Going Green In Your Dorm
Greetings Hillel!
This weeks post is aimed at the freshman. Going green is not simply for those who own their
own house. Saving energy is a responsibility of the masses and we can all do our part. Although you
might not have as much influence on the place you live or the food you eat (dorm food… inhumane) as
your older schoolmates, there are other ways you can be sustainable in your dormroom.
Every year, college students generate thousands of tons of garbage, because of the choices they
make in buying furniture and accessories. We’ve all been there, a new room, a fresh start. We buy a
bunch of new, inexpensive merchandise from Target, outfit our dormrooms with our great new stuff,
and end up with just another cheap, crappy dorm room, exactly like everyone else. While it seems like a
good idea at the time, when it comes time to move out in May much of this stuff will be broken or
ruined. It’s like a second kindergarten, and kindergarten is messy. Going off to college is one big step
toward starting a new life as an adult, so let’s not get off to a bad start. Luckily, lots of resources exist to
help keep from furnishing your new home away from home with a bunch of plastic garbage. Thrift
stores, Goodwill, and family are great places to pick up the various items you’ll need to turn your tired
dorm style into eclectic elegance. Nothing sets off your older brothers futon like a coffee table from the
1950’s.
Beyond the actual stuff you’ll need, going green in your dorm room is also about adopting a
green point of view. For example, instead of loading up on bottled water, grab a BPA-free water bottle
(like a,Sigg or Kleen Kanteen)and fill it up with water from a filter system. Rather than running extension
cords everywhere to power your electronic gear, put them all on power strips, so you can easily keep
them from sucking too much phantom power out of the electricity grid.
Your dorm room is an expression of yourself, and this being the U of M, possibly two to three other
roommates. End the cycle of endless consumerism as a right of passage. Like your mom said, just
because everyone else is doing it, doesn’t make it a good idea.
Treehugger’s Top Green Dorm Room Tips
1. Keep it local. Many college students want an “away from home” experience. Just don’t make it
a “shipping tons of stuff all over the country” experience. If it’s your first year at school, try to
obtain your furnishings locally when you get to school (See tips 2 and 3). If you’re a returning
student, think about local storage–many schools offer storage options.
2. Use the used. Sure, this may be your first home away from home, and we understand the urge
to decorate with all the coolest new stuff from Target or WalMart. Just consider, for a second,
how much waste that would mean, assuming most freshmen get relatively new stuff each year
of school. See what we mean? Instead, why not check out great used sources of stuff, like local
resale shops, eBay Local, and Craigslist. You’ll be guaranteed to have a really unique room décor
(see tip 10 to max this out), and you’ll have money left over to throw wild parties (Um, we mean
library study snacks).
3. Capture the free. Of course, while cheap used stuff is good, there is something better: Free used
stuff. If you’re a new freshman, check out Craigslist in your area to see if there are any items
like beds, desks, or lamps that you can score for free. If you stayed at school over the summer
for research or whatnot, your university may have a coordinated furniture recycling day. Or, you
might just hang around during move-out and see what you can collect.
4. Condition yourself, not your air. One of the most eco-friendly things you can do as a student is
to give up air conditioning. Many universities make it really easy for you to do by banning AC
units in dorms. But that doesn’t stop some crafty students from sneaking them in. The trouble
is, there are millions of students all over the world, which means the potential for hundreds of
thousands of energy-sucking AC units. Instead of AC, why not try opening a window, turning on
a fan, taking a cold shower before bed, or studying outside. Of course, if you have to have AC for
allergies or some other reason, be sure to get an Energy-Star rated low-energy unit.
5. Be sure your fridge is cool. Another big energy-sucker of dorms is the ol’ microfridge. Of course,
the best thing you can do is go fridgeless. But if you must have a fridge to yourself, make sure
it’s energy-star or other low-energy certified. This can save you 50 percent of the energy use of
regular appliances.
6. Cook it right. You may scoff at the microwave/toaster oven combo, but by combining these two
cooking appliances with a cheap rice cooker, you’ve got nearly the perfect eco-kitchen. All three
of these appliances boast high energy efficiencies relative to their big-kitchen counterparts.
7. Paper please. Sure, it’s not the sexiest of materials, but there are plenty of paper options for
dorm decor that can be recycled when you out-grow them in a few years. Check out paper wall
tiles from MioCulture, paper window treatments from Redi Shade, or make your own paper
lampshades.
8. See the light. Halogen torchiere lamps are all the rage right now. They’re super cheap, put out
tons of light, and fit in a corner with ease. Unfortunately, some of them use hundreds of watts
of electricity, and they’ve been known to cause fires. Stick with compact fluorescent light bulbs.
The newer ones put out great light, use just a trickle of electricity, and last almost forever. This is
one thing worth buying again every time you move; by leaving them for your next tenant, you’ll
be spreading the green love with every new apartment.
9. Don’t let the sheets hit the fan. Linens for your new room will make up the bulk of the rest of
your buying. When you look for sheets, curtains, or towels, go for organic cotton, if possible. It’s
still the same cottony goodness, but you’ll rest easy knowing it’s grown without nasty pesticides.
10. Re-used doesn’t have to mean re-pulsive Just because you got used stuff, doesn’t mean it has
to be old and moldy. This is college. You’re supposed to be wild and experimental. So go crazy.
Why not try sewing some cushion covers, or pillows for that old couch. Or invite some of your
new friends over for a painting party on that old dresser and table.