Guest Post: Regardless of Your School Colors, Go Green!

Your college years are going to stick out in your mind for the rest of your life. It’s the only time where you’ll be on your own with limited responsibilities, outside of your grades of course. You’re going to meet new people from all over the world and perhaps travel the globe yourself. You’ll be living away from your family and will make your own decisions about pretty much everything in your daily life. One decision that you should make is caring about the environment and actually doing something about it. Here are four ways you can go green while in college:

1. Be careful about what you throw away. If you drive by a college dorm at the end of a semester you’re going to see mounds of “trash” that is definitely reusable and sometimes in really good condition. Couches, beds, mattresses, lamps, printers and countless other items are usually tossed out because college students don’t want to lug them to their new residence or don’t want to bring them home for the summer. These items are just going to wind up in a landfill, when they can be used by other students or families. Go to Craigslist and post your items for reuse. Hey, you can make a quick buck too!
2. Leave your car at home. Campuses are designed for the walker. If your campus is huge in your estimation then take public transportation to the library or to your class on the other side of the quad. If you absolutely need your car then leave it in a student lot and use it only when you absolutely must. You’re in college; do you have money to throw away on gas that’s wasted on pointless driving?
3. Put some green in your diet. The dining hall is no longer a wasteland for food choices. Most colleges have listened to their students and offer a wider variety of healthier options. Some even support local growers and buy fruits and vegetables from local farms. Eating non-processed foods will help you also keep off the “freshman 15.”
4. Recycle whenever possible. Colleges are leading advocates for saving the environment and have made it easier for their students to pitch in by recycling. In your dorm’s trash area there will be clearly marked sections for you to deposit recyclable items. Make it easier on yourself by having two receptacles in your place: one for trash and another for recycling. It’s a great habit to get into at a young age.

This article was contributed by Heather Johnson, who is a regular writer on the subject of Concord Law School Reviews. She welcomes your questions, comments and writing job opportunities at heatherjohnson2323[at]gmail[dot]com.

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