Sustainability tips for the student in your life.
Student life can be hectic at the best of times, between juggling studying and social life, as well as moving away from home for the first time - so worrying about sustainability is unlikely to be top of your to-do list. But sustainability for students is both easier and more affordable than you might think. Our student intern Charlotte Maile has these top tips to get you started.
Growing up, my mum always made sure I turned off any lights we weren’t using and always bought my school uniform a couple of sizes too big to make it last longer, sometimes much longer - so sustainable living wasn’t a complete shock to the system. But naturally as a teenager, I became much more preoccupied with having the latest phone and newest trainers.
But during my second year at Oxford, I did Second-Hand September and didn’t buy any fast-fashion for the month, and that really kickstarted my sustainability journey. A journey that has now progressed to working in sustainability, including currently working at Green Salon.
These are just some of the sustainable ideas I discovered during my four years at uni, and a few things I’ve discovered since joining Green Salon.
Use reusable water bottles and coffee cups.
Student life can almost seem synonymous with caffeine overconsumption - so make sure you’ve packed a couple of reusable coffee cups to take to campus for those early morning lectures.
At Green Salon, we love these collapsible coffee cups from Stojo, which fold up and fit in your bag.
Halo do reusable water bottles so you never have to buy bottled water again. And you can download the Refill app to find where you can refill your water bottle for free - no questions asked.
Protect your gadgets
Not keen to add to the plastic mountain? Then you’ll love Pela* for phone, iPad and Airpod cases. They have a range of colours and styles available, and are compostable.
We also recommend A Good Company* for their phone cases and matching stationary. Check out their notebooks and journals with paper made from stones. Yes, really. They also make great Christmas presents if you’re stuck for ideas.
Honest Mobile
If you’re looking to upgrade your phone plan - you might want to ask yourself why you’re looking at spending £36 a month for unlimited data at O2 or £32 at Vodafone, when you could be spending £25 a month at Honest Mobile* for the same deal.
On top of which, they’re the first carbon positive mobile provider in the UK, they apply a loyalty discount so your prices actually go down over time and they have the best customer service we’ve ever encountered. You can find out more about them in this blog in the Green Salon Journal.
So not only are you helping save the planet, you’re saving money at the same time.
Pre-loved clothes
Selling and buying pre-loved clothes is a money and earth saving win
It took my Second Hand September experience before I broke up completely with fast-fashion. It’s so easy to buy a cheap outfit you use for one night out and never wear again. But there are many other options that, happily, have a lower cost for you and the planet.
Sharing clothes with friends and flatmates
If you’re struggling to find clothes for a fancy dress social or other event, consider asking friends if they have anything you can borrow first. And add that you’ll, of course, return the favour. This saves you both time and money - all the while helping the environment and reducing waste.
Hazaar app
Hazaar is a zero-waste marketplace - just for students. You can sign up with your university email, and then browse unwanted goods from other students in your city, and even sell your own. Because it’s based on your university city, not only do you save money on postage & packaging but you’re also reducing the carbon footprint of second-hand clothing. Hazaar also has a specific section dedicated to fancy dress items which is particularly helpful for sports nights!
Sell clothes you don’t wear any longer
Coming home for the Christmas holidays is a great time to reassess what clothes you’ve been wearing, and what clothes you don’t need any longer. Either sell on Depop, Vinted, Thrift+ or Preworn* and, as a last resort, donate to your local charity shop or clothes bank. And you can always swap out your old clothes on these sites for new pre-loved clothes for your wardrobe.
Go green in the kitchen
Don’t forget your tote bag when you go to the shops to save your 10ps
At Green Salon, we’ve already blogged on how going green in the kitchen can save you money - and that’s great news for a student budget. Here’s a round up of our top student kitchen swaps:
Make the most of your fridge and freezer
Leftovers can be a lifesaver when you’re too busy or too tired to cook, plus most of the £450 a year of edible food the average family throws away each year comes from food left in the fridge and forgotten about. Get into the habit of checking your shelf in the fridge to see what you have before preparing your next meal.
Batch cooking
Also consider batch cooking your favourite meals, either alone or with friends, and freezing single portions. Then just defrost when you need a quick and easy meal. Some of our favourite meals to batch cook and freeze include bolognaise and vegetable chilli.
Ditch the plastic bags
When doing your weekly grocery shop, try to remember a reusable shopping bag and produce bags for your purchases. I like to keep a foldaway tote bag in my backpack for picking up groceries on the way back from uni to avoid buying those 10p plastic bags that so often just get thrown away.
Laundry swaps
One eco-egg laundry egg costs £9.99 and is guaranteed to last for 10 years
Eco-egg
One of my favourite cleaning green swaps I’ve discovered at Green Salon is the eco-egg. This laundry egg not only saves you throwing away plastic bottles - it can also save you money! The £9.99 laundry egg is a great eco-friendly alternative to plastic bottles of laundry detergent - and it’s only £4.99 for a bag of mineral pellets that need topping up every 4-6 months. Who doesn’t want clean laundry at a lower cost?
Collective laundry
Consider asking your flatmates if they have anything to throw in the laundry when you’re doing a load to help save energy and money! It can often be difficult to fill the huge Circuit Laundry washing machines so help each other out while helping the planet by doing collective loads of laundry with your friends.
Take up cycling!
It’s not uni without a bicycle!
Cycling is a great way to stay fit and save money at the same time, all while doing your bit for the planet. Swap out driving for either cycling your own bike or using an e-bike rental scheme like Human Forest to get across your uni city.
When I launched into my more sustainable lifestyle, I was keen to do my bit to save the planet. What I hadn’t realised is that I would also be doing more to save my money.
Check out our other money-saving eco tips on the Green Salon Journal for sustainable swaps on a student budget!
Want to become part of our green living community? Sign up to our newsletter for tips on going green and special discounts from our partner brands.
We vet each brand for their commitment to sustainability but we are not a certification body, nor are we auditors, and we have taken the approach that we trust brands to tell the truth about their sustainability policies, practices and plans.
Affiliate disclaimer: ❀ indicates affiliate links with brands to help fund the Directory so that we can research further sustainable brands. This does not affect the price you pay.
A big thank you to Oxford University’s Crankstart Scheme for underwriting Charlotte’s internship with Green Salon.