Let's be real, being a student can be expensive and with the cost of living going up over the next months us students are going to feel the pinch. This makes living sustainably whilst we're at University even harder. Which is why I spoke with 4 other sustainability influencers for their top tips on living sustainably at University without breaking the bank. Living an eco-friendly lifestyle doesn't have to be expensive as you'll see from these budget friendly eco tips!
Read on for eleven ways you can live sustainably as a student!
How to reduce your food waste as a student
We'll start with food. For many of us University is the first time we're shopping for and cooking our own meals. This can take some practice. Learning how to gage portions and how to keep food fresh are important skills to learn, but these tips will help you in the meantime.
Batch Cook - if you haven't created a meal plan yet what are you waiting for! Meal plans are essential to helping reduce food waste. By planning out your meals for the week you know exactly what you need to buy in the supermarket so you don't buy unnecessary items. Also, by planning out your meals you can think ahead on leftovers so you're not having to throw any food away. This will save you money in the long-term too!
Eat Less Meat - meat is expensive! Even if you don't feel comfortable going 100% vegan or vegetarian, by reducing your meat intake you can help your wallet and the planet. Swapping out meat in your favourite dishes for veg works out much cheaper and it's healthier too - a win win!
Too Good To Go - TGTG is an amazing app to help reduce food waste in your local community but also ensure you get some great deals. Get discounted meals from your favourite food outlets with the Too Good To Go app. An affordable way to have a "takeaway" night!
How to have a sustainable wardrobe as a student
With so many lectures, seminars, events and nights out the need for different outfits can seem endless! But all these new outfits are terrible for the environment, not to say your bank balance. So I spoke to Emily from @emilysvegandiary for her top tips on looking stylish sustainably...
Make Some Extra Cash - selling your old clothes online through Vinted, Depop or eBay is a great way to earn some extra money! It also stops your clothes ending up in landfill, increasing their lifespan. A great way to reduce the negative impacts of fashion whilst filling up your bank balance.
Second Hand Shopping - using apps like Depop and Vinted works both ways - you can sell and buy on them! Use online second hand stored and charity shops to buy any clothes you need second hand. Not only is preloved clothing cheaper it's also better for the environment.
Clothes Swaps - does you friend have a top you love? Why not ask to borrow it to wear on a night out instead of buying the same one? Swapping clothes with friends is a great way to keep your wardrobe feeling fresh without spending any money or needing to buy new clothes!
How to save energy as a student
At home it's easy to take a longer shower or leave the light on when you leave the room, but once you start paying for your own bills the pennies really start to add up. By reducing your energy consumption you're not only reducing your carbon footprint, you'll also save yourself a ton of money too. I spoke to Emily from @emilys_environment for her tips on saving energy at University...
Turn off the Taps - it may not seem like a lot, but so much water is wasted when we leave the tap on in between uses. In fact, a running tap wastes 6L of water per minute, so if you leave the tap on when you brush your teeth you're wasting 24L of water a day - that's more water than it takes to run a dishwasher! Something as simple as turning off the water when you brush your teeth, when you're washing your hair or between washing dishes can save a huge amount of water. This is better for the planet and for your bills.
Take Shorter Showers - with bills going up, taking a shorter shower is one of the easiest things you can do to save energy. Showers are using double - energy to heat up the water and the water itself. Just cutting your shower by 60 seconds a day can save you £60 over the year! Take shorter shows to save energy and your money.
How to use tech sustainably as a student
Our final section of sustainable student tips looks at notetaking and tech. As student we attend a lot of lectures and seminars that require us to take down notes ready for exam season and essays. Whether you're old school and love a paper notebook or are the biggest fan of OneNote, these tips will help you reduce your impact on the environment as a student. Thank you to Sam from @snap_dragonfly for providing these tips!
Charity Shops - charity shops are the perfect place to find hidden gems! Whether you're looking for clothes, cutlery or stationary they've got you covered. Head to your local charity shop to get your stationary second-hand or check out the Olio app to see if anyone in your local community is giving away stationary items for FREE. A budget friendly way to stay stocked up on notebooks and ensuring things don't go to landill.
Delete Delete Delete - let's be honest, University's send an unnecessary amount of emails. Keep on top of your University inbox and make sure to delete any emails you don't need. This hack costs no money but helps keep your carbon footprint down!
Paper Over Plastic - if you're a fan of the pen and paper try and buy your stationary in paper form. Choose paper file dividers over plastic, or recycled notebooks over regular ones. Always remember to recycle your old notes! And if you can, looking into digitally taking notes to help save paper - and trees.
I hope these tips have helped shown you that living sustainably as a student is possible! Sustaianble lifestyles get a bad rep for being expensive, but that doesn't have to be the case. There's loads of simple, small actions you can make to be more eco that don't have to cost money. In fact, they usually end up saving you money!
For more budget-friendly sustaianbility tips make sure to follow All Things Green on Instagram & TikTok where we post daily content during the week to help make sustainable living easier and more accessible 💚
Or head to our Eco Discounts page for some amazing discounts from some of my favourite sustainable businesses.
Thanks for reading - be sure to check out our other blog posts for more eco tips!