It’s no secret that Mother Earth needs saving, with human consumption and waste being at an all time high, it’s super important that we play our part in preserving our planet. There is no time like the present to make changes and live a sustainable student life! #saveourplanet
Help! I don’t know where to begin…
No, you don’t have to relocate and start a new life in a forest to live sustainably! A few easy tweaks to your daily routine and practices can make a huge impact collectively on our environmental impact. Grab a notepad and get ready to change the way you live…
Sustainable Student Life: Benefits
Being a student has its perks when it comes to saving costs, however sometimes we can cause more environmental damage in the process if were not savvy with the way we shop. Ultimately, you want to save money and save the planet simultaneously and following the steps below can help you to achieve just that!
Right, this is where you’ll need that notepad! List down your grocery shop routine, everything from how you bag your goods to which items you usually buy. Now it’s time to run through the checklist below and make those changes to your list.
Eco-Friendly Shopper Checklist
- Reusable Shopping Bags – If you didn’t already know how bad plastic bags are for the planet, you do now! Plastic releases toxic chemicals which cause damage to the environment. Grab yourself a tote or canvas bag, you can even get creative and personalise plain ones. Check out our fav ethical shopping bags.
- Savvy Spending – Life Hack: NEVER SHOP WHEN HUNGRY! Your basket will fill up rapidly with items that most likely won’t make up a meal! Write your shopping list beforehand and plan your meals! This way, you’ll save spending on those items you really don’t need. Food waste contributes to around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions – crazy! Check out our top tips on saving money on your grocery shop.
- Zero Waste Shopping – Ever bought an item that has 236483 layers of packaging to get through before you get to the goods? Totally unnecessary. Luckily, most brands are now being more conscious and limiting plastic packages on their products, which is great! Why not take it one step further and visit a plastic free supermarket near you? Zero – waste stores are popping up all around the country, giving us the chance to save on paying for unnecessary packaging!
- Shop Local – Giving back to your local community not only does bits for our economy, you’ll usually get a lot more for your money! Take a trip to your local market (reusable shopping bags to hand) and stock up on the super cheap goods which are fresher than those packaged items in the supermarket! Market items are usually loose, making them a great aid in reducing plastic waste.
Go Green: Sustainable Living
Sustainable Student Life isn’t just about cutting out the plastic, it’s taking a look at our life choices and how we can change them to benefit us and our planet! Change isn’t always easy, take your time to research and plan so you can enjoy the long term effects of going green!
- Diet – Research has proven that going meat free the single biggest way to reduce your environmental impact on the planet. You don’t need to switch from sausages to salads with these awesome alternatives.
- Utilities – We know that Green Electricity is the way forward, that’s why we offer it! Our 100% Green Electricity ensures that we’re doing our bit. Our supplier (SSE Energy Services) will also plant five trees for every house that signs up!
- Reuse – When grabbing a coffee from your local barista, take a reusable cup with you and get them to fill it right up!
Wanting to make a difference is the first step, so well done for getting started! Remember, Small changes + Consistency = Long lasting effects!
