Ways to go GREEN in College

Today’s world order is faced with the enormous challenge of dwindling natural resources and increasing global warming. In this scenario the importance of adopting environmental friendly practices assumes paramount importance. What better way than for the young generation to lead the way and implement green methods in college campuses.

Recycle:

It’s vital to know the positive difference that can be made by adopting the best recycling practices. First students should be educated on the type of garbage that can’t be recycled. Then the reusable waste needs to be identified and separated and deposited in clearly marked bins. Paper, some types of plastics and electronic appliances like laptops and cell phones are prime candidates of the recycling process. It’s critical that electronic items and batteries be disposed in a safe manner since they can leach harmful chemicals like mercury and contaminate the environment.

Avoid Plastic:

Plastic bags and bottles are some of the worst culprits as far as polluting the environment is concerned. Most plastics are not biodegradable and choke up the land and block drains. Burning plastics to get rid of them is a medicine that is worse than the disease since it releases harmful carcinogenic chemicals in the environment. The way forward is to opt for bio-degradable plastics or opt for paper bags.

Water Conservation:

Global fresh water sources are extremely limited. Hence it’s critical to cut down on water waste. Taking long hot showers and using running water to clean cars and sidewalks must be avoided as much as possible since they result in massive wastage. Compact water treatment plants can easily be installed in colleges which convert waste water into a filtered state to be used for daily irrigation purposes. Rain water harvesting techniques are reasonably priced and easy to install resulting in massive savings of money and our precious liquid gold by cutting down on public water usage and providing a reservoir of readily available water.

Green energy:

Renewable energy sources like small solar panels and wind turbines can be easily installed on college campuses. Although the installation cost can be on the expensive side- in the long run the system results in massive cost savings in the form of reduced electricity bills and the availability of unlimited free clean electricity.

Reduce Paper Usage:

Thousands of trees can be saved annually by cutting down on unnecessary paper waste. Electronic means of communication should be adopted as much as possible. Printouts must only be taken when it’s absolutely necessary and everything should be printed on 100% recycled paper with at least 40% post consumer content.

Miscellaneous guidelines:

Car pooling to college can result in saving hundreds of gallons of fossil fuels in addition to sparing the environment from the thousands of tons of CO2 emissions and even help build friendships! When possible, riding a bike to college is also a great form of exercise and reduction of one’s carbon footprint.

The best part is that most green initiatives are very easy to implement and don’t break the bank. They promise the only sustainable method of energy conservation and resources for our future.

About The Author: Alia is a writer. She loves writing, travelling and playing. Recently she did an article on celebrity’s babies at school. These days she is busy to write an article on top celebrity net worth.