Green Dorm Shopping List
August 15, 2008 by Peggy
Just years ago, it didn’t cross most college students’ minds to include reusable shopping bags or water bottles on their shopping lists. But things are changing for the better. I’ll say.
When I was in college, we once covered all walls and ceilings in our dorm living room with black plastic trash bags. It was a spooky cave. And I built a Kleenex tissue box castle at the end of the year. Ouch, I wasn’t so green then. Please check after the list for previous posts related to the green college shopping list.
Green Dorm Shopping List
•Cloth Napkins
•Power Strips (so electronics can be easily unplugged while not in use)
•Reusable Shopping Bags (recommend three)
•Safe Reusable Water Bottles
•Recycled Paper
•Real Dishes and Silverware (not plastic)
•Eco Beauty Products (check out Pretty by Nature for ideas)
•Organic Towels and Sheets
•A Bedspread or Quilt from Home
•Whole Foods (instead of cheap junk food with lots of packaging)
•Recycling Bins
•Homemade or otherwise Green Cleaning Supplies and Detergent (like Ecover)
•CFLs for Lamps or Other Fixtures
•PVC-free Shower Curtain Liner
•Beeswax or Soy Candles
UPDATED (thanks for the reminders Diana and Katherine):
• Bicycle
• Leftover Containers
Tree Hugging Family Posts Related to Shopping List:
25 Safe, Non-toxic, Homemade Cleaning Supplies
One Small Step: Use Cloth Napkins
Reusable Bag Feature Round Up (Links to our MANY reusable bag posts)
Green Product Review: SIGG Water Bottle
Green Product Review: Klean Kanteen Water Bottle
Say “No thanks” to plastic forks in take-out
Green Wedding Candles (or dorm!)
If you’re a college student or college parent, did you include any of these items in your shopping?
Image via stock.xchng
We did, but I told my daughter that her plates were going to come from a thrift store. That way we can buy exactly what we want without all the extras, and at a lower cost.
Also, for the candles, she’s not allowed to light candles in the room, but they can have one of those electric candle plates. You put the candle on and it melts it, giving off the fragrance without burning the place down. (I forget what those things are called).
DH, the thrift store is a good dishes option. I wasn’t allowed to have candles in my dorm either, but we broke a lot of rules. I understand that rule though.
I attended VA Tech in the early 80s and commuted by bike, had a veggie garden, composted, used a canvas bag and was in general pretty environmentally aware. I am happy to see a swing back to less consumerism and more caring for the environment.
For dishes, Corelle is an option if you don’t want plastic but want something less likely to break or chip– also lighter. It takes a lot to break Corelle. On the other hand, in the rare instance when it does break, it really shatters. I’ve seen Corelle in thrift stores once in a while.
Like Diana, I rode my bike a lot when I lived off campus. I would add a bike to the list.
I got so sick of bringing restaurant leftovers home in styrofoam that I finally put some containers in the car. As for take-out, I know a green family that takes their own containers. I’ll have to ask them if they’ve ever taken their own container for pizza. . .
Oops, how could I forget to add a bike to the list?
Thanks.