By Kelli Walerysiak, American Society of Interior Designers
As we all know, going green has been an ongoing force for quite a while now. For some, hearing “going green” can seem like a huge deal and way too far of a reach. For others, hearing “going green” can be an everyday task. The university has recently gone green with the addition of recycling bins in the residence halls and the cafeteria. As students of the university and as residents of the earth we need to take our part by going green. Going green isn’t as hard as you may think and it may also help you save money. As college students, we all need to save money as much as possible. Below are a few simple tips to make your dorm room “green.”
•Add plants to your space, this adds oxygen to the air and could possibly help you breathe better and take away unwanted odors in the air.
•Use washable silverware and plates, by doing this you are keeping those plastic plates and silverware out of the landfills. (The only way this one will work is if you don’t keep the water running while you are doing your dishes)
•Place a lamp in your dorm room with compact florescent bulbs or LED lights. Use these lights instead of the florescent lights in the dorm rooms, it cuts down on the energy that the florescent light bulbs take and they last longer than the incandescent light bulbs.
•Take shorter showers in the morning, and cut down to one shower a day if you take more than one.
•Use Brita water pitchers and a reusable water bottle instead of buying cases of water bottles that continue to pile up in landfills.
•Unplug items that aren’t in use all the time such as your microwave. Even though they aren’t running they are still using power and most microwaves have clocks on them which also take up power.
•Buy a drying rack for your clothes instead of putting them in the dryer, this cuts down on energy used and it will save you money!
These tips are simple and easy to do in your everyday life. If you do not use all of them, you can certainly use one or two. By practicing the tips above in everyday life, you are helping to save the earth and make a healthier place for you and your family to live.
