How to Live Zero Waste in College
You might be wondering how to live zero waste in college now that you are on your own with little money and little space, it’s easier than you think.
College living is one of the best experiences you’ll ever have in your life. It’s awesome to finally be living on your own and in your own bubble of your peers all experiencing the same thing together. With that said, we know college living means you are most likely on a budget and living in a confined space.
Now that you are living on your own, you can make the space yours. Creating your space with the planet in mind can be easier than you think, and you can even save money in the process.
Our tips on how to live zero waste in college will have you healing the planet with these simple changes and steps.
1. Refuse
One of the easiest things you can do to live low waste in college is to simply refuse items you don’t need.
Straws: refuse straws when you go out to eat.
Receipts: refuse receipts if they do not get automatically printed.
Plastic bags: When you take a doggy bag from a restaurant, refuse the doggy bag. The box the food comes in is enough of a container, you don't need a bag to hold a box.
This goes for the grocery store too. Next time you go out to buy just one or two things, simply refuse a bag with your purchase, you can hold it in your hand or put in your backpack or purse.
If you can remember to bring a reusable bag with you, that's great. But, if you do happen to forget your reusable bag (it happens to all of us), it's okay to just refuse a bag if you just have a few items.
Free samples: College is full of free samples from companies, clubs, and other businesses trying to recruit you or get your business. If you don’t need another rubber bracelet or brochure, simply say no thanks when offered.
Some items will come in hand though. If you are offered a tote bag or reusable bottle/mug and you don't already have one, take it.
2. Reduce
Another easy way to live zero waste in college is to simply reduce what you buy and what you do. There are activities that are a part of our daily lives that we may not think are wasteful, but they are.
FOOD WASTE
Food waste is one of the biggest forms of waste that is created in the world. according to the NRDC, the average person throws out about 400 pounds of food per year.
There are simple fixes to this problem that will ultimately save you money and help you reduce the waste that you produce, therefore helping you to get closer to living a zero waste life.
Reduce your food waste by making sure that you eat everything that you buy. It’s easy for things to go bad sitting in the back of your fridge.
If you find yourself finding 2-month-old leftovers in your fridge, try writing down what’s in your fridge and when you should eat them by.
You can also follow some of these hacks and these that help you keep produce fresher for a longer period of time.
PAPER WASTE
A huge source of waste on university campuses is paper waste.
Try reducing what you print when you can, take notes, and use your laptop as much as you can.
DISPOSABLES
Reduce your use of disposable utensils, bottles, and cups by bringing your own.
You don't need a fancy zero waste travel kit, just grab a fork, spoon, and knife from your kitchen and put it in your backpack.
Get a reusable tumbler for when you're out at parties instead of using a disposable solo cup.
SELF CARE
Some of our self-care practices can be more wasteful than you think. Getting your hair and nails done, baths, candles, etc can all create more waste. But, don't worry we're not telling you to stop doing these things all together, just to reduce the frequency.
If you get your nails done or eyebrows done every two weeks, try going every 3 weeks or once a month. This way, you'll save money and be more zero waste.
Even things like washing your hair and taking baths can be wasteful. Washing your hair takes up shampoo, and conditioner product, and uses a lot of water. If you wash your hair daily or more than 4 times per week, we suggest cutting it down to 1 to 2 times weekly. It's actually healthier for your hair to keep its natural oils in for longer.
Baths are relaxing and we love them but the amount of water to fill up a tub is about 80 gallons, try to reduce the amount you indulge in this self-care activity. You can replace a relaxing bath with another activity that might give you the same effect, try using a heating pad, or doing a DIY facemask instead.
3. Use Your Resources
University life is full of expenses, why not taking advantage of everything you are paying for in your tuition and fees.
ON-CAMPUS TRANSPORT
Most campuses have on-site transport for students, consider taking the university bus around instead of driving your car. Using on-campus transportation will save you some money and help lower emission use from your car.
LIBRARY
The library is one of the greatest resources for students, you can find copies of your textbooks here, and you can use the printers and computers. All these things help you to create less waste by using the shared items in the library rather than buying these things on your own.
STUDENT RESOURCES
take advantage of other resources on campus as well to help you live zero waste while in college. Find out when student events are going on that might have tote bags, water bottles, or free food for you. Try not to be too wasteful, if you already have 10 tote bags and water bottles, skip that but if you are in need of one of these zero waste essentials, your on-campus resources can be a great help for you to get these items for free.
