Sustainability in education
I admit I was inspired by onother post I can't find anymore. Here are my suggestions to make your impact on the environment a little lighter.
Build your reusable set:
Water bottle - stainless steel, aluminum, hard plastic... There are endless possibilities
Coffe cup - i have a HipCup and it is so cute, but try to consider if you want it leak proof/thermic
Lunch box - I switch between Tupperware containers, bento box and a Thermos container that keeps my food warm until lunch
Cutlery - there are fancy sets, but a fork and a knife taken from your kitchen will do
Napkin - take a fabric one from home to avoid wasting paper towels. In my experience the inconvenience is it becomes dirty very quickly. I replace mine every couple of days
Tote bag - carry it everywhere!
Books and notes:
Take digital notes - obviously saves a lot of papaer
Use recycled paper notebooks - if you don't like the digital approach, it is a good low impact alternative
Buy e-books
Buy and sell used books
Rent from the library - your school/uni library should have most of the textbooks, be the first to claim them
Wrap books in paper or fabric instead of plastic
Pens - they are usually non recyclable, so take good care of them and use them to the very end. Consider investing in a refillable pen or a fountain pen
You don't need that much stationary anyway, buy what you will actually use!
Reuse scrap paper to take quick notes. I usually cut it into smaller pieces and clip it as a little notepad
Random good habits:
Reduce what you print - and if you still need to, prefer double sided and use recycled paper
Use public transport or bike to commute
Avoid using the lift - doubles as free legs workout!
Just because it's from school/uni and not your own, it's not a good excuse to waste things - I'm talking about paper, water, paper towels in the toilets, electricity...
Take your waste home, if you know it won't be properly recycled in your school
Promote initiatives in the area - maybe you know someone who can hold a conference about climate issues, you want to organize a clothes swap, you want to promote an organization you are part of... There is a good chance that other students will be interested too