Minimal - Blog Posts
low waste tips: student edition
choosing a low waste lifestyle can seem an impossible extra thing to juggle when you already have friends, assignments, exams etc. to manage. hopefully this post will inspire you to make some eco-friendly swaps and show you how easy it can be to live more mindfully
1. food shop with friends. food waste is one of the biggest ways we can create waste. shopping and cooking with friends is not only really fun but almost always works out cheaper and you’ll use up all your ingredients rather than having food left over. save leftovers for lunch the next day!
2. go digital. if you have the option to type your notes and submit essays electornically then do so! you’ll save loads of paper. however, some people with learning difficulties find it easier to read with hard copies rather than on a laptop, and that is fine. just make sure you print double sided and recycle those print-outs after
3. ditch the car. travelling to and from uni via train is much better than using a car, if you can’t avoid the car then offer to car share. while at uni try and cycle, walk or use public transport as much as possible rather than driving (or ubering) short journeys. you’ll save money and the planet
4. second hand shopping/clothes swaps. there’s lots of pressure in student environments to wear the coolest clothes and to wear different things all the time. choose second hand rather than fast fashion.
5. sell your old clothes. selling your unused clothes on ebay or depop is a great way to earn a little extra cash. don’t let your old clothes be part of the 98% that are burned or go to landfill
6. borrow. there are always one-off events that you need a fancy dress/suit for. try and borrow or rent those items instead of buying something you’ll only wear once.
7. choose your stationery wisely. do you really need 5 notebooks? could you use a wooden pencil instead of a plastic pen? can you find recycled paper? little choices added together make a big difference
8. choose your drinks. drinking culture is everywhere at university and what you drink and how much is a personal choice. try and opt for drinks that come in aluminium cans (beer or cider) or glass bottles (spirits or wine). mixers are hard to find without plastic
9. refuse the straw. when you’re out this is a simple way to save the environment. just say no
10. find the university’s eco societies. surrounding yourself with and learning from environmentally-minded people is a great way to make low waste living easy. they will also be able to give you university-specific advice (e.g. where to find plastic-free veg and which cafes give you a discount for bringing your own cup)
and all the usual low/zero waste bits still apply to students too:
have a look at this post for ideas for zero/low waste swaps
low waste living is great for a student budget too! have a look at this post to find out more
being a part of the forest feels good
When people say that major corporations and industries are responsible for global warming and that we can do very little to make a difference, I totally agree with/understand/ respect that.
But like, that’s not where it ends?
We need to realise that our money and the choices we make in everyday life have massive effects on how industries are run.
Using paper straws wont do shit in the grand scheme of things, but when you go to your local shop and look at the straws on offer, what do you now see?
Less plastic and more paper, because they know that’s what we want and what we will buy.
In the long run, stuff like that does make a difference.
It’s the same with veganism, we see more vegan food/places because demand has been created. Money will be made here, less land is used, no animals die, less waste and less pollution.
And it’s not out of the kindness of some CEOs heart, it because they want you to buy THEIR tofu and not someone else’s.
If we have this “it won’t make a difference” attitude then nothing will ever change.
We have power over companies and we should use it.
So use that paper straw, get the reusable bag, eat less meat, do whatever you want to do to have a positive impact in the world and don’t ever feel like you’re not making a difference because you are
Journey to zero waste #22 🌱💚
-homegrown blueberries!! They tasted so good and we were so excited to pick them (hence my little sisters thumbs up). Our garden is coming along too with peppers, cabbage, beets, and just about every other vegetable we could plant. Growing our own produce makes me so happy it’s so gratifying
-low waste farmers market meal 🌻 made this meal as low waste as possible using pretty much everything from the farmers market except some vegan cheese which I will make myself once I finish up what we have!
If every working-class person in the world decided this afternoon to install solar panels on their roofs and started biking instead of driving, the ice caps would still melt and the human race would still die off. It simply isn’t possible to end climate change while working within a system that sends all your products overseas in massive supertankers wrapped in unrecycled plastic that will be thrown in a landfill the moment it hits land - and practices like that aren’t going to go away because of your purchasing habits.
Nor are we gonna hit some magical point where using clean energy and reducing waste are suddenly the cheapest or most profitable option and so all the world’s big companies fall over each other to switch over. That has never been the case and never will be - the “free market” isn’t going to save us.
The fact of the matter is, this system needs to be torn down if our species is to survive. We don’t have time to delay the revolution anymore. Capitalism is extinction.
