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GREEN U
Campus life gets a dose of eco-living
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For the average college kid, going back to school means making a list and checking it (more than) twice. Dorm rooms and apartments need linens, classic rock posters and storage bins; closets need their bucks and boots; desks need their Macs and thumb drives; and the list goes on and on. Since the mere shopping and packing is pretty overwhelming, being green doesn't always top the list of back to school priorities, especially if it means dropping more cash. Fortunately, a number of schools and retailers are pushing initiatives to make campus life affordably green beyond the hippie co-ops:
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What's Old Is New:
After freshman year, the amount of stuff accumulated by the typical student begins to make one wonder if "The Freshman 15" refers less to body weight than to the pounds of possessions hoarded in one's dorm room. So, some colleges are featuring recycling initiatives that give new life to these items instead of sending them straight to the landfill. Bard College's Free-Use Thrift Store is a free store where students can donate unwanted belongings, or take items they need to check off their lists. Texas Christian University's TCU Trash to Treasure and George Washington's Green Move Out take a community approach to cleanup, as otherwise trash-bound items donated and collected by the students go to local charities.
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Alt Textbooks:
Despite what you may think, e-books have yet to become commonplace on the college scene, with most students still using dense, bulky textbooks. While used textbooks are cheaper and kinder to the trees, there are greener and even less costly alternatives out there. For example, students can rent textbooks at more than 60% off the price of purchasing. Both BookRenter and Chegg boast free return shipping on rentals online. Students can also sell used textbooks on Chegg, which as an added benefit, plants a tree for every book rented and sold. For those who don't rely on the margin notes of past scholars and want to go totally paper-free, Zinio and iChapters both offer digital text books at 50% off the original price, with the latter also offering individual chapters for purchase for as low as $2.
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Green Dorm Rooms:
Come freshman year, most students assume the role of household CFO for the very first time, as they are empowered to make purchases for their new homes. Recognizing the inexperience of these young domestics, UVA has created four green demo dorm rooms, which are on display during summer orientation sessions. These rooms feature a variety of environmentally conscious products, from cleaning and school supplies to electronics like mini fridges, microwaves and computers - all of which are available for purchase in the campus bookstore.
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