Q: What would you recommend a family give their college-going children, besides bikes and goods made of recycled materials, to be ready to live in a sustainable manner at college?
Asked by Cris Gutierrez, ’77, MA ’88, Santa Monica, Calif.
College is a time of transition from child to adult. It’s a huge opportunity for students to define how they want to live their own lives . . . but that doesn’t mean mom and dad can’t give one last push in the right direction. But what sort of things could help your kids practice sustainability after they leave the nest?
One of the more obvious items is the reusable shopping bag. These come in all shapes and sizes, from bags made from recycled plastic bottles to bags that fold in on themselves for convenience. Chances are you’ll be able to find one that is a good fit for your kid. My mom bought me a bag made from recycled banners, which is the perfect size for a grocery trip or for a trip to the beach.
If your high school grad hasn’t started drinking coffee yet, chances are they will soon. Sending them to campus with a reusable coffee mug is a fantastic way for them to reduce their waste (they could also use it for tea or hot cocoa). You can also equip your kid with a reusable water bottle, travel utensils, and snack and sandwich bags or containers, cutting out all of the disposable plastic they would have used otherwise. In addition to eliminating plastic bottles, the reusable water bottle encourages drinking tap water rather than the often environmentally damaging bottled water. Some brands for reusable items include Klean Kanteen and Snack Taxi.
Not only can students store their food and drinks in sustainable ways, but the food itself can be more sustainable. Various cookbooks are aimed at using local or in-season produce, and some have a specific emphasis on college students. The Healthy College Cookbook provides over 300 easy-to-make recipes that avoid using heavily processed ingredients that aren’t good for your health or the environment.
As you pointed out, a bike is a great gift to help your college bound kid get around campus. If the campus is in or near a city, bus and train passes can also be really helpful. Some schools already give their students these passes, though, so make sure you don’t waste your money by buying something your kid will already be getting.
Another great thing for a college student to have is a place to hang-dry their clothes. Electric dryers are among the most energy-hungry appliances we use, so getting your kid a compact rack or a retractable line to hang up in their room can take a substantial bite out of their environmental impact. Plus, the drying, clean clothes will make their messy room smell nicer.
While most college dorms come furnished, students can choose to bring in their own furniture to spice things up a bit. Rather than buying new furniture, try looking at a local thrift store like Goodwill. Or spend a weekend going to garage sales where you can haggle the price a bit.
But acting sustainably is about more than owning the right things. In the Nitty Gritty, I’ll explore behavioral changes a college student can make to help the environment.
Sam Fox earned her master’s degree in environmental engineering and science in 2011.
