Over the years, people have become much more aware of the importance of protecting the environment. The days of being in denial about the negative effects of plastic, food waste and inefficient energy use are over. But as a student, what can you do about this?
You might consider that, to truly make a difference, you need money, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Although financial donations to charities are of course helpful, the small tweaks you can make to your day-to-day life are just as crucial to combating climate change and can even help save you money.
As well as helping the environment, saving energy is a great way to lower your bills. Leaving lights and other electrical appliances switched on when you aren’t using them will cause your energy bill to rise a surprising amount.
Another way to help your bank balance—as well as the planet—is to reduce the amount of water you use, as this means less energy is used to treat it and deliver it to your home.
Taking shorter showers, turning the tap off while cleaning your teeth and using less water when washing up are all great ways to save water, without it having a huge impact on your daily routine.
Recycling is an important element of helping the environment. Single-use plastics especially have a devastating impact on the planet.
It’s recently become apparent how much of a negative impact fast fashion—cheap, mass-market clothing produced quickly to keep up with trends—has had on the planet. The textiles used to produce these clothes are often made with toxic chemicals, and research shows that the total greenhouse gas emissions from textile production amount to 1.2 billion tonnes each year.
Ashley continued: “It’s important to make smart purchasing decisions and not to impulse-buy anything you don’t actually need.
To reduce the amount of plastic waste you’re responsible for, invest in a reusable water bottle. This means you have no need to buy plastic bottles that you’ll have to throw away.
When you next do your weekly supermarket shop, instead of picking up more plastic bags—which can take 1,000 years to degrade—take reusable ones.
Avoid wasting paper by taking notes electronically during lectures and revision. If you must print documents for seminars, print in black and white and on both sides of the paper. Make sure you recycle your paper notes once you have finished with them.
Animal agriculture releases large amounts of greenhouse gases into the environment and is allegedly worse for the planet than cars. Eating less meat can make a difference here.
Although the environmental issues seem overwhelming—and there’s a long way to go to repair the damage already done—it isn’t too late to start making these small changes to your daily routine. Following these steps can help you live a much greener lifestyle and go a long way to help better the planet, without having to spend a small fortune.
Check out our Student Meals on our Instagram, where we post vegetarian recipes regularly.
With the end of the year fast approaching, you may be thinking about heading home for Christmas to spend time with family and friends. The uni term will slowly be winding down, and you’ll feel more and more festive each day.
The move from first to second year at university often comes with a lot of change as most students will have to start paying bills for the first time. In this feature we discuss how you can keep your finances organised and pay bills responsibly.
The move from first to second year at university often comes with a lot of change as most students will have to start paying bills for the first time. In this feature we discuss how you can keep your finances organised and pay bills responsibly.