You’re writing essays, preparing for exams, and attending to numerous other commitments. Researching how to be more eco-friendly might not be your priority—however, even small efforts to be more green in your daily life help the environment.
But don’t worry! To save your time, we made a list of six ways to make your study space more eco-friendly.
Go Digital
Paper waste is a common problem for students. The most effective solution is to use digital tools to stop paper consumption. You can write your papers without wasting a single page. “I ask writing services to make me an essay online. This saves a lot of time and allows me to go paperless,” said Teresa Brooks, a graduate student at Rice University. You can also take your notes digitally using Evernote, Notion, or any word processor you like.
Digital tools make it easier to access, edit, and share digital materials. Besides, you don’t need to print your files again after making minor corrections or carry heavy stacks of books and printed notes around. Thus, with digital solutions, your study space becomes more decluttered and eco-friendly.
Choose Eco-Friendly Stationery
Look at your stationary. Millions of disposable pens get thrown away daily. But they have alternatives. Reusable pens are more eco-friendly. The only thing you need to do is get refills and refresh your pen from time to time.
Besides, when shopping for stationery, pay attention to brands that use recycled materials. There are pencils made from plastic coffee cups or old newspapers instead of wood behind your door curtain beads. Environmentally-sensitive brands also use recycled plastic from packaging, bottles, refrigerator parts, and electrical appliances for manufacturing pens and other stationery.
As you can see, the market is full of alternatives to regular disposable pens. You only need to be attentive when picking out.
Print Responsibly
Sometimes you can’t avoid printing. You may need to have physical copies of papers or book chapters to study more efficiently. Besides, eLearning materials might simply not be your thing. Either way, this doesn’t mean you can’t reduce resource waste. Our recommendation is simple: think before you print.
Here are a few tips for you on how to print more responsibly:
- If you can’t refrain from printing, use recycled paper. Make sure it is chlorine-free.
- Fix document settings. Use smaller margins and fonts when appropriate to fit your document on fewer pages.
- When you’re printing something, make sure there’s no wasted space. For example, there might be a footer with a website name on the last page of your file and nothing else useful. Use print view to print only those pages that you absolutely need.
- To save paper, you can choose double-sided printing. This function is easy to set, and it’s available on most printers.
Power Down
As most of our learning is now digital, this creates a surge in energy consumption. Yet, by following some power-saving practices, you can cut down on unnecessary use. Here’s what you can do:
- Make a habit of switching off lights and devices. When electronics are plugged in, they consume energy even when you are not using them. Unplug your devices at least at night.
- Enjoy the sunshine. Remove heavy drapes to have more light in your study space. It doesn’t only decrease power consumption but also has a number of health benefits. Research shows that natural light increases productivity and energy levels. Besides, it also improves your sleep-wake cycle.
Get Reusable Bottles and Cups
People use 40 billion plastic bottles per month. Only 9% get recycled, according to Habit of Waste statistics. To stay properly hydrated while you study, make sure you have a reusable bottle around.
The same tip works for coffee lovers. If you prefer to have a library or a coffee shop as your study space, take a reusable cup with you. You’ll reduce waste from coffee cups, and some places may even charge you less for using your own mug.
Upcycle
Don’t rush to throw away things. There are a lot of products that can be reused or serve different purposes. For example:
- Give wooden furniture a new look by restoring and painting it instead of throwing it away. You can also buy and restore used furniture.
- Another upcycling idea is to repurpose glass jars to store your stationery.
- Use wine corks and create a board to pin notes, photos, and drawings.
By upcycling used items, you significantly reduce waste and get custom-made personalized items for your study environment.
Wrapping Up
All these changes do not require much time to implement and are even good for your wallet. But as you know, a little goes a long way. We hope our tips will inspire you to be more eco-friendly as a student and organize green and sustainable study space with small palm trees that will minimize your footprint while being comfortable and productive at the same time.
