3 minute read
How to become a more Sustainable Student
How to become a more Sustainable Student … Without Breaking the Bank
We all want to feel we are playing our part in saving the planet. Alice Brooker suggests some ways in which, as students, we can be more sustainable.
When it comes to being sustainable and eco-friendly, it’s near impossible to achieve perfection. For our negative impact on the environment to be minimised, we need to be able to afford to do so.
Page Design by Natasha Phang-Lee WWF have reported that average wildlife populations have declined in size by 60 percent in just over 40 years; carbon emissions climbed by 2% in 2018 and David Attenborough has warned that humans have made a “tragic, desperate mess” of the planet. While money should have no correlation with how environmentally friendly we can be, it tends to. Nevertheless, there are ways around the costs of reducing our environmental impact – even as students. Clothing Fashion today is fast, cheap and disposable - it is no longer considered to be timeless. Garments are worn once and may never be seen again. Fast fashion must be destroyed by prioritising the sustainability behind the making of clothes. Buying clothes with regards to protecting the environment must become fashionable. You can check the sustainability rating of stores at https://goodonyou.eco. To shop sustainably it feels like our options are slim as students. Sustainable online store Reformation has its prices starting at about £50 and Gather&See at a much pricier £100 - to name a couple. Students are not their target market. When Pretty Little Thing offer us tops from £4, and the excuse of ‘what harm will it really do?’ becomes our mantra, refusing is difficult. What can we do if we cannot afford first-hand clothes with the sustainable price-tag? Consider the likes of eBay and Depop. Consider the array of charity stores in town. Dig out your mum’s outfits from the seventies. Borrow from your friends (and if they aren’t letting you borrow, find new friends).
Garments should not just be forgotten due to trend progression. Furthermore, if we commit to spending less on fast fashion, it may lead to saving up for a timeless, quality item from a sustainable site. Diet Despite some telling us vegetarianism is a case of ‘all or nothing’, it’s not. Everybody is capable of taking at least a day per week to commit to meat-free meals. Think about reducing human-induced greenhouse gas emissions or the estimated 12 billion animals’ lives lost each year due to food wastage. Adjusting your diet doesn’t have to involve a complete scrappage of meat, but any adjustment in this direction is more considerate towards the planet, your health and animals. Beauty For student-priced beauty products, Wearth London sells sustainable skincare products for under £10. Bramley, Weleda and Lush are among other sustainable beauty options. Say no to the Uber Eats this week and splash out on Lush’s fragrant £8 shampoo bar instead! “Reusable bottles, chucking a jumper on rather than boosting the heating and reviewing our shopping habits and diets are all affordable changes” With regards to students becoming more sustainable, the list is endless: reusable bottles, chucking a jumper on rather than boosting the heating and reviewing our shopping habits and diets - all affordable changes. Granted, first-hand sustainable fashion needs to somehow become affordable, and petrol for a journey in our car is sometimes cheaper than a train ticket. It’s not all or nothing, but it is within everybody’s budget to be doing more. “Dig out your mum’s outfits from the seventies. Borrow from your friends, and if they aren’t letting you borrow, find new friends” Alice Brooker “It’s not all or nothing, but it is within everybody’s budget to be doing more”
