Living green: Eco-friendly apps

BLOGS & LIFESTYLE

Blogs & Lifestyle Living Green: Eco-friendlY apps helping you go one green footprint forward ‘LIVING GREEN’ IS A FEATURE THAT FOCUSES ON SUSTAINABLE LIVING. THROUGH THIS, WE HOPE TO AID OUR FELLOW STUDENTS IN BECOMING MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE. THESE ARTICLES GIVE ADVICE, HELPFUL INFORMATION AND REVIEWS ON SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS, IN ORDER TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS WE

Anyone who has been watching David Attenborough’s 2021 series A Perfect FIND, AS EDITORS AND WRITERS, ON OUR JOURNEY TO LIVING GREENER.

Planet has surely been pushed into considering environmental impacts on our beautiful Earth. With greenhouse gas emissions on the rise and World Of Books ecological pollution levels very high, it’s hard to accept the rhetoric that the For any literature nerds out there, or even those of us trying to console ourselves individual can do little but sit back and accept the inevitable destruction. in lockdown by getting lost in a good book, this is the site for you. World of Books

But maintaining a green lifestyle doesn’t have to drastically inconvenience buy unsold used books, many of which were previously destined for land ll, and give us. In actuality, there are a range of apps and websites which can help them a second life. The perfect way to avoid contributing to Je Bezo’s net worth. us ght climate change and positively impact our green footprints… Even better – there is currently an o er giving customers an extra 20% o when 4 or more books are purchased!

Too Good To Go

I honestly can’t rave about this app enough. Not only is it great for preventing food wastage, it’s ideal for students struggling on a budget. It is a free app which allows you to purchase unsold food at a greatly reduced price. This means that leftover food won’t end up decomposing in land lls, hence CO2 emissions are reduced. Top restaurants which participate regularly within Leeds include: YO! Sushi!, Simpatico Pizza (located in Queen‘s Arcade), Rola Wala and Barburrito. And, lots of on-campus cafes also o er reduced food on the app.

Depop

We all know an ‘edgy Leeds’ fashionista who lives for Depop fashion. But do you also recognise the bene cial impact that buying second-hand clothes can have on the planet? Recycling your old clothes and buying second hand promotes a much more sustainable relationship with fashion. The garments life is extended, rejecting the unsustainable fast-fashion industry. However, you may need to watch out for some sellers that take advantage of Depop to sell cheap thrifted items at extortionate prices.

Image: Logos Discovery Engine Good On You

Ever wondered just how much your favourite brands are contributing to staying green? We can often feel out of the loop when it comes to exposing bad practises, especially when they’re already so normalised in fashion brand circles. This app gives sustainable ratings for stores which allows consumers to gain knowledge concerning the impact of their favourite brands on the environment. Ratings, sustainability tips, guides and style advice are made very easily accessible by this app so environmentally bene cial choices are easily within our grasp.

Ecosia

This website is a search engine that should replace Google for sure. Every time you make a search on the site, Ecosia uses the income to plant trees, helping to reverse climate change and paving the way for a carbon neutral planet. There’s also an easily downloadable app which makes it easy to search on the go.

Sometimes it can feel like climate change is completely overwhelming and that any changes we could personally make are miniscule in comparison. But all change starts with the individual. It is our responsibility to help the planet and that’s never been easier than right now when a simple click or tap to download can help save our depleting environment.

Megan Johnson

Tips and Tricks

1. Work backwards. During exam time we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to complete lots of di erent tasks in one day. When it comes to deadlines this month it’s good to try and work backwards. It sounds a little confusing, I know, but it’s really helped me. See how long you have until a piece of work is due in or an exam and work out how much you need to do every day to cover the content you want. This may sound simple, but I use to get so frustrated at myself if I’d planned ten things to do in one day and I only did ve. We’re under di erent circumstances and it’s hard to concentrate with so many distractions at home. So, my advice would be to not be so hard on yourself, have a short and concise list of what needs done each day, and reward yourself. In the words of Kris Jenner, “you’re doing amazing sweetie”.

2.Read a book. I know you’re probably sick of reading secondary sources and critical opinions but trust me on this one. As an English Lit student, I used to adore reading (as you kind of have to) but the amount of information I had to read at uni made it feel like a chore. I’d put o reading things and I started lacking interest in authors and genres I use to love. I think we need to read more things we enjoy so we don’t resent the task itself. Even if it’s just ten pages a night, its better then being on your phone, and as cringey as it sounds it can help us escape this 2021 pandemic. 3.Write a letter to yourself. I was sceptical at rst

too, but it is a great way to leave the troubles of the past in 2020. Address the letter to yourself with a date you want to open it on (mine is for 01/01/2022). Write in it what you hope to achieve, how you’re feeling in that moment, what you feel lucky to have but also what you want out of this year. It really helped me let go of 2020 and all the things I didn’t get to do and express what I want this year to bring me. Putting something on paper really helped me envision what I want and be content with what I’ve got. It put things into perspective for me and hopefully it will for you too.

4.Make a vision board. Speci cally, second and thirdyear students, pressure looms over what you want to do. Year abroad, placements, grad schemes etc. This amount of pressure can be hard to deal with but, rest assured there is a solution. Go on Pinterest or nd photos that suit what you love and feel passionate about and make a vision board for this year. It’ll help you strive towards your goals but also help you gure out what you want to dedicate this year to, whether it be travel, getting t, seeing more of your friends, getting a job etc. For me, looking at di erent pictures made me realise how much I want to travel (pandemic pending) so then I know I need to save up money and think about where I want to go and how long I can go for before uni starts again in September.

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Some of these things sound simple, and I understand how di cult a time it is for everyone and how much stress we’re all under especially this month. This, however, doesn’t mean we can’t move on from 2020. If you are feeling particularly low this month, please try one of the things above and you may feel much better. Each task helps you put things into perspective in a time where are emotions are, rightfully so, all over the place. Remember to stay safe, it’s a new year, same you, but a better outlook.

- Siobhan Dale x