November 2015 Green Tip: Have a Green Thanksgiving

Shop local and organic when it comes to groceries for Thanksgiving. This includes selecting a certified organic, pasture-raised turkey! Localharvest.org is an amazing resource to find places near you where food is grown and raised using sustainable practices! Also, avoid unnecessary food packaging by placing bulk-bin items such as rice or beans in your own reusable bags!

Avoid the use of beef in your Thanksgiving dishes. Not only does it require 1847 gallons of water per lb to produce, but also beef production releases five times the amount of greenhouse gas emissions as the average of other animal products and meats.

On Thanksgiving Day, carpool with friends or through zimride.com,  use public transportation, or ride your bike! Not only will this cut your overall gas consumption and carbon emissions, but you'll feel better about eating that last slice of pumpkin pie! During Thanksgiving dinner, remember to use cloth napkins, and if you don’t have enough dishes, go for the most eco-friendly option, like biodegradable plastic dishes!

Avoid wasting food by starting with small portions and taking as you need. If you’re hosting, ask your guests to bring their own Tupperware containers for leftovers to avoid using single plastics such as Ziploc bags or saran wrap. Start a composting bin and compost your food scraps!

May 2014 Green Tip: Sustainable Studying

It's hard to believe the school year is coming to an end. Seniors are graduating and moving on to bigger and better things. Freshman are excited about... well, not being Freshman. Summer plans are in the making and it's all just so day dream inducing. Whether your headed to Costa Rica, a cross country roadtrip, your parents air conditioned house, or your bed for an indefinite amount of time I think it's safe to say we are all ready for a break from school.

But we all are not quite in the clear just yet. Unfortunately, we still have to finish these finals and pesky research papers.  Here are a few tips to help make sure that you are get your last quarter of studying done with sustainability in mind.

1. Reuse your study materials
Before going down to the bookstore to buy a new pack of flash cards try checking out your cards from last quarter. You might be able to just cross of the word on the front and scribble off a sentence of text on the back!

(Source)

2. Resist the caffeine
Energy drinks are so bad for you and picking up a red bull or a cup of coffee every time you need an energy boost can build up to a lot of waste. A lot of the time when you feel like you need a pick-me-up your body is just dehydrated or overworked. When you begin to feel the craving for energy, take a break, walk outside, drink some water and then head back to work again. If you still feel like you're in a slump, make sure to use a reusable mug for your coffee or tea.

(Source)

3. Electronics over paper
Pull up your class study guide on your tablet or computer rather than printing out a copy. This goes for all your study materials. This way you can easily sort through your work and organize everything neatly in the right order and you will reduce your paper waste.