Student Life

15 Easy Ways Students Can Go Green

Be kind our planet and stuff your wallet by putting these 15 suggestions into practice.

Shawna Newman

April 14, 2022

15 Easy Ways Students Can Go Green
Every day should be Earth Day.
You know what it is to be green but, when you’re a high school student or in college with a busy schedule, sometimes it seems like a lot of time and effort that you don’t have to devote to becoming Eco-friendly. There are simple ways you can help the environment that take little to no time or effort and can save you extra money in the process. Use social media to showcase your natural resource, national park and ecological community care with contests like the #PlantYourChange that made The Best Instagram Challenges of 2020. Here are 15 easy ways you can live greener while you’re a student:

  1. Take Notes Electronically
  2. Thankfully, the world is now digitally focused, and your studies can be, too. You’ll save money (and stop wasting paper) on purchasing notebooks and flashcards if you begin to electronically take down what you need to remember in class.

  3. Decrease Meat Consumption
  4. Eating less meat – even omitting it from a meal one day a week – can positively influence change. When you do eat meat, look for labels that specify free range, organic and hormone and antibiotic free.

  5. Adopt Reusable Bag Practices
  6. Take reusable bags to the store with you to grocery shop instead of opting for paper or plastic. It’s wasteful and unnecessary – and several bags with every grocery trip can add up to a whole lot of garbage over a lifetime.

  7. Nix Bottled Water
  8. Reuse old water bottles or purchase water bottles that you can refill instead of tossing out a new bottle every time you need to quench your thirst.

  9. Recycle
  10. By now, this should be a no-brainer. When you can, recycle. Whether it’s paper products, plastics or upcycling old items, it’s important to think about which trash can be saved from a landfill. This is a great way to protect our air and water quality.

  11. Power Down
  12. When you’re not using appliances or you’re not in a room, turn off lights and other electronics. An easy way to implement this is by connecting your electronics to a surge protector and flipping the switch when you leave the room.

  13. Buy Less or Borrow
  14. Only buy what you actually need. In a consumer culture, it’s easy to fall into overbuying habits. If you only purchase what’s necessary, you’ll not only be going green but saving green as well.

  15. Walk or Bike More
  16. In addition to helping you live a healthier lifestyle, trying to cut down on driving can help the environment and save you a lot of gas money as well. This is a great way to eliminate fossil fuel use in the United States.

  17. Use Energy Efficient Light Bulbs
  18. Try to switch your bulbs to energy-efficient compact fluorescent (CFLs) or LED bulbs. Though they may be a little more expensive, it’s worth it because they can last up to five times longer than regular light bulbs and are very bright, so you won’t need to turn on as many lights.

  19. Save Energy
  20. Set your thermostats a few degrees lower or your air conditioner a few degrees higher. You probably won’t notice much of a difference, but the environment will!

  21. Eat Sustainable Seafood
  22. Stay away from harvested or farmed fish or seafood that’s not sustainable. Choose sustainably caught fish as the other methods of capture can have disastrous impacts on ocean ecosystems.

  23. Don’t Purchase Aerosol Sprays
  24. With millions of beauty products out there, it’s easy to find products in pump sprays as an alternative. Try to look for items with environmentally responsible brand seals.

  25. Think About Your Water Usage
  26. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth, washing your face or shaving. It's estimated that, using an average number of 2.5 gallons per minute from the typical shower head, reducing your shower length by 4 minutes per day would save (assuming you shower every day, ahem) 3,650 gallons per year.

  27. Support Better Brands
  28. Look for and use beauty and cleaning products brands that are responsible in their production, looking for responsible brand seals.

  29. Opt Out of Junk Mail
By opting out of mail, you can save resources and save yourself the hassle! You can get off most unsolicited mail lists simply by calling 1-888-5-OPTOUT. It's time you go green to save green – planet Earth and your wallet will thank you!

You Might Also Like

Join Fastweb.
Match Instantly.

Become a member and gain exclusive access to our database of over 1.5 million scholarships.

I am a:
Parents: Complete the questions using your child's information
Please select a grade level
Please enter a valid zip code.

By clicking, I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.