Fair warning, this is a little bit of a longer read but I promise you it's worth it! If you can take the time to scour your photos for a 10-slide Earth Day Instagram post, you have time to read this.

Growing up in Portland, Oregon, a city known for its hippies, vegans, and tree huggers, I’ve always been conscious of environmental sustainability. From hiking the famed Columbia River Gorge, to visiting Crater Lake National Park, to running the trails in Portland’s “urban forest” Forest Park, having a deep appreciation for nature is basically in my DNA. I would also argue that compared to other places in the US, the Pacific Northwest is more aware of humans’ interactions with the planet. Going green is important in protecting the surrounding nature, keeping it as beautiful as can be.

So, if I’ve learned anything from my birthplace, it's that the things we do in everyday life really do affect the world around us. Earth day should be every day. And if you don’t believe me, tell that to the island of trash twice the size of Texas that’s floating in the Pacific Ocean! However, being a college student myself, I understand that making the effort to be green can seem daunting or futile (among other things), and you may feel powerless or that you don’t know where to start. I also know that being environmentally-friendly can be expensive, so as broke college students, it can feel even harder. But don’t worry, I got you!!! Here are some of the cheap, easy, everyday approaches I take to be green and do my part in preserving what is left of our environment. I hope you find some you like. Disclaimer: I’m clearly not an environmental scientist, so if you find some research that contradicts OR supplements what I’ve said, then let me know because I like to be well-informed!

I also think it is important to discuss intersectionality as it relates to environmentalism, as the two are intimately intertwined. The sustainability movement has done great things to help create a more circular economy, but BIPOC communities are often left out of the conversation, while they are the most vulnerable to negative environmental impacts. Intersectional environmentalism, even in fashion, matters. The definition of sustainability comes from economy, society, and the environment, and while brands often pick up on the environmentalism part of sustainability, they are lacking in awareness of intersectionality. And while fast fashion contributes to many of the worst of these injustices (read more here: https://remake.world/stories/news/the-importance-of-intersectionality-in-sustainable-fashion/), even brands that label themselves as eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable fall short. It is not enough for sustainable brands to only address environmentalism, while turning a blind eye to racial inequities and social injustices in their industries. When aiming to become better environmentalists ourselves, we need to consider what communities are most vulnerable to climate change, taking into account those communities that are already struggling to have access to a safe environment. Though this may make trying to be eco-friendly a heavy topic, this is worth discussing so that all people can have a more sustainable future. Here are some resources if you would like to learn more: https://www.intersectionalenvironmentalist.com/ and https://www.intersectionalenvironmentalist.com/fashion

Straws, Bottles, & Bags

Now, getting into it, I’m going to start this off by saying that if you don’t already know not to use plastic straws or water bottles, and to bring reusable bags to the grocery store, you must be living under a rock. In the off chance that you do live under a rock, the easiest way to start is to invest in a reusable straw (they come in many varieties like metal, bamboo, paper, silicone, and glass), a Hydroflask or other reusable water bottle, and a reusable tote, which many grocery stores sell themselves. Many clothing brands also now give you your own reusable tote with your purchase, both in-store and online!

Sustainable Clothing Brands

Getting to said clothing brands, I know as a shop-a-holic myself it can seem really hard to shop sustainably. But, I am BEGGING you, to not shop at fast fashion brands like Zara, Shein, Forever21, H&M, ASOS, Zaful, Fashion Nova, Nasty Gal, and unfortunately many more. Or at least try to slow your consumption of these brands! These brands are awful both environmentally and ethically. This is something that I am very passionate about!!!!! I know it is hard as our society is so prone to excessive consumption and constantly changing trends (and don’t feel bad for buying from these brands because no one is perfect and a lot of people don’t know about these consequences) but they really are terrible both in terms of the environment and ethics. If you don’t know, fast fashion brands offer “trendy” low-cost designs that are quickly transferred from the catwalk to in-store, often ripping off other brands’ designs in the process. Fast fashion brands also have sketchy supply chains and use cheap, poor-quality materials that ensure the items do not last long, leaving you constantly buying more instead of wearing items for years and years. Once “revolutionary,” the “fast” in fast fashion is an ecological disaster, promoting overconsumption, exploiting laborers, and filling our landfills with cheap clothing. And besties remember: “no ethical consumption under capitalism” is not an excuse for saying screw it and spending $600 on Shein!!!!!!

