Easy Ways to be Sustainable

- Take notes electronically

- Calculate your Carbon Footprint

- Use a reusable K-Cup Pod - single use pods create a lot of waste

- Adopt reusable bag practices

• Recycle plastic bags at grocery stores (like Walmart, Target, Wegmans)

- Buy less or borrow

• Only buy things that you need!
• Shop at second-hand stores

- Forget Bottled Water!

• Reuse old water bottles or purchase a reusable one
• Buy a water filter for home and use water filter stations on campus

- Recycle as much as possible and be weary of items that cannot be recycled

- Use a reusable mug and avoid single-use coffee cups

- Power Down - Turn off lights and electronics when not in use

- Use alternative transportation

• Walk or bike
• Carpool with friends, roommates, coworkers, etc.
• Take public transportation

- If you drive:

• Check your tires regularly
• Use cruise control
• Carpool
• Don't weigh down your car

- Use energy efficient light bulbs

- Save energy

• Set your heat a few degrees lower or your AC a few degrees higher
• Better yet, bundle up in the winter and use fans and open your windows in the summer
• Turn down your water heater
• Stream movies through a smart TV, not your gaming console

- Purchase office supplies containing recycled material

-  Modify your diet

• Decrease your consumption of meat and animal products
• Eat lower down on the food chain as much as you can

-  Don’t purchase aerosol sprays

-  Think about your water usage - can you cut down your shower time?

-  Support better brands

• USDA Organic, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Natural Product Association Certification, The Leaping Bunny, NaTrue, Cradle to Cradle, NSF, etc.

- Support local and organic farmers

• At grocery stores and at farmer’s markets

- Donate to food kitchens

- Understand expiration dates

• Expiration dates refer to a product's quality, not safety
• Sell-by date is the deadline for retailers to sell the product
• Use-by date is when the product starts to lose its quality and flavor

-  Waste less food

• Learn to love leftovers
• Take note of what you already have before going grocery shopping
• Buy only what you can finish
• Freeze or preserve your food to extend its life

-  Create a compost pile