5 Quick Tips For Being More Environmentally Friendly at University

The beginning of a uni semester can be insanely stressful for us all; meeting loads of new people, catching up with old friends and keeping on top of deadlines can be super overwhelming.

We’ve put together a list of five easy practical tips to get into your routine that won’t leave you feeling exhausted, but will also help keep that niggling guilt at bay - one less thing for you to think about!

We interviewed 3 amazing students, Nelsen Durkee, Rose Sanger and Emma Vaughn on their top tips for being an eco-friendly student and here are our favourite 5:

1. Reusable water bottles. Get one. Not only are they cute, but they save SO many plastic bottles from going to landfill. Lots of places such as coffee shops will refill them if you ask!

2. Make use of the markets and local corner shops. Birmingham has loads of Asian, Turkish, Middle Eastern little shops, most of which sell plastic free fruit and veg. They also have exciting new things to try, so pick up a fun ingredient and see what you can create! It’s often cheaper than most supermarkets as well.

3. Don’t be a consumer. Now this one is hard and takes a bit of adjusting, but it's easier than you think. If you don't need it, don’t buy it! Just because something is pretty doesn't mean you need it. If you already have something for that function and it isn’t broken, don't get a new one!

4. You heard it here first guys. Get on social media. Love it or hate it, it’s great for finding out current news from across the world, exposing bad practices and stumbling on shockingly true images of the environment. From beaches covered in plastic, to the contents of a seagulls stomach (hint: it's mainly plastic). Or, if social media isn’t the place for you right now, why not get yourself a copy of Be Kind magazine or Ethos Magazine for amazing, informative and incredibly beautiful tips and advice straight through your letterbox.

5. Have fun! Because who wants to do something that they think is dull and boring? A good example of this is ‘plogging’. It is (literally) a movement that involves jogging (either alone or with others) and collecting litter as you go, incorporating that into your workout routine. Being eco doesn’t need to be boring or even a chore.

We hope you found at least one of these tips helpful and we’d love to hear about if and how you manage to fit them into your uni lives and remember to be kind to yourselves in the process. It’s not about some of us doing this perfectly, but all of us doing our best, imperfectly!

Extinction rebellion here we come. One less disposable cup at a time.

P.S. Nelsen, Rose and Emma also kindly shared a whole wealth of their eco-knowledge with us, which we will be sharing in a new series of blog posts coming up over the next month, including: some girly tips on environmentally friendly periods, advice specifically for freshers wanting to be eco-friendly among the chaos of first year, and a post about why we believe that being environmentally conscious is an important part of our calling as Christians.