Totes from brands that use them in-store and in online packaging instead of plastic

Here is a great article that details the environmental and ethical horrors of fast fashion if you are interested in learning more.

Instead, as previously mentioned, there are brands known for being environmentally sustainable. And, most of these brands have pages on their websites where you can check out what they do firsthand. Popular eco-friendly brands include Patagonia, girlfriend collective, Eileen Fisher, Veja, Allbirds, Outdoor Voices, RE/DONE, Summersalt, and Cuyana among others. A quick Google search can help you find local brands as well! Some in Boston are Olives & Grace, Third Piece, Patch NYC, Ash & Rose, Janji, Sudo Shoes, and Ore. I also found some great sustainable brands that are owned by women of color: Proclaim, Hope For Flowers, Subrina Heyink Vintage, Arlokea, Ashya, and beRESONANT, just to name a few. Here is a link to a list of many more sustainable clothing brands that are also ethical: https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/fair-trade-clothing.

However, some of these brands can be more expensive than other brands, but there are many alternatives that still are eco-friendly and won’t break the bank! You can visit local thrift, vintage, or consignment stores (I hope this isn’t new information) and shop resale sites like Depop, Poshmark, and ThredUp. I have gotten many brand new-with-tags items from Poshmark, saving money while combating clothing waste! If you have a taste for luxury, there are many luxury resale and consignment stores, and sites like The Real Real, Grailed, and Rebag sell authenticated used luxury items also often at big discounts. Rent the Runway is also an awesome place to rent clothing, keeping clothes out of landfills! Some local thrift/vintage/consignment stores in Boston include Buffalo Exchange, Goodwill, Covet, The Garment District, Vivant Vintage, Castanet, Great Eastern Trading Co, Thrive Exchange, 40 South Street, High Energy Vintage, and Raspberry Beret. Take a day trip into the city and check them out!

Foodware

Okay, back to foodwares like those reusable straws, water bottles, and grocery bags I mentioned earlier. Instead of plastic ziploc baggies to store your food, invest in glass or stainless steel tupperwares, and plastic-free sandwich and snack bags. Examples include Stasher reusable silicone storage bags, that come in a multitude of sizes and are microwave and dishwasher safe!!! Mason jars are a great way to store food as well, and you can find mesh produce bags to avoid using the plastic ones at grocery stores. As for totes, again many clothing brands now have them for sale or for free, and many grocery stores sell them as well. Mine are Trader Joes! If you’re looking for something more stylish, Baggu has reusable shopping bags in a bunch of different sizes, colors, and prints.

Cosmetic & Hygiene

As for cosmetic and hygiene items, my go-tos are reusable cotton rounds, reusable makeup wipes, and I’ve just started a deep dive into eco-friendlier makeup. The reusable cotton rounds are from Anthropologie, and I think they may be sold out but you can find them online and at other stores like Target. Mine come with a cute little bamboo holder and a mesh bag for laundry. I also have to put you guys on to the Makeup Eraser, which I am actually obsessed with! It’s a reusable and machine washable makeup cloth that removes all makeup with just water, even waterproof mascara and matte lipstick (trust me, I’ve tested it out) thanks to the cloth material. The Makeup Eraser is also super soft on your face and great for sensitive skin. It’s also only $20, so it saves you sooo much money on regular makeup wipes in the long run. Regarding hygiene items, I just discovered Native Deodorant, which is not only aluminum-free (better for your pits), but also plastic-free, packaged in paperboard and recycled materials. The scent options are also great! Another eco-friendly hygiene item is a bamboo toothbrush which is fully biodegradable as bamboo is literally a plant, and the bristles are just as functional as a regular toothbrush. I have to admit makeup was a place in my life where I had the least knowledge of eco-friendly brands, but some quick research has given me a lot of brands that are easily accessible from Sephora. To name just a few, there is Antonym Cosmetics, which have compacts made of bamboo and other recyclable materials, Tata Harper (I have a great highlighter from them), which is packaged in glass or 100% recyclable bio-based sugarcane plastic as well as refill pods, Coola, which also has recyclable sugar-cane resin tubes, and Farmacy which uses recyclable glass jars. For body and hair care products, use a bar instead of a plastic bottle, they get the job done just as well! Kitsch has an assortment of great shampoo and conditioner bars which come with mesh bags for easy lathering and drying of the bars. Lush, Nourish, and Basin also have shampoo and conditioner bars.

