Going Green

So you’ve finally struck out on your own. You no longer have to put up with your parent’s choice of interior design; you can eat Nutella on pizza at 3am should the mood take you; you are now making every decision about your lifestyle. Including those that’ll have an impact well beyond graduation. One thing (sadly) that students don’t have a lot of is cash, but there are things you can do to be green beyond making a financial donation to whichever charity worker manages to bully you into it on High Street one hungover Sunday.

Let’s deal with the obvious first. Recycle. There’s no excuse not to – all the universities