5 Tips to Green Your College Dorm Room or Apartment

I wrote this article back in college well over 10 years ago for The Daily Cougar, The University of Houston's on campus newspaper. When decluttering my office space recently I came across this article again and I thought I would share because I think all of these eco dorm room tips still stand true. I did tweak just a few things like the brands of certain items.

Living a green and sustainable life is something that a lot of people want to do, but do not know where to begin. College is costing students more money every year, and you think, “How could I possibly make green changes in my life without breaking the bank?” There are actually plenty of small things you can do whether you are living the dorm life or live off campus. Let’s start with a few simple inexpensive things you can do:

1. Donate. People tend to collect stuff as time goes on. Being green usually means less is more. Go through what you have and if you haven’t used it in the past 6 months donate it to a local shelter or thrift store. You can take it to places like The Women’s Home, Goodwill or Salvation Army. 
2. Hand wash. Whether it is dishes or clothes, hand washing can be a very eco-friendly thing if it is done correctly. It will save energy and water, but you can not be constantly running the water the whole time you are washing. Also, hang dry your clothes after you have washed them. This does not necessarily have to be done outside; you can also hang dry clothes by putting them underneath a fan. 
3. Go paperless. Many companies are giving you the option to go paperless. This means everything is done electronically instead of receiving paper bills. You can also read most newspapers online now. If you do choose to receive paper bills see if the company has an eco option where they use recycled paper.
4. Use eco cleaners. They do the same job as any other household cleaner just without all the extra harmful chemicals. There is a variety to choose from, Seventh Generation, Branch Basics, Mrs. Meyer’s and Method are just a few of them. You can find these brands at places like Whole Foods, Kroger’s, Target and online.
5. Recycle. You can always recycle no matter where you are at. It is one of the easiest and most effective things you can do to help the environment. You can separate your recycling using boxes, small trashcans or any type of storage bins. You can recycle just about anything. For a list of recycling centers in Houston that recycle a variety of items go to: www.houstontx.gov. 

These are all small, easy chores you can do to becoming a greener person. No matter who you are or what you do, taking the smallest of steps to do your part for the environment helps more than you could ever imagine. You can not just become green overnight it is a process which takes time. Whether you do all the things on the list or just one, you are still making a world of difference for yourself and the environment.

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Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels