Eco-friendly living on a college budget can be especially tricky– you’re trying to save pennies here and there, but also want to help save the planet. Your living situation at school can be complicated. You don’t always have complete control over your life. You could be living in a dorm with a roommate, or in an apartment with several roommates that may have different living styles and priorities than you. You also have a busy schedule with homework, club meetings, and classes – some might think it’s easier to just worry about their environmental habits after college. However, there are some small, manageable changes you can make that can minimize your resource and pollution footprint.

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Modes of transportation: The less traffic on the road, the less pollution there is in the air. Instead of driving to class every day, try walking or biking through campus while its nice out.  Not only does this cut down on pollution, but it also saves you gas money and includes some extra exercise. If you want to avoid the cold and snow during the winter, riding the bus or carpooling with friends could be another great method of decreasing your carbon footprint.

Reusable products: Instead of buying plastic water bottles and brown paper bags for your lunch invest in a reusable water bottle and lunch box. Both of these things may be more money upfront, but in the end, you’ll have spent less money by using reusable products. Tupperware and portable utensils can also increase your sustainable lunch box game by using less plastic and producing waste.

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Diet: Decreasing meat consumption can help lower greenhouse gas emissions.  Have a vegetarian day or week every once in a while if you don’t want to make the switch to the veg life entirely. This will also help you introduce new foods and vegetables into your diet that you may not have tried before. If you buy groceries and don’t eat on campus, try buying local produce and food items. This reduces your carbon footprint, promotes sustainable living, and helps support local farmers.

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Energy: One of the easiest ways to cut down on energy usage is to make sure you’re turning off your lights when you leave your dorm or apartment. Turning off your heat, or at least turning it down can also save on electricity. All of the lights don’t have to be on when it’s daytime anyway - open a window and let some natural light in. However, investing in energy efficient light bulbs can help when the lights do have to be on. In addition to lights, also make sure you unplug appliances that aren’t in use – your toaster, Keurig and blender don’t always have to be plugged in.

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School work: Have you ever thought about how much paper you use during the semester? Taking notes and printing things can add up at the end of a school year. Only printing essential assignments and taking notes on a laptop can aid in reducing your paper usage. If you have to take notes on a pad or print a bunch of papers, be sure to recycle them after the school year is over! You can always scan them into your computer before, so you have them saved somewhere.

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All of these tips and tricks not only help reduce waste and pollution, they also help save money and promote a healthier lifestyle. Incorporating even a few of these changes into your life could make a big difference. You could also get involved in green organizations campus that have students that live similarly or want to make some changes as well. It is also smart to start making these changes sooner than later so that you’ll be able to pull these habits right into adulthood. A few small steps are all it takes to creating a greener more sustainable life.