6 Eco-Friendly Ways to Head Back to College This Year

Even though I graduated college 2 years ago, I still get excited when stores start to display their back to school supplies. There is just something about the excitement that fall brings combined with new and interesting stationery. Motivation is high and goals are set. Unfortunately, this time is also now synonymous with an increase in consumerism and waste. And roughly 80 percent of waste from school activities could be recycled or composted. 

So here are some easy ways to reduce your impact on the environment this school year: 

Join a buy nothing group by your campus

The Buy Nothing Project was created to encourage the gift economy – a system where goods are exchanged for free. There is an app you can join, but there are also tons of local Facebook groups if that’s more your thing. It is a great way to “give where you live.” Buy Nothing groups are perfect for getting rid of excess supplies as well as securing some “new” ones. 

Keep track of school supplies 

Keeping an inventory of what supplies you have ensures you don’t overbuy each year, which can lead to unused or possibly discarded items. Extra pencils, unused binders and other functional items can be used in the future (and, bonus, you’ll save some money). Purchasing less with more intent is a good start, but remember that the most sustainable items are the ones you already own. 

Buy used whenever possible

There are so many benefits to buying secondhand: saving money, finding unique pieces, reducing packaging waste, promoting a circular economy, using resources more efficiently, you get the point. 85 percent of all clothes go to the dump each year! If you’re looking for a wardrobe refresh before school, hit up your local thrift store. 

Donate anything you’re not using 

The average college student creates 640 pounds of waste per year, the majority of which is amassed on move-out day (and that number has probably only increased since 2015). If you did overbuy or just didn’t end up using something, consider donating clothes to thrift stores, food to food banks, textbooks back to the bookstore, or most colleges will put out bins at the end of the year for unused items. 

Buy used textbooks 

Speaking of textbooks, these are one of the greatest expenses (and, frankly, wastes) of being a college student. $500 for a book you will use once in class and never look at again is extremely wasteful. Buying used from services like Chegg or Amazon is a way to practice the above (buying second hand). 

Buy eco-friendly

If you have to buy, don’t worry. It’s just not always possible to get everything secondhand or from a Buy Nothing group. Look out for recyclable, eco-friendly, and/or local products. Nowadays there are a ton of options, from pencils that can be planted when they’re used to compostable notebooks.

Good luck in the 2022-23 school year, and here’s to starting the year with an eco-edge!