A year into the COVID-19 pandemic and much has changed in this world. At the beginning of the pandemic, some saw it as an environmental boon. Carbon emissions were down worldwide. Animals returned to places they were driven away from by crowds of people. Yet, as the world gets settled into its new normal, it falls back into a rut of environmental unsustainability. Moving forward, we all must do what we can to minimize the environmental consequences of our actions, and here are some tips to do just that.
Reduce
Restrictions on dining have led to an increase in take out orders in the last year. So, the next time you order take out, skip on the napkins and the plasticware and try using products that you can reuse. When you go grocery shopping, use your own reusable bags and avoid the plastic bags. Reuse masks as often as you can so you do not keep throwing away disposable masks.
Try your hand at a green thumb
Growing your own food in a residence hall might be quite difficult, but you can maybe try a small windowsill garden. Creating a little garden inside is a great way of not only clearing out the air in your room, but also livening up your space. If you want more information on dorm gardening, check out The Current’s website for more articles.
Buy sustainably
Buy used and buy local. This probably is not good advice when we are talking about masks, but when safe and possible, buy used. Buying used and thrifting are great ways of decreasing your carbon footprint and staying within a budget. In the same vein, if you have things that you no longer use but could be useful to others, donate them so they do not end up wasting away in some landfill. Buy from local companies. Not only does this support your local economy, but it will also cut down on carbon emissions from mass transportation that comes along with bigger companies and stores.
Join clubs and learn more
There are quite a few clubs on campus that teach sustainability and environmentally friendly habits. For more information organizations in this topic, check out SharkHub.
Moving forward, we all must do our part to make this planet a better place.
As the Lorax said, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
