How To Make A College Dorm Room Green

College is a great time in a person’s life. It’s a time when you’re able to go out on your own and experience life without the parental restrictions that you’ve always had. Many adults remember college as one of the most enjoyable times of their lives. However, one thing is for sure: it’s not easy to be “green” in college. Many college students who go into the situation hoping to be able to leave as little of a carbon footprint in the world as possible, find out that being eco-friendly in college can definitely be a challenge.  There are many things that you can do to help the planet while you’re in college, even though you have little control over some of the bigger issues.

Your Dorm Room

So you’ve got a dorm room – what’s it like? Most dorm rooms are fairly small. They tend to contain only the barest of necessities: a bed, a desk, and a light. That’s about it! On one hand, this is a great thing, because you can transform the room into whatever you want it to be.  Be prepared, because you will most likely have at least one roommate, if not more. Some colleges have large rooms and three or four students in the dorm room, while others stick with just two students per room. Some have one main living area and a few bedrooms off each, while others are set up more like a hotel, with a communal area in the middle. Before you head off to college, learn a bit about the dorm room that you’re going to be staying in. This can help you to choose the best components for your new room so that it can be more eco-friendly.

There are some things that you can’t change in your dorm room, like the lights. Chances are pretty good that the lighting will be those horrible power-using bulbs that no one likes. While you can’t change those, you can make sure that every bulb for any other lighting fixtures you bring in is eco-friendly. You may even want to bring a few for your new roommate as well. You also can’t change the amount of outlets that you have in the room, and that’s probably a good thing. You’re going to need to have access to outlets, because you’ll likely have things like your TV, a DVD player, your computer, lamps, and many more things plugged in. Instead of plugging them in individually, invest in some good power strips. This allows you to turn the power off to everything on the strip with one quick push of a button, so that you can save a great deal of energy easily.

Gearing Up

You’ll need bed sheets, and you can go eco-friendly with these in one of two ways. You can either purchase eco-friendly sheets, or you can use hand-me-downs. Both types of sheets are great for the environment, just make sure that you get at least two pairs of sheets so that you can use one and wash the other.  Speaking of laundry, invest in a collapsible drying rack. A collapsible drying rack can be brought out after you’ve done your washing and you can use it to dry your laundry. If your roommate has a problem with you drying all of your laundry in your dorm room, or you just don’t have the room, try drying only your towels. This way you can reuse them and can still save on washing and drying as well.

One thing that you don’t need to bring with you is a refrigerator or a microwave. Many college students rush out to purchase these things, but the communal area will have a microwave and fridge, and even a stove, so that you can cook your foods there and can save on electricity in your dorm room. Bring some containers to keep leftover food in (you’ll be amazed at how much you can accumulate) and make sure that you mark them so that everyone in the dorm knows whose containers they are. If your roommate is discussing bringing a microwave and fridge, you can politely ask that they refrain from doing so, but it is their choice, and you can feel content in knowing that you are doing your part to help the environment.

And finally, recycle! Many dorms are now getting into recycling, and if your dorm isn’t, you can discuss recycling with the dorm manager or the resident advisor. If there is not a current recycling program, you can start one! Determine where you can set up a recycling area in the dorm and help to organize the project. If there already is a recycling area, ask if you can pitch in and help, and try to remind your fellow dorm mates that recycling is a good thing.