4. Share with Friends
In college, your community is everything. You may be far from your family and your childhood friends, so your university community becomes like your family, they can help you in so many ways, including living a zero waste lifestyle. Use this collective to help each other save money and live more sustainably.
FOOD SHOPPING
Buying in bulk at places like Costco or BJs usually means it’s cheaper and a little more eco-friendy. You and your friends can split a trip to these big-box grocery stores and divvy up the food.
BOOKS
Use your community to help with books for classes.
If you are in the same class as a friend, ask if you can just buy one book to share.
If you know someone who took the class before you, offer to sell it to them, this way you can avoid the 3rd party seller. You can make more money off of the book and your friend can get the book cheaper.
SUPPLIES
Same as with the food shopping, you and your friends can buy supplies in bulk and share with each other. A lot of the time students end up with too many supplies for the semester, so sharing can help you save money and reduce your waste.
CLOTHING SWAPS
We all want new clothes every once in a while, but that can be expensive and the fashion industry wrecks havoc on the environment.
One fun idea is to have a clothing swap. You and your friends can get together for a clothing swap party.
You all bring clothes that you no longer want and can swap with friends for some of their clothes. You end up with new clothes in your wardrobe without spending money, without sending clothes to the landfill, and without contributing to the fast fashion industry by buying new items.
5. DIY
DIY (Do It Yourself) is a way to be creative, save money, and can be a great way to reduce waste as well.
CLEANERS
There are a lot of easy ways to make DIY house cleaners. A simple mix of vinegar, citrus peels, and water can clean up your surfaces. Just keep an old spray bottle and refill it with the cleaner mix.
DECOR
DIY Decor can be easy too. Cork decor, branches, dried flowers, dried leaves; all can be used to make cute home decorations.
Try this one from Youtube.
TOILETRIES
You can also easily make your own toiletries which will save you a little bit of money and help you be more zero waste while living in college. DIY Toiletries and skincare will end up being more natural as well, so you can avoid harmful chemicals that are not only bad for your skin but also bad for the environment.
Try this Pinterest search for a ton of ideas.
6. Shop Secondhand
Buying things second hand or getting things from family is one of the best ways to save money while at the same time being zero waste in college.
Buying things secondhand is one of the best ways to be zero waste. Secondhand items give things a second life, instead of the item ending up in the landfill where it can last hundreds or even thousands of years.
There are a number of things you can buy second hand, or even better, you may be able to get things for free. Buy Nothing groups exist all over the world, these groups trade items and give things for free.
Your local Nextdoor app or Facebook Marketplace can also be a great place to get things easily second hand.
You can buy secondhand clothes from online shops like ThredUp and Poshmark. You can also find local shops like Plato's closet that are specifically for trendy clothing only, and you can sell your unwanted items to them as well.
7. Invest
Sometimes to be zero waste in college, you’ll want to invest in certain items that may not be super economical upfront but will be in the long run.
An instant pot is one of the best investments you can make if you are trying to learn how to be zero waste in college. An instant pot isn’t a zero waste item, but it will help you be more sustainable in the long run, not to mention it will save you a ton of time and money in the long run too.
With an instant pot, you can make so many things, from rice, beans, chili, yogurt, and more. You can buy dry beans in bulk which are super cheap and cook them in your instant pot in less than an hour. Dry beans are known for taking a ton of time to cook, hours on hours, with an instant pot, you can do it in about an hour. Dry beans are super cheap, and they are nutritious and filled with protein. Canned beans will end up being more expensive than dry, plus they are most likely filled with sodium. A pot of instant pot beans can replace meat as well, which can help you reduce our carbon footprint that is created when you consume meat.
Try these fun meatless Monday instant pot meals.
SAFETY RAZOR
A safety razor is a zero-waste alternative to disposable razors. Disposable razors don’t last long and end up in the landfill. Safety razors can have an upfront cost of $15-$80 but will save you from having to throw out tons of razors each year. Also, try one of these plastic-free shaving cream bars to help in your journey to zero waste living in college.
Living a zero waste life in college can be easier than it seems. Transitioning to a more environmentally friendly way of living can also be a great money saver, which is great for those on a college budget.
Take these 7 tips and implement them to help you on your zero waste journey in college. There are a ton of other things you can do to, try different things, and see what works.
As always, don't be so hard on yourself. Take the zero waste journey step by step, everything we do to add a little sustainability into our lives counts.
