Ways to be Environmentally Conscious (Even as a college student) - Natalea Odell

Ways to be Environmentally Conscious (Even as a college student)

Use a reusable water bottle! CNU has plenty of water fountains that allow you to fill up your water bottle when needed. Removing single use plastic from your lifestyle not only helps you save money, but it also helps the environment stay healthy! In 2017, 26 MILLION tons of plastic was thrown into landfills! From there, it can harm wildlife, both on land and in the ocean. Plus, reusable water bottles are way more unique and cool than a dingy plastic bottle!

Repurpose old clothing! If you grew out of a t-shirt or stained a pair of sweatpants, you have so many options other than tossing them! If you can’t hand them down to relatives or friends, donate them! Try not to donate clothes in terrible condition though, it may not be helpful. If you have clothes (or bedding, or any other fabric) you could give them to shelters! If they are in terrible condition, you can repurpose them into cleaning cloths! Sponges hold an incredible amount of bacteria! This can also cut down the usage of paper towels! 

Try “window shopping” before purchasing! This has saved me so much money! A good rule of thumb is, if you see something you want to buy, give yourself at least 24 hours to think it over! Now you can save money and stop the habit of buying things you don’t need! For an extra challenge, every time you buy something, recycle, donate, or give away an item you already have! 

Thrift before buying from large corporations! Thrifting is a great way to save money and prevent used items from being tossed (even if they are in good condition). You can find much more unique items from thrift stores and you aren’t putting money in the pockets of greedy CEOs who don’t care about our planet!

Bring reusable bags when shopping! Reusable bags are so easy to find, can come in any design or color, and are way more reliable than plastic bags. Reusable bags have made my shopping trips much easier, especially as a college student walking across the street to the grocery store. Plastic bags are so wasteful and can break easily! Save yourself time and effort while also preventing the amount of plastic we have! 

Use eco-friendly cleaning supplies. Like stated before, sponges hold a lot of bacteria. You can use rags instead (even from old clothing), but also, you can make your own cleaning products! Many of the products sold in stores have harsh chemicals. Making your own helps you stay healthier and keeps harmful products out of our ecosystems! Some brands even have zero-waste refillable cleaners!


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