Plastic Free July has arrived and with it a chance for us all to rethink our plastic habits. It is estimated the UK alone produces five million tonnes of plastic a year, half of which is plastic packaging. Much of the responsibility to reduce plastic waste and promote sustainability has fallen to the younger generation. As the race heats up to save our planet for the years to come, it is more important than ever that the students endorsing this change develop sustainable and lasting habits. Here are some of our best tips for becoming a sustainable student Greta Thunberg would be proud of.

Recycle… duh!

Let’s get the obvious one out the way. We all know the benefits of recycling, and hopefully you’ll all be recycling at home anyway. However, the student lifestyle can often be a cornucopia of takeaways, house parties and A LOT of single use plastics. It’s hardly surprising that the 18-24 age group is frequently proven to be more wasteful than any other. All the more reason to recycle those used takeaway containers or simply swap plastic cups out for paper ones. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Reuse Your Bags‍

I can’t count the number of times I’ve been in a student house, opened an unassuming cupboard and almost been knocked over by an avalanche of plastic bags. In your daily early-morning coffee-hazed trance, try and remember to pack a few reusable bags. Once you’ve built this habit, you’ll be making a huge difference that requires virtually zero effort. Make it an aim to start this Plastic Free July. Come September your cupboard will thank you. 

Buy a Reusable Water-bottle

This is one that a lot of students already seem on board with. Walk into any lecture theatre and you’re confronted with a sea of garishly coloured reusable water-bottles. It’s almost a fashion statement at this point. If you’re starting university or school this September, remember to buy one for yourself. Most universities have water fountains in every building so there’s really no excuse to buy a new water bottle every day. Just save yourself the money!‍

Bring Your Own Lunch‍

You’ve just had a three-hour morning seminar, finally you’ve escaped the clutches of your lifeless professor, only to feel a distinct emptiness in your stomach. Did you even have breakfast? Looking around desperately you spot a supermarket. Your prayers have been answered; hedonistic visions of your selected £3 meal deal swim tauntingly in your mind. STOP. I get it. We all get hungry, and it’s all too easy to run to the nearest shop or cafeteria for a quick lunch. 

The problem is, unsurprisingly, the sheer volume of plastic waste this produces. If you’re out on campus, you’re also less likely to recycle anything you actually use (if anything actually is recyclable). Solution: you know that big pot of unidentifiable vegetables you’re always cooking for dinner? Pack some for your lunch in reusable containers. Your bank account will thank you. Not to mention it’s probably far healthier than anything you’d find in a meal deal. 

Boycott Fast Fashion

When you’re a student, you’re always looking for cheap ways to stay fashion focused. Unfortunately, online fast fashion brands know this all too well. You can bet they’re not paying much attention to Plastic Free July! Clothing production is the third biggest manufacturing industry in the world, it contributes to climate change more than international flight and shipping combined. 

Most of these clothes are barely even used, with 3 out of 5 fast fashion items ending up in landfill. Next time you need a new outfit, have a browse round your local charity shops. If you’re looking for something more specific, check out online retail platforms such as eBay and Depop. By reusing clothing you’re pumping less money into these damaging industries; and, let’s face it, are probably getting something of far better quality. 

Petition 

Although you may be an environmentally focused defender of the earth, most people are either too lazy or just simply don’t care. It’s our responsibility to campaign and petition to universities (or anywhere else for that matter) to reduce their waste habits and explore sustainable options. Perhaps you could implore your local canteen to reduce stock of single use plastics. Alternatively, petition the school procurement policy to add in plastic free requirements. It may be Plastic Free July, but these changes should be implemented all year round. 

To Sum It All Up

Although most of these points keep in with the theme of Plastic Free July, there are countless other things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint and promote sustainable living as a student. I hope I’ve made you think a bit harder about habits you may take for granted. By September you’ll be a diligent eco-warrior, ready to make our world a better place for the generations to come. That is, if you can wake up in time!