Easy ways students can be more sustainable

You don’t have to spend a fortune on organic produce or sign every green peace petition to help reduce your environmental impact. This list of quick and easy tips can help anybody implement small changes that require minimal effort.  

• Use a tote bag for your shopping or reuse shopping bags! Everyone has a cupboard where plastic shopping bags are shoved but you could also make sure you keep a few on hooks by the door or in the car for when you need them. Or bags for life and tote bags last longer and can be used for multiple purposes. Check out this 100% cotton and fair-trade tote bag.

• Buy second hand! Charity shops are full of hidden gems and there is a great selection on Winton high street, so carefully sift through the racks and pick up some bargains to mix and match with your favourite pieces. Looking for a new MacBook or iPhone? Backmarket offers a wide range of second hand technology and even tells you how many grams of e-waste you prevent with each purchase.  

• Meat free Mondays. This is beneficial for your health and wallet as well as the environment. Even skipping one serving of beef every Monday for a year saves the equivalent emissions to driving 348 miles in a car (MondayCampaigns).  

• Freezers are your best friend. Freezing bread and using frozen vegetables is cost effective and reduces food waste (frozen veg are frozen at peak freshness but don’t forget to add seasoning and sauce as frozen veg can lack flavour).  

• Planning meals and writing shopping lists can help to avoid having unused food each week that could go out of date. 

• Cut down on bottled drinks. Get over your fear of tap water because bottled water is 500x more expensive than tap and as well as plastic waste there is lots of energy used producing them. University has free drink refilling stations of cold refreshing water. Use a Chilly’s bottle instead of buying plastic bottled water.  

• A small investment into a reusable coffee cup (like this one: https://uk.keepcup.com ) will not only help you save your pennies but also save the environment, and most coffee shops will serve you with them (or even reduce the price slightly to encourage people to bring their own reusable cups – Starbucks offer 50p off).

• Buy a bamboo toothbrush .

• Stay aware of what is happening in the news surrounding the environment. Have a look at what campaigns are going on and any petitions you can sign. 

• Walking and cycling are the most environmentally friendly modes of transport but taking the bus and lift sharing are easy options to have less cars on the road and less emissions. 

Join a green club or society  

• Wildlife conservation society – 'We achieve this through volunteering around Dorset, providing trips and social events for our members, getting involved in education and outreach programs, charity fundraising and campaigns on the important issues in the conservation world.'

• Permaculture Society – 'We're passionate about sustainable urban farming, the benefits of gardening and being outdoors, and supporting our community. We create permaculture based garden designs for urban ecosystem restoration, and we also run?The Green Loop, a food-based social enterprise looking to bring students cheaper healthy organic meals.'

• Reducetarian Society –  'We run various events from social to mindful activism, gently encouraging people to reduce the amount of animal products in their lifestyle with the intention of helping our planet, the animals, and our own health. We welcome everybody, regardless of where you are on your journey.'

Read more about SUBU’s tips on sustainability.