The busy, bustling lifestyle of an adult in the 21st century gives us the ability to forget about our impact on the environment. We often think, “Well, it’s just one plastic water bottle and I don’t have time to find and fill my reusable bottle before work. I’ll just grab this mass-produced bottle and make sure I recycle it later.” More often than not, however, that plastic water bottle does not find a final resting place in the recycling bin, but on a random bench outside Hardin or the regular trash can. Surrounded by multitudes of plastic food packaging from Chick-fil-a or the nearest Wendy’s, the average college student has the ability to damage our collective home. If you do not tend to eat out, maybe your Big Adult Supermarket Trip results in the use of multiple plastic bags. Evidently, the typical lifestyle allows for a negative impact on the planet. Even as I type this, I am drinking out of a styrofoam cup from a quick trip to a drive through, as it is sometimes difficult to avoid using products that are harmful to our beautiful planet. However, we have a duty as young adults to take care of campus and the Earth by becoming environmentally friendly. Clemson students can make an effort to reduce undesirable impacts by actively considering our actions and considering a few different ways to change our footprint.
Whether you’re a student or faculty member, your busy schedule is not going to change any time soon. That being established, I am not asking for the total, end all dedication to being environmentally friendly, but to be a bit more conscious of the decisions made. Replacing the use of plastics where you can is much easier than you may think and is not too costly. One small change that allows you to slightly reduce your carbon footprint is purchasing reusable grocery bags and a refillable water bottle. Instead of loading your groceries in plastic bags, make the effort to purchase a handful of big reusable grocery bags. These can be purchased at any local grocery store or dollar store and are often under $3. Keep some in the back of your car, the basket of your bike, and in your kitchen. Then, you aren’t caught without a mean of transportation for your highly nutritious chips and salsa combo and you have become slightly more environmentally friendly. Similarly, purchase a reusable water bottle or two and avoid buying the plastic 24 packs of water bottles. If you don’t buy the plastic bottles, you won’t be moved to grab those when you are in a rush but instead you’ll make the smart choice and use your refillable bottle. You can find these at Walmart for as little as $4. These are two cheap and simple ways to become more environmentally conscious when on campus.
While reducing your use of plastic when you can be a nice way to give back to the earth, you don’t have to stop there. Follow Selena Gomez’s advice in her 2011 bop and “Hit the Lights” when you leave a room. Be intentional with your actions and turn off lights or unplug electronic devices when you have a chance! We consume an insane amount of electricity, so anything we can do to limit that will allow us to live on a more environmentally friendly campus. If you haven’t used the toaster in a couple weeks because you’ve been on a chicken mini binge, go ahead and unplug the device so you can limit your power usage. Once you begin actively thinking about your position in the environment it becomes far easier to unplug your lamp or turn the kitchen light off while you’re sitting in the living room.
Finally, and this should come as no surprise, recycle whenever you can. Clemson does a great job providing trash cans and recycling bins for plastics and paper. There’s no mistaking the black, green, and blue bins that crowd the library and almost every hall. Use those to your advantage- if you’re throwing away old notes, make a point to recycle them in the paper bin rather than just tossing them into the trash can. It makes a difference!
Although we live busy lives, there’s always something that can be done in order to serve the environment. Whether it’s dropping $5 on a reusable water bottle or two, avoiding purchasing plastic water bottles, turning the lights off as soon as you’re finished in a room, or throwing your Starbucks cup in the right bin, you can be environmentally friendly on campus. Clemson also has green stickers that you will find on mirrors in bathrooms or next to light switches that give you tips on how to be more environmentally conscious. Do your part to save the Earth!
If you’re looking for different ways to reduce your carbon footprint, check out these similar articles with tips and tricks.
- https://greenerideal.com/guides/7-ways-to-be-an-eco-friendly-college-student/
- https://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/college-resource-center/going-green-on-campus/
- https://www.greenmatters.com/community/2017/04/21/Z1B0MEw/college-earth-day
I hope you enjoyed this op-ed. If you agree or disagree with me on this topic and would like to contact me to share your own opinion, or if you would like to request any future topics for me to write about, please do so at [email protected]
