Sustainability is incredibly important to keeping our Earth going. It is the necessary action we must take to ensure future generations have their needs met. So, what is sustainability and how can we practice it at home and at ETSU?
Sustainability includes reusing already available things and making it a point to purchase items that will not hurt the earth and will make our resources last longer. Examples of this may be reusing your candle jar glass for plants or drinking glasses, as well as reusing straws. It also involves avoiding single-use plastics and items that cannot be recycled, such as K-Cups.
How can we as students be more sustainable?
Bring your own water bottle to campus. It does not seem like much to drink a bottle or two of disposable water bottles, but that is approximately 365-750 water bottles in a year. If you multiply that by over 10,000 students, you have a lot of disposable water bottles that must either be recycled or are more often than not thrown away.
Look at what you do with your school supplies. Are you using a computer? An iPad? Pencil and paper? It is better to use your computer instead of wasting paper!
Now, let’s talk about what you can do at home. You can wash your clothing on the efficiency cycle. You can make your food at home. Invest in a double bin trash can; separate the trash from recycling and make it a point to recycle all you can.
There are also some no waste or low waste hygiene swaps you can make. For example, bar soap is often better for the environment. It comes in packaging that is oftentimes easily recyclable or biodegradable. You can also get paper bags at the store or bring your own bags. Try to drive as little as possible. Through all of these ways, you can practice sustainability.
