Going 0 Waste in College

Feb 16

by Alexis M Peters ‘20

Maybe you’ve heard this term thrown around before: zero waste. Maybe you think it’s impossible. There’s just no way that a person can make absolutely no trash or waste in life, let alone in college. And I will admit to you, it is very, very difficult. When you’re trying to live a zero waste or a minimal waste lifestyle, you have to be conscious of every purchase and every event, and every meal.

So, if zero waste is so hard, why should I bother? Because 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags annually. Because on average there are 46,000 pieces of plastic in each square mile of ocean. I could go on with more horrific facts, but my goal is not to scare you, it is to get you to realize how important it is to reduce your waste. I am attempting to make the move to a completely zero waste lifestyle where I make my own toothpaste and have a bidet instead of buying toilet paper, but that life is quite a ways away. However, I’m still making progress towards that. So, I want to share with you some of the changes I have made to my life, and some easy changes that you should make in order to reduce your waste and to save the earth!

Okay, are you ready to save the sea turtles?

Let’s hit it!:

Get a recycling bin already

When you’ve got a dedicated bin, you will actively recycle. It’s an easy fix, so get on it! But be mindful that recycling more is not the goal. We want to reduce the overall trash that we produce because plastics can only be recycled a few times before they just end up in the landfill. Nearly 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year, so recycling is really just a drop in the bucket. (Glass, however, can be recycled over and over and over again!)

Coffee

Those Starbucks runs are really adding up. For your trash and your wallet. Buy a reusable cup, one for hot drinks, and one for cold. The bonus is that you get discounts at coffee shops when you bring your own mug! This is my reusable glass cup for when I want something iced (I bought it on Amazon!):

Straws

You may have noticed in the previous photo that I had a glass straw in my glass cup. Give up single-use plastic straws! Some people don’t like using glass straws because they feel a bit more delicate, but you can get yourself stainless steel straws instead.

Shopping

If you haven’t noticed, the Village Target will charge you extra if you used plastic bags. Save some money and bring your own! (They sell some pretty cute ones at Trader Joe’s next door!)

Food (This one is a three-parter, so hold onto your hats, folks)

Cooking for yourself

Buy fruits and veggies that aren’t pre-packaged or wrapped in plastic. These are bound to be less processed, more organic ingredients.
Sticking to fresh foods instead of microwaved meals eliminates a lot of unnecessary packaging.
Bring your own bag to carry a bunch of apples or other produce.
If you walk into Trader Joe’s with a more critical eye for waste and excess packaging, you will see how it is difficult to avoid, especially as an already struggling college student. But if you start noticing these things regularly, and making conscious choices, you can greatly reduce your packaging. I recommend looking for products packaged in paper materials or glass. Glass can be recycled, and paper materials can be composted!

(Buy your apples separate, not in a plastic bag!)

After you’ve peeled that banana, or chopped off the ends of your fresh broccoli stalks, be sure to compost it! Composting does a lot of great things for the earth, and if you just chuck it in the trash, all of those benefits will go to waste, because organic materials don’t break down properly when they’re surrounded by the plastic and other inorganic material of landfills. USC Housing has these composting bins in the apartments, so make sure you’re putting them to good use!

Eating in the dining halls

If you’ve been to Parkside or EVK recently, then you may know about the new initiative to go zero waste in the dining halls, but there are a few things missing from their protocol:

Compost your napkins! Greasy and used napkins should not be recycled because they will contaminate the other recyclable material, and it is also much harder to recycle napkins fibers, since they are already so processed. But luckily, they are paper products that can be composted!
When you’re loading up a waffle during brunch time, but don’t want the syrup to make it soggy, use a bowl to carry your side of syrup, instead of those plastic cups they provide!
Stir your Coffee or tea with a spoon instead of a wooden stirrer!
Unfortunately, I have not figured out a solution for toast with jam in the dining halls. I still use those little packets of strawberry jam…

Eating at restaurants

Bring your own container! You should ask beforehand if the restaurant allows you to be served with your own food container, but it’s usually not a problem!
Take your own silverware, and say no to plastic utensils!
If you’re not on that level of bringing your own containers for the food, ask them to not put your food in a bag. Carry it out yourself, and save the trash.

Okay, I know I just threw a lot of information at you, and I know that zero waste isn’t that easy in our over-packaged, over-industrialized world. But it’s important to remember that every little thing you do makes a difference and that your dollars are your votes. So, spend your money on sustainable brands and not plastic. But also, going zero waste is a process. Take baby steps and encourage your friends to do the same; we could very well be on our way to a much cleaner world.

(Still not convinced that you need to reduce your waste? When you produce so much trash and let it all go straight to the landfill, it can contaminate groundwater with toxic chemicals and produce more harmful greenhouse gases that are warming the earth, melting the ice caps, rising sea levels, killing penguins and polar bears, and well, you know the rest. Read about it here.)

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