 2019. That is where I started my zero waste/low-impact journey. I saw a lot I didn't like but also learned so much about how to be better. This is my attempt to help you guys live a low-impact life in college. Here are the 6 best tips for low-impact living in college.

1. Go Paperless

    First, let's go into the classroom and see what there is to fix in there. Paper, paper, paper. It is not uncommon for students (including myself) to print out ALL the materials for each class in that semester. That often means students have over a hundred printed out pages they later throw out and sometimes don't even really use. 

    My advice is that if the material is accessible online, and you have a working computer, a tablet, or even a phone, it's a waste of your time and room in your bag to print them out, not even talking about the environment, which it also strains. 

    There are so many amazing apps (free or paid) to use for editing PDFs. If you have a tablet or a 2-in-1 computer, invest in a good stylus, and take notes on there. I had a 2-in-1 HP laptop and used Xodo for all my PDF note-taking. There are better apps around, but for me, it did the thing and was fairly easy to use.

    Overall, in 2020 it isn't hard to be paperless, so why not do it. Also, convince your friends to use less paper. The Earth will thank you!

2. Get Your Reusables

    One of the most frustrating things that I encountered in college was people buying blocks of water instead of using the water fountains all around campus, most of which also had a bottle refill station. Get yourself a reusable water bottle or just use a bottle you have and refill it multiple times. This is such an easy fix, and college students drink a lot of water.

    The second frustrating thing in this category is coffee drinking. I have nothing against it, I drank a ton of coffee in college and felt like it helped me focus. However, many people go to Starbucks and get it to go in a single-use cup. Most coffee shops accept reusable coffee cups, but Starbucks literally has its own products, so it has been made quite easy.

    On the other hand, I definitely saw a ton of people have their reusable bottles/coffee cups, and that made me happy. I think the trend is on the rise.

    Lastly, I know that right now (March 2020) is not the best time to talk about reusables, as places like Starbucks aren't accepting reusable coffee cups, because of the pandemic. I have also heard of water fountains being shut off, which makes sense. At this time, people's health and wellbeing come first. Let's beat this pandemic's butt, and then refocus on the reusables. Some tips, for now, though: 1. make your coffee at home in your reusable cup and then take it to go, 2. use a water filter at home to fill up your bottle(s) before leaving the house, and 3. if you must buy something in single-use packaging, please dispose of it properly.

3. Shop Second-Hand + Donate

    Now, this topic makes me sad. Every year after the school year is over, you can see hundreds of pieces of dorm room decorations, furniture, etc. just next to the trash cans. Those items were probably only used for one school year, and instead of using it for another, selling them, or donating them, they're just thrown out, and to the landfill, they go.

    My first tip for people, who are already in college and want some new cool stuff for their rooms, go and check out the piles of things people leave next to the trash. In my 4 years, I found a shelving system, a mattress, some decorations, a lamp, etc. Obviously, make sure to really clean them and wipe them off, but the things I found were in such good shape once I had cleaned them, they looked brand new.

    If you want new stuff for the room, buy things that are going to last you more than one year. Also, if possible check out second-hand stores and online communities, you might find stuff for much less money, and you are extending the item's life. Another thing to consider is to ask your older siblings, cousins, or friends to give you their stuff.

    After you are done with college or just want to get rid of an item, donate it! I went to college in the United States, but I am from Estonia. So when the time came for me to pack up and leave, I had so much stuff I needed to get rid of. The first thing I did was offer it to my friends, who were staying there for another year. Then I took my stuff to a store, where they picked out things they liked and gave me money for the items. I think I got almost $200 from that. The rest that was left over, I donated. That way, nothing went to waste, and hopefully, others are getting good use out of my once beloved items.

4. Learn How to Manage Your Waste Properly

    I believe this is the most challenging one out of all of these. Managing waste, in general, is a confusing subject. Now add in the fact that each county, state, city, or even college has its own rules about recycling, composting, etc. and sometimes you are left in a spot where you're not exactly sure what you should do.

    In my 4 years there, I never figured out a way to compost my food waste, which I did not have a ton of. I mostly used the on-campus food options and didn't cook a lot. Here are some ideas for composting in college. If you live on campus, my advice is to ask. Ask the RD of your dorm, ask the cafeteria, just get information about your options when it comes to composting. If you live off-campus, you are like a regular person and can follow my tips for composting in my blog post about the 5 "R's" of zero waste.

    Recycling isn't hard most of the time. In the dorms, I lived in we had a recycling bin with a picture of what is okay to throw in there. If recycling isn't an option on your campus, you should really consider emailing the right people in your university to complain. Maybe even collect signatures, because that should be a thing on every campus, especially today.

5. Prefer Eating In to Take Out

    I think everyone who has graduated or is in college right now can agree that this will be challenging. I can't tell you how many times after going out we would come back and order 3 pizzas, or how many times I was hungry and lazy and decided to order some food for dinner. It has never been easier to get food delivered to your door with apps like UberEats, Doordash, Postmates, etc.

    Getting take out or delivery is so wasteful. Think back to a time you decided to order Chinese, for example, how many napkins, little duck sauce packages, and forks were in there. My guess is like 10 sauce packets and enough napkins to stop a flash flood. I don't know anyone who has ever used that sauce, I think they're literally made to be thrown away. 

    Another thing is just the packaging. Most of the time, it is either in plastic containers that are hard to recycle or styrofoam, which is not an easy recycle AND is harmful to your health. So if at all possible choose to eat in rather than take out.

    I hope these tips will help you start your low-impact journey in college. As always, if you have any questions or recommendations, leave a comment or DM me on Instagram @earthykadri.

Have a beautiful day, and stay safe out there! 

PS Wash your hands!!!