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Ascent Blog

Celebrating Earth Day as a Student

Apr 22, 2023 | By: Breanna Knight
Categories: Blog, For Students
Earth Day 2023

Earth Day 2023 will land on April 22nd this year, right around the corner! For better or for worse, this planet is our home. It’s ours to take care of.  

In the middle of your semester, you may not have much time to think of your carbon footprint. Not to worry, in honor of Earth Day, we’ve collected some ways you can live sustainably as a student.  

 

Use what you have – then recycle it 

The best part about living sustainably is that the number one rule is the most affordable of all: use what you already have. Consuming less is one of the biggest ways to reduce environmental waste. It will also save you money! By waiting to buy until you’ve completely used up a product, you will find yourself making fewer purchases. And don’t forget to rinse out and recycle what you’ve finished!  

Not sure how to recycle? Find out what the recycling guidelines are in your area and where your nearest drop-offs are here. 

 

Make sustainable swaps 

As you begin to use up products you already have over time, try researching greener alternatives to replace them with. For single use items, (tissues, cotton buds, etc.) try shopping for biodegradable replacements that won’t stay in landfills forever.  

Challenge yourself to choose items that contain less plastic in their packaging, such as glass, aluminum, or cardboard.  

Explore sites like Earth Hero that act as a database for all types of sustainable products. You can filter your searches by ethics such as cruelty free, vegan, or zero waste! 

 

Take baby steps 

Living sustainably isn’t easy. There’s a lot of changes involved, and it can be intimidating! Remember that no one expects you to become an environmental expert overnight. Even the smallest changes can decrease your carbon footprint and the waste accumulating in your community’s landfills.  

You can start your sustainability journey by taking baby steps. Keep some reusable shopping bags in your car for your next trip to the store. Bring your own to-go mug to your favorite coffee shop. Choose for receipts to be emailed to you instead of printed at the register. The opportunities to live green are endless! 

Need more Earth Day inspo? Try listening to an eco-savvy podcast! How to Save a Planet is a great one.  

 

Reduce the packaging from your grocery trips 

Next time you run to the supermarket (with your reusable bags, of course), consider buying some of your most used items in bulk. Purchasing your groceries in bulk eliminates packaging and plastic waste that end up in the trash. This new way of shopping can save you money and takes up less space in your home.  

Not sure if that’s an option in your area? Check out Litterless for a list of bulk grocery stores and compost sites by state.  

 

As cliché it sounds, there is no “planet B”. Protecting our home and community happens one change at a time. Each sustainable swap you make can save up to thousands of not-so-eco-friendly purchases in your lifetime. The process is tricky but so worth it for Earth. Give living sustainably as a student a try – Happy Earth Day! 

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