Ditch the styrofoam, bubble wrap, and packing peanuts
- Avoid these non-recyclables and get creative with packing
- Use clothing, pillows, sheets and other soft materials you’re already bringing to protect your items. Even old newspapers can be used and then recycled
Your roommate is your teammate. Say “Hey neighbor!”
- Save money, energy, and space by sharing electrical appliances like microwaves, fridges, and TVs
- Communication will help avoid unnecessary double purchases (and thus waste)
Choose reusable containers over cardboard
- Using clothing bins, plastic containers, suitcases, etc. will reduce your waste and packing load for move-in, and will make move-out easier
- Cardboard can still be flattened and recycled if used
Pack less and buy as you need
- Oftentimes, we pack items we won’t use or need, which results in waste and a lack of space. It’s important to prepare, but it’s also good to go with the flow
- Packing less will help lessen the number of trips needed to bring your items to campus. Consider the use of green moving companies
What Should I Bring to Campus?
- Reusable water bottles and water filters - use filtered water stations located around campus and keep a filter to have water readily available and reduce plastic waste
- Power strips - avoid “vampire” power use from idle, connected electronics by simply turning off your power strip when not in use. Leaving the room? Hit the switch
- Take it a step further by using Smart power strips
- Reusable shopping bags - prevent the waste of dozens, potentially hundreds of unrecyclable plastic bags
- Energy efficient LED bulbs - longer lasting, energy-efficient, and becoming cheaper and cheape
- Reusable mugs and kitchenware - reduce waste by reducing single-use plastics!
- Drying rack - Make clothes last longer and shrink less with air-drying. Have too many? Start small and with clothes that you’ll be fine having some wrinkles
- Bicycle - Fun, easy, healthy, and carbon-neutral way to get around
- Personal laptops over desktops - Portable and saves more energy
- Solar chargers - Take advantage of our home’s brightness. Check out ones on campus
- Recycled school supplies and textbooks
- Plants for your dorm - brighten your room and freshen the air with some fine nature
What Shouldn’t I Bring?
