How to live eco-friendly on a student budget
Nowadays, the environment has become the centre of attention for millions of people around the world. Climate change, deforestation and pollution are a small part of the reason, as countless individuals and international institutions seek ways to combat the endangering environmental problems.
Ready to set an example and contribute as a student and representative of the future generation? Worried that being green can be rather costly? Read through our ways how to live eco-friendly on a student budget!
1. Save more water and electricity
Starting off with two basic utilities, there are several practical ways of saving both electricity and water while aiding your new, green budget. For starters, you can lower your usage of tap water when doing the dishes, taking a shower, or even brushing your teeth – every drop counts! Simply bring the time of having valuable water run to a minimum and make use of efficient, eco-friendly techniques you can think of.
As for electricity, just take a moment to consider the amount of the electric appliances in your home. Afterwards, calculate the number of stand by modes that most of them have – like your laptop, monitor or TV. Finally, realize that you can save at least 10% more electricity just by shutting them off when not in use and easily help your student budget and the environment!
2. Practice waste management
Many countries around the globe have either legally implemented ways for waste disposal or merely encourage them. In reality, however, by managing your waste correctly you can account for better resource efficiency, recycling and lower levels of pollution. But how can this be done?
First of all, you should evaluate the types of waste that you actually have. For most households, the percentage is usually the highest for plastic, paper and fabrics, and if this is your case, just begin with separating it! This in turn is the second step, which would only require you to have more than one bin, or one with separate cells, so you can easily sort out your waste. Lastly, locate near-by special containers that are usually also marked by different colour sets and dispose each bag accordingly. That's it, another big environmental step!
3. Go for green labels
Unfortunately, there is a constant belief that green, eco-friendly products are always expensive. From 100% organic juice to certified, sustainable mobile devices, people have started to avoid accepting the existence of green labels, fearing that they might be accompanied by a high price tag.
Although this might be the case for some specific examples, the market does still offer many green products with natural quality, lack of GMOs and a good price. Often with a package and production process harmless to the environment included as well. Even if you look at a major business like Starbucks – the company only offers coffee that originates from certified regions, hands out cups that are 100% recyclable, and applies water-saving techniques. All for the price of €2,99 for a tall!
4. Avoid plastic and BPA signs
As an additional measure together with waste management, avoiding plastic and BPA-labelled products is extremely important, on a global scale, both for the environment and mankind. Due to the low cost of production, plastic is used for almost everything while the BPA chemical is widely implemented in the drinking water and beverage industry for bottles.
But since you have probably heard of the negative effects on human health and the air, ocean and soil pollution from plastic-related products, did you know that around 1 million animal creatures in fact die because of them each year? Take action now – make maximum use of reusable and recyclable paper bags, for example, for your daily shopping activity. Avoid any sorts of plastic bottles, cups, straws and worst of all – food containers and cutlery, when planning to eat out. There are tons of alternatives for packaging, just think about glass, metal or wood materials. As a final step, remember to also keep your eyes peeled for BPA labels, as there are also seen on clothing and toys. &nb
5. Plant some trees and flowers
Deforestation and the development of urban spaces are currently two ongoing processes that have infected the whole environment of the planet. With every passed day, more and more trees face ultimate destruction on the account of concrete while regions with unique fauna step closer to becoming extinct with the rapid development of global tourism.
And as we all know, most flowers and different tree types are an invaluable source of our main resource oxygen. Others also give to us with many of the most popular herbs, fruits and vegetables. So step up and set your example, there are a handful of places where you can find cheap trees for agricultural means! According to research, if every single person in the world planted a tree right now, then roughly 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide would be removed from Earth each year. But hey – even if you are not into the tree idea, at least go for some flowers like aloe or cacti; they are both great for improving your environment at home.
6. Get involved in environmental studies
Depending on your field of study, there is a chance that you can take on additional modules that might interest you or gain access to practical seminars organized at your university. Well, what if you could get involved in environmental topics? Or better yet – enrol for a unique Masters in Biodiversity, Environmental Studies, Ecology or Sustainability!
Indeed, there are plenty of innovative environmental studies that can truly surround you with deeper knowledge about the current state of the world ecology. Furthermore, as a future environmentalist you could launch your very own research and personally contribute with solutions to climate change, global warming, resource scarcity, or whatever area you believe you can aid. You never know – a future Nobel Prize winner might be reading this article!
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