How to Become an Eco-Friendly Student

For students, frugal living and environmental consciousness can be tricky to balance. But there are lots of easy ways to be green and make savings in the long run. Here are a few ideas that will take you a step closer to eco-friendly student living – helping you to save money and the planet.

Buy reusable mugs, water bottles and containers

Take your drinks on the go to your early morning lectures instead of spending £5 on a ‘cuppa’ from your coffee chain of choice. And forget meal deals – make food at home and bring it with you.

Public transport and walking

Public transport and walking should be your new best friends – helping get your step count in and save a bit of student loan. Some banks offer a free bus pass or train pass when you open a student account with them.

Meatless Monday

Why not have one meatless meal a week with your flatmates. They can be quick, easy, cheap and support the environment by helping to reduce global meat consumption.

E-books and Audio books

It can be an expensive time as a new student trying to gather every book under the sun for your course, but you can always save money by downloading e-books and audio books. You can also borrow books from the library instead of purchasing them directly or opt for used ones – Amazon offers the opportunity to buy books second hand at a cheaper price.

Reusable shopping bags

Doing good and looking good at the same time – there is no better feeling – so, why not bring out your most stylish reusable bag at the supermarket? They start from as little as 40p and offer another way to support our eco-system.

Turn it off

Simple as. If you’re not in the room you don’t need every light and all the switches on. Open up your blinds and enjoy as much natural light as possible before switching on your light bulbs. You all get to enjoy some more sunshine – UK weather permitting…

Don’t always buy new

One of the good things about moving to a big city is that there are plenty of charity shops and vintage stores with quality labels on offer, to save you spending a fortune. On hungover days, when you fancy doing some online shopping, Vinted and Depop are there to save the day and still be eco-friendly.

Hold off on the heating/air con

Many of us reach to turn on the heating or air conditioning all too quickly. Before you do, try other options. Just a little chilly? Put on some extra layers of clothing. Getting warm? Open some windows. Of course, there are times when you definitely need to use the heating or air conditioning, but try to keep it to a minimum.

Create a shopping list before leaving home

This is a very simple way to avoid impulse buying and reduce waste. It will also help maintain an optimum budget. See if you can stick to it – that’s the ultimate challenge!

Buy big

Buy bigger bottles less often, as opposed to smaller bottles more often. It also works out to be cheaper.

Be mindful of your water usage

Remember that parental advice, ”don’t leave the tap running when you brush your teeth’”, “fill the washing machine up with full loads”, “get out of the shower already!”, and you’ll be on the right track to reducing your water consumption!