7 Ways to Live More Sustainably this Spring
Spring has just about sprung, ChathamU! And in celebration of the earth and her many delights, we’re thinking about how to live more sustainably in big and small ways. We’re counting down a few tips and tricks that have helped us reduce our ecological footprint and enjoy our environment more as a result. Join us as we explore a few easy and highly adaptable strategies for incorporating more eco-friendly behaviors into our everyday lives—
Add a dash of Vegetarianism to your menu
Though vegetarianism isn’t for everyone, it can be a tasty and adventurous way to reduce your carbon footprint. Even opting to eat vegetarian for a few meals each week can have a healthy impact on the earth by helping to reduce the release of harmful gases into the environment, the usage of harmful chemicals and growth hormones, the destruction of habitats, and more. Explore the concept of eco-friendly vegetarianism more with this list of “Reasons Why It’s Green to Go Veggie” from Down to Earth or try these easy vegetarian recipes from Cookie and Kate.
dip your toe into the wide world of composting
If you’ve been curious about what composting has to offer, we invite you to check out our handy guide to composting from National Composting Day (May 29th) in 2020. Composting can provide excellent fertilizer for gardens and houseplants and help to reduce food waste at home. Make it a group effort and collaborate on composting with your roommate, housemates, or floor-mates—the more food the better! And if you need an accountability buddy, consider joining the Chatham Green Team, a student organization that actively works to promote composting and other sustainable initiatives on campus.
take a class at eden hall campus
Luckily, if you’re not sure where to start, Chatham is the perfect place to learn sustainable strategies—just register for a course at Eden Hall Campus. In the Agroecology course, students can learn best practices for sustainable agriculture, including soil fertility, biodiversity, the effects of conventional and organic agriculture, and more. CRAFT’s wide range of cooking workshops explore delicious and sustainable strategies to incorporate in your kitchen. Or, if you’re looking for some no- strings-attached inspiration, just head up to EHC and explore the grounds—orchards, trails, and sustainable infrastructure abound! Dig into the wide range of sustainable farming, cooking, and living at edenhall.chatham.edu.
Be Mindful of the Trash You Generate
One easy way to improve your sustainable lifestyle is to simply start paying attention. How much trash do you generate in a day? How can you incorporate strategies to start reducing that amount of waste? Some simple places to start include:
· Bringing reusable bags with you to go shopping
· Using a reusable water bottle rather than plastic bottles
· Purchasing reusable straws to use whenever you like
· Forgoing plastic utensils and napkins when you order takeout
· Saving jars and containers to repurpose for later use, i.e. for leftovers, homemade scrubs, or even as decoration in your home
Drive Less, explore more
Thanks to your Chatham ID, you can take the Port Authority Transit (PAT) bus, light rail vehicle (commonly known as the T), or the inclines anywhere in the city for free. You might also consider buying a used bike to explore the city in the warmer months or even renting one of the Healthy Ride bikes you’ll find stationed throughout the city. If you need to drive somewhere like the grocery store or Target, carpool with friends or take the Chatham shuttle to reduce your impact on the environment.
Experiment with Ways to Save Energy and Water
Not all strategies for saving energy are possible when you’re living in a dorm room, but consider trying out some simple and straightforward ideas like letting your clothes dry on a drying rack, air-drying your hair, taking quick and efficient showers, and unplugging electronics that you’re not using. If you live with roommates, challenge each other in a fun way by creating an incentive chart of energy saving goals.
Express yourself with intention
One fun and inventive way to live more sustainably is to try your hand at incorporating sustainable fashion techniques into your wardrobe. Ask your friends if they’re interested in participating in a clothing swap or consider selling your unwanted goods to a local thrift store. If you’re looking for something totally new, check out this list of sustainable clothing brands from The Good Trade. And in general, try to incorporate mindfulness into your shopping wherever you can—Could this expensive outfit be rented instead? How was this item manufactured? Should I splurge on something I’ll only wear once or something I’ll wear daily?
Happy Spring, ChathamU! We hope you’ll make the most of these sustainable techniques and come up with some of your own!
