It’s Easy Being Green

Source: Rosie Leishman. 

We know the planet is a bit stuffed. And since we’re on path to enter into the working world, beyond the comfort of our tertiary education, we must face the fact we are adults and need to play our part. No more excuses! 

With some help from UCGreens and UC Sustainability’s resources, here are some tips to be a sustainable student. 

I know you’ve heard it before, but learning how to reduce the impact of our lives on our beautiful wee floating rock can make a difference.  Changing our behaviours, small or significant, might not save the world, but at least it’s something and it’s not that hard. And a huge perk is that living a bit greener can cost less.  

Our problem is most of our habits are simply not sustainable. Fuel pumping, our drinking behaviours, energy use, food consumption, rubbish, water waste – we can’t help but emit. This sacrifices our ecological integrity and the health of our natural systems. 

In saying that, we stingy students aren’t the worst culprits for our planet’s warming.  

Many of us already skimp out on power bills and paying for anything not necessary – however, we’re also the generation dealing with the unsustainable, earth-burning habits of our elders, so we must work extra hard to try to ensure we have a planet to use our university degrees in. 

Here’s what to do.  
Have a sustainable kitchen 

In your flat kitchen, you can easily develop some eco-friendly ways to be more green.  

Cook as a flat! This saves you power and resources, as only one person is using the energy-sucking appliances to make a meal. It might be difficult to deal with your flatmate’s culinary skills, but being a tad more tolerant and leaning into the student-flatting lifestyle is worth it. 

It probably won’t be up to your mother’s standards, but it’s good for Mother Earth.  

And eat less meat. This is controversial coming from a vegetarian, but I promise it’s not that hard. 

Two or three meatless days, or plant-based choices, would do the world a favour. Meat and dairy products have one of the largest environmental footprints, with animal industries producing unimaginable emissions. So try having a few more chickpeas. They’re cheaper and good for the gut! 

Make your own eco-friendly kitchen cleaners 

Combine… 

• 1 teaspoon baking soda 

• 2 teaspoons white vinegar (buy in bulk!) 

• ¼ teaspoon dishwashing liquid  

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice  

• 2 cups hot water 

Shake well and spray on surfaces! 

Shop at local fruit and vege stores  

Although it’s easy to zip to PAK'nSAVE for a one-stop shop – for the greater good, why not support our locals? 

UCGreens agrees that our local veggie spots are often cheaper, providing better produce and less packaging, meaning it’s better for you and the planet! 

Supporting our unsung heroes like our local fruit and vege suppliers is the kind thing to do to thank them for putting in the hard yards for us to get our 5+ a day. 

Plus, if you’re more for the economy than the environment, supporting the local economy strengthens supply chains. 

Support: 

• Growers Direct Market  

• Eden’s Harvest by the Dominos (once I got a box of veges for $6!)  

• Produce Traders 

• Crazy Daves 

Drinking alcohol with the planet in mind 

Drinking is a huge part of student culture, so why not do it sustainably?  

Try a sustainable brand! It may be slightly more expensive, but to be honest, what drinks aren’t? And at least you can sip with a bit less guilt for the impact it has on our planet. So, do research into what the brand represents and avoid excess packaging.  

Put down the bottle – it’s better to choose cans over bottles! 

Glass bottles are heavy, so they carry a bigger carbon footprint. Cans are more energy-efficient because they weigh less and use less space, so aim to buy cans to avoid extra emissions!  Or even drink straights with mixers in a reusable bottle to avoid waste at all! Another perk is less broken glass, so it’s good for the earth and is less of a health risk. Win-win. 

And recycle! When you’re out, try your best, in your intoxicated state, to dispose of your empties properly. If that’s too much of a long shot, at least try to keep a hold of your waste so you can recycle appropriately in the dusty morn. 

Source: Rosie Leishman. 

Be a sustainable student on campus 

UC makes it easy for us to be sustainable students. We have bike racks, compost bins, a community garden and a heap of environmental club events.  

So to help be a tidy Kiwis on-campus, use our community gardens or look up the edible campus map on UC’s website to see where to forage on campus to find apricots, guavas, feijoas, figs, olives, pears, plums, and other free food! 

UCGreens also suggest having tupperware, cutlery, and KeepCups on hand if you eat on campus. 

Don't throw out your napkins when you're given them! It’s surprising how useful they can be in your bag or at home. 

Look around for the right bins – they are there and you should use them. There are compost, paper, and landfill bins all around the place ready at your disposal.  

Bike, walk, or bus! It’s cheap, and sometimes quicker too.  

Composting is cool! 

With all those locally-sourced vege meals you’re having, use your green bin! Or if you really want to do your part, you could even get a flat worm farm to eat up all your leftovers. 

Composting is essential for a good garden, and consequentially, aids climate adaptation by reducing emissions, strengthening local food production, and supporting waste management. 

You can even compost at uni! UCGreens suggests getting involved with UC Compost Club, adding to the worm farm outside the Undercroft, or visiting the Waiutuutu Community Garden for their awesome composting setup. 

Host a dinner party with your mates! 

If you start a weekly dinner night with fellow flats, taking turns hosting, you can have fun with your friends while reducing emissions. 

This means only one of the flats is using power to cook the food, switching the lights on for ambience, and using energy for music. And it encourages you to buy in bulk with little waste, and if you take turns it’s even stevens! 

Brush your teeth better 

It’s the small things that make a big difference with sustainability. It can be as simple as brushing your teeth. 

If you conserve water when you can, by turning the tap off when you brush your teeth, you’re doing your part. Conserving water saves energy, so reducing your water use reduces your carbon footprint and helps our ecosystem to thrive! 

And to add to your eco-friendly cleaning product recipe book, here’s one for home-made toothpaste: 

• teaspoon baking soda 

• ½ teaspoon sea salt 

• Some essential oil for flavour if you like (e.g. peppermint)  

• A tiny bit of water  

• Mix ingredients to form a paste. Easy! 

Grow a greener closet! 

Op-shopping is a therapeutic hobby for many to distract themselves from university by spending a little to gain a lot. 

Ōtautahi has no shortage of thrift shop spots to get your closet looking more green and eco-friendly. There are so many, from Toff’s to our very own Sally Army on Church Corner, and clubs like OpSoc that get you excited about recycling clothes. 

The disposal of unwanted clothing in the fashion industry is one of the worst contributors to landfill waste. Op-shopping helps mitigate this problem by regenerating the second life cycle of our clothes. Each second-hand good is one fewer piece of fabric wasted, thereby significantly decreasing unnecessary landfill and increasing the uniqueness of your wardrobe. 

So, if you’ve had a sweater in your closet for a season cycle, do the kind thing to the planet and for someone else who will pick it up and love it like you used to. Then go get yourself a new, old used one! 

Please give these a try! 

We all love our home away from home in Ōtautahi, and we must do what we can to preserve it! And as sustainable students, we can lead creative ways to help our planet while saving a few bucks of that student loan. How good!