Homemade vegan pesto pizza don’t mind if I do 😍😍😍
Simple guide on how to create less waste
2025 corporate pride month: exxonmobil posts this pic and says oil is pro LGBT
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
The three R’s rule includes small changes in daily lifestyle that are really important in saving our mother Earth. It’s worth taking into consideration to reduce your carbon footprint. ⋆
Firstly, a lot of people consider recycling to be problematic and even unnecessary. But recycling is an effect of high level waste which causes serious environment pollution. The most publicized of them are soil pollutions and plastic soup. So if you aren’t a fan of recycling try to produce less garbage, but still it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t recycle your waste. ⋆ There are also a lot of things that are especially difficult to recycle such as styrofoam, silica gel, plastic bottle caps, paper plates, napkins and coffee cups, plastic bags, bubble wrap, jiffy bags, shredded and richy colored paper, toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes, clingfil, pill packets, disposable razors, fruit netting, tires, electronics… and a lot of more stuff. ⋆
In solution try using material bags for shopping, cloth napkins, material towel instead of paper ones, bamboo toothbrushes, soaps, safety razors with replaceable razors, you can also try to make your own cosmetics and cloth pads etc., reusable is the keyword! You can save the planet and your own money at the same time, isn’t it worth it? ⋆
While on the subject, ask yourself if you need all those things in your house. If so, keep it, use it and use it up, try making something new out of it instead of buying new items, borrow it to your friends or relatives if you can and if it’s broken try to fix it. But if there are things that you don’t use (I’m sure there are) try selling it. I’m selling a lot of things online in low prices so I have more space and money and the items aren’t wasting but also exchanging things with someone is a good idea ⋆
Okay it’s all for today, gree(n)tings ⋆
I’m really scared for my future. I feel like I’m gonna die way too young on this burning planet because 50 yo politicians don’t gaf about the environment.
Free ways to be more environmentally friendly/zero waste
Email companies about their packaging and role in sustainability. You can easily do any company you like to buy from - even encourage less packaging waste to organic environmentally friendly ones because sometimes it’s hard to get those products without plastic.
Pick up trash and properly recycle it if you can
Learn and spread that information. Online, in person, make a cheap zine or pretty picture to post online to get more attention. And don’t spread false info, you should check multiple sources especially since big companies may like to shit talk about options that oppose them.
Eat less. Eat less meat. Eat less packaged products. Eat out less. Eat less dairy and cheese.
Eat more in terms of what you already have so you don’t have food waste. Meal planning can help with this. And be sure to look up actual expiration times on foods you buy in order to keep track and because the sell by/use by date is more for actual stores vs you eating it. Just, you know, have common sense and make sure it’s not chunky, smelly or slimey.
Dumpster Diving. Some people live solely off the food they find in dumpsters. Just do your research, check local laws, and bring gloves.
Start a garden with your food scraps.
Compost. You already have the banana peels, grass clippings, etc. Might as well try to compost it then add whatever compostable packaging you get after.
Buy less, that’s a given. First rule of zw is to use what you have. And focus on your needs vs feelings, “cheap deals” or aesthetic.
Recycle. That’s not free if you have to pay the trash company fees to be apart of their recycling program like I do. But there probably are recycling bins locally. It depends on your household number, location to the recycling bins, transportation but the easiest option would be to just collect it over a period of time if you have space at home then take it all to be recycled. Grocery stores like Walmart also have plastic bag recycling bins because grocery bags tend not be accepted at certain recycling programs. Here’s a good guide on recycling plastic.
Re-use. You really don’t need those aesthetically pleasing mason jars or fancy jars off Amazon. Use glass jars you already buy. Jam jars, pickles jar, sauce jars, spice jars, heck even wine bottles. You can even find or reuse the plastic bottle tops and put on the glass jars for instant shaker or squirt bottle. Plastic ones too. I put little craft stuff in my soy sauce containers. You can still reuse water bottles for a while before recycling it. Also try to re-use things your family or friends don’t use anymore.
Repurpose/upcycle/DIY. There are already a million different ideas out there on how to find new uses just about everything you already have. And sometimes DIY is better than buying. You can make underwear from t-shirts. Mesh curtains can become produce bags. Beewax wraps - and even vegan versions of this - seem to be cheaper and easy to make. You can un-knot old knit/crochet products and make something new with the yarn.
Use fossil fuels differently- which you’ve already been told. Cold water saves on energy used to heat it up. Wash clothing less. Turn down the house temperature a little bit. Turn off light and electronics. Car pool, ride a bike, use public transportation, make one trip a month to that one bulk store two hours away vs multiple in a shorter time span.
Free Stuff/Trading. Use Freecycle, find a local group for free stuff on fb, organize a clothing swap, look on the side of the road because people throw out perfectly good household stuff like chairs and appliances.
Choose slow shipping and less packaging. Two day shipping means trucks aren’t packed to full capacity which means more trucks driving back and forth thus more emissions. Vox did a good video about it here. If you shop at Amazon you know you can have your package wait and get all your items in one box. But you can do more! Shelbizlee did a great video about reducing Amazon packaging.