Cleaning Supplies

You also can be more environmentally sustainable with your cleaning supplies!! A brand that I am obsessed with is Blueland, which has everyday eco-friendly cleaning products that help save money without plastic waste. I stumbled upon this brand last summer, and convinced my roommates that we should use it for our off-campus apartment. Blueland is carbon neutral, climate neutral certified, so easy to use, and actually cleans effectively, despite being non-toxic. Basically, you buy the bottles once, and refill the bottles with water and dissolve the tablets into them. When you’re getting close to running out, just get more refill packets, which come in compostable packaging. You can purchase as you need, or sign up for a refill subscription, which ends up saving you money. I bought the Clean Suite kit that comes with reusable containers for hand soap, glass+mirror, bathroom, multi-surface, dish soap, dishwasher tablets, and laundry detergent tablets. Grove is also a similar brand that offers starter kit cleaning essentials as well as a bunch of other earth-friendly products. Paper towels and other products like Swiffer pads also can generate a lot of waste, so consider investing in machine washable rags and Swiffer pads. You can even use old stained t-shirts or towels! Cleaning may not be fun, but the good news is that you can lower your footprint while you do it.

Sustainable Lifestyle Changes

Last but not least, some miscellaneous eco-friendly lifestyle changes you can make. I just heard about Loop, a shopping service that offers around 300 items, from Haagen-Dazs ice cream to Crest mouthwash, all in reusable packaging, often stainless steel. After using the products, you put the empty containers in a Loop tote on your doorstep, where they are picked up, cleaned and refilled, and sent back to you, saving the world from single-use plastics. It’s currently available in the 48 contiguous states! Imperfect Foods, and Misfits Market also help contribute to ending food waste by delivering affordable boxes of misshapen (but still delicious) produce and other foodstuffs. Earth Hero is an eco-friendly online marketplace that has a bunch of categories of environmentally sustainable products, from clothing and footwear to home and office (including cleaning products), to pet care, to beauty products, to zero waste options. Package Free Shop offers eco-friendly brands committed to making the world less “trashy”, both online and in-store in NYC. I’ve actually been to the location in Chelsea Market, and they have a bunch of cool products like zero waste kits, and standalone products from pretty much every part of life, like health and beauty, cleaning supplies, storage, pet care and even niche items like beeswax birthday candles! If you’re in NYC, I highly recommend checking out the store, but the online shop is great too. I also recommend farmer’s markets or community supported agriculture (CSA) for great produce, foods, and other products that often are eco-friendly by nature. BC even has its own CSA program! A similar alternative is a bulk food store (or even just the bulk food section of the grocery store), where you can fill up on pantry essentials in reusable containers. I’ve been to a store that sells 100% package free produce, bulk food, and home goods in Brooklyn called Precycle. You bring your own container or purchase one in store, then weigh the container before filling it with your product of choice, for a plastic-free shopping experience. It’s a super cool concept and I wish that there were more stores dedicated to this near us!

Please consider taking this advice to heart and making some changes in your lifestyle. I would appreciate it, and I’m sure our planet would too. I’m not asking you to become a raw vegan, or zero waste by yesterday (although that would be nice), but hopefully showing you that being environmentally-friendly as a college student is easier than you think! I’m also not here to shame anyone; I have Zara jeans and some Topshop jackets, I often forget to bring my totes to the grocery store, and I order way too many Amazon packages. I know I still generate a lot of waste. No one is perfect, but at least I am trying. The point here is that the way we live does matter, thus small changes matter just as much! And remember that environmentalism comes not only with advocating for the planet, but for people too.

Environmentally-Friendly College Living