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How to Go Green: Dorm Rooms
[by Dominic Muren]
Every year, intrepid young men and women set out for college. Even more exciting than this, is that for many of them, it's their first chance to live away from home. But, with the excitement and fun of furnishing a new dorm room comes a price. Every year, college students (and their parents) generate thousands of tons of garbage, because of the choices they make in buying furniture and accessories. Luckily, getting your dorm to be green has never been easier. All it takes is a little effort, a little creativity, and a few tips and tricks.
As with most activities, we recommend carefully considering your needs before purchasing anything. Going off to college is one step toward starting a new life as an adult, and it can feel like you need lots of stuff to make it work, so it's worth your time to vet the list and only go for what you really need. Happily, lots of resources exist to help keep furnishing your new home away from home into an endless search for stuff. And, because lots of people do it every year, there are lots of gently used resources (at greatly reduced prices) out there, waiting for you to snap up and make your own.
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 to help stay hydrated during all-night study sessions, grab a BPA-free water bottle (like a Bilt, Sigg or Kleen Kanteen) and a tabletop water filter, or a filtering system that you can keep in the fridge. 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. Instead of using plug-in air fresheners, stock up on plants that improve indoor air quality to help keep your room smelling fresh without all that toxic stinky stuff.
Your dorm room is your castle, while you're at school, at least, so there's no better time to learn some green lessons that you can apply to living the rest of your green life. Read on for a bounty of ideas and tips for greening your dorm room this year.
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