Student Green Guide

There are many environmental problems that the world is facing right now, and action needs to be taken to reduce their impact. Being sustainable will help you to become a responsible citizen of planet Earth. You will use less resources and you will feel better about yourself knowing that you are helping to save your planet.

Recycling section Transportation section Water section Food section Electricity section

Recycling

Recycle Don't Recycle
Paper Dirty items (with food waste)
Cardboard Food
Plastic (clean) Plastic utensils
Cans Lightbulbs
Glass Electronic parts (e-waste)
Clothes (donate!)
Receipts

Recycling Rate Calculator



Transportation Options

  • Walking
  • Biking (Check out Gompei's Gears Bike Share)
  • SNAP
  • Campus Shuttle
  • Carpool (Carpool World)
  • Zipcar

Car CO2 calculator

Find out how much carbon dioxide your car produces

Vehicle fuel efficiency

MPG
-.--
CO2 per mile
Source: US Energy Information Administration

Food

  • Eat healthier! Fruits and vegetables are better for you and the environment.
  • Eat less meat – meat takes a lot of energy to produce
  • Don’t waste food. (Project Clean Plate)
  • Use reusable containers (Green2Go Program at Campus Center)

Water Usage

  • Don’t leave the water on while you brush your teeth
  • Take shorter showers! Every 1 minute of showering uses about 3.2 gallons of water
  • Use a reusable bottle instead of disposable plastic water bottles, it’s much better for the environment
  • Do all of your laundry together to save water on multiple loads

Shower water usage

Find out how much water you use by showering

Shower length

minutes
--.-
Gallons per week
Source: Worcester, Massachusetts

Electricity

  • Turn off fans, lights, and appliances when not in use
  • Turn off your computer screen when you are not using it
  • Use a battery saver on your laptop or phone
  • Unplug devices that aren’t being used
  • Buy energy efficient devices
  • Use LED bulbs for lighting
  • Don’t set temperatures too high or low
  • Use rechargeable batteries
  • Use windows and blinds to help regulate room temperature

Light bulb energy comparison

Enter the hours per day you keep your light on to calculate the kWh (amount of energy used - kilowatt hours) used per year.


Incandescent CFL (Compact Fluorescent) LED
0 kWh 0 kWh 0 kWh