Consider, think and research. There are endless things to think about and consider your options. Easy stuff like buying secondhand instead of new, choosing a glass or cardboard option vs plastic in your grocery store, checking for local options. But there’s also having to consider if it’s more zero waste and sustainable to diy or purchase from an ethical company. And you might even want to reduce your recycling more since plastic can only be recycled a number of times so then you have to reconsider IF and how you can re-design your zw routines even more. These are things that are different for everyone but don’t get overwhelmed by seeing lots of problems and not being able to solve every one in your lifestyle. Doing the best you can is the goal.
Happy Earth Day!! Tick off your progress of your zero-waste journey! How many do you do already and how many will you be able to do by the end of the year?
Going zero waste is something that everyone adapts to differently according to what they have available, so do what you can, be aware and spread the word!
I wanted to add a link to every product, and I also need to add some other things but if you want to help me out that’d be great!
It feels very rewarding to go to the bulk store with a bunch of mason jars and fill them up! I’m saving money and waste just by doing this simple thing. Food in mason jars looks way better than a bunch of boxes and bags in my shelf anyways.
Instagram: vibing.vegan
FYI
to help make a difference in climate change and to not contribute to human and animal suffering as much as possible i:
- am vegan in all aspects - do not have a car - walk and bike as much as possible - use public transportation when i can not - use reusable bags - use reusable water bottles - use reusable utensils - use reusable containers - refuse plastic at all opportunities - buy recycled/fair trade clothing as i can - try my hardest to be zero waste - throw away NO food - recycle everything i can - switched to having all of my energy come from renewable sources - appreciate all water i use - pick up trash - buy local produce when i can - forgo produce that uses many resources - donate money to vegan and environmental causes - live a minimalistic life - get furniture and appliances second hand if possible - sell and donate things i no longer use
does that make me better than you? of course it doesn’t. but i probably am doing better than you. what the fuck are you doing for the planet? do more.
denise, a university classmate of mine just opened a package- and waste-free grocery store in braunschweig. it`s such a beautiful shop with an amazing product range and a lovely little café, too. if you like to shop organic, regional, fair trade and waste free, or like to treat yourself and your loved ones with delicatessen and spa essentials, this is the place for you.
_________________________
WUNDERBAR UNVERPACKT, Fallersleber Straße 36 D- 38100 Braunschweig
Farmers market haul! Zero waste too!
Instagram: vibing.vegan
A great source for students interested in sustainable living!
🌲🌿 Being A Green Student 🌿🌲
Hello my studious friends! I’ve decided I’d (finally) make the green student guide that I’ve been promising forever. Here you’ll find a handy list of ways you can stay environmentally conscious while hitting the books. Feel free to pick a choose what suggestions work best for you and your lifestyle. Again, these are purely suggestions, but I really recommend adopting as many as you can. All of us, especially those in the traditionally “western” nations with outrageous carbon footprints (aka America and many parts of Europe), need to start thinking about how we impact our planet in our daily lives. It’s the only one we have. At first, these suggestions may seem excessive or strange, but I promise, after a week or two, they’ll feel like second nature. So, I hope you take up these tips, and enjoy my guide to be a greener student!
Disclaimer: I understand that being green can be expensive, with little reward besides a cleaner lifestyle and conscious. I’m a financially impaired student, just like many of you. I’m not one to go around attacking people for not trying to be sustainable, just passing along tips I’ve picked up. That said, most of these tips can be modified, with a dash of creativity, to fit your monetary needs. And, obviously, I’m not saying that if you’re struggling to feed yourself you should go drop all your money on recycled notebooks, because that would be ridiculous.
Open the Read More to, well, read more!
Keep reading
We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.
Native American Proverb (via earthlingmag)
I just started using reusable bamboo pads as another small step to reducing my waste. If you use cotton pads, I recommend investing in reusable ones. Like most things, we don’t realize how much waste they produce. When you factor in the packaging they come in, plus using them once every day or two, the waste adds up. Not to mention the energy it takes to produce them. These are from Marleys Monsters and they’re great!
Instagram: vibing.vegan
Environmentalism is really about seeing our place in the world in a way that humans have always known up until very recently - that we are part of nature - utterly dependent on the natural world for our well being and survival.
David Suzuki (via spirituallyminded)
Looking for blogs to follow
Reblog if you post about any of the following topics:
Environmentalism
Zero waste/minimal waste living
Eco friendly tips
Sustainability
Climate change
OR anything related
Is it just me or has anyone else recently noticed more people and mainstream media are talking more about climate change? Are more people FINALLY realizing this is a serious issue and the state of the future is at risk?
Daily reminder that companies litter and pollute 100 times more than any one person and we should shame them daily.
not to get all fake deep about the state of manufacturing rn but a piece of a plastic bottle is literally gonna outlive the memory of us by dozens of generations
Composting questions? We have answers
