Greenifying Your Dorm

I started shopping for college the day after I got accepted to Lehigh; I may have been a little overly enthusiastic ( I got my letter in December...), but I was excited to start my college experience. I commandeered the spare bedroom in our house and gradually filled it for the next 8 months with bedding, toiletries and way more pens than any one person could need. One of the biggest challenges for me was finding things to help keep my dorm room eco-friendly. In the end I was able to get some pretty good stuff; here's the result of my hard work (my side is on the left):

So, here are a few tips on how to greenify your dorm room as told by a weathered shopper.


1. The power cord dilemma 

Between a lamp, a TV and all of sorts devices that need to be charged, power outlets are a hot commodity. The only solution to this is a power strip. Make sure you pick one that's energy efficient, and switch it off when you're not using it! Even if you're not watching your TV, as long as it's plugged in it still uses standby electricity. Here's one that's affordable and fits all the specifications.

2. Keep your quarters in your wallet.

Laundry is the bane of my existence. I try to stretch out my clothes for as long as possible (I'm currently on a two week streak) because I feel like I'm throwing away money. Not to mention, I never have enough quarters. This is why I invested in a drying rack. You can store it under your bed or in your closet when you're not using it, it saves money and energy and it makes my room smell like clean laundry--an all around win!

 

                                                   
3. Accept the prospect of washing dishes.
The most convenient thing to do is to buy huge packs of disposable silverware, paper plates and paper cups from BJ's. Instead, buy reusable utensils and dishware that you can use all through college. It's much less wasteful, and you'll get over having to wash everything.


4. *Obligatory anti-water bottle tip* 
No surprise here...plastic water bottles are the worst! Rather than buying a huge pack, get a Brita filter (of course in addition to your reusable Camelbak water bottle). You can fill it up in the sink or water fountain, and it'll filter out chemicals and get rid of any chlorine taste. Make sure you get a compact one that will fit in your minifridge.

If you want to take it a step further, you can buy bedding made from organic cotton and forgo the TV and mini-fridge. These are just some of the easier things you can do to make your dorm a little more eco-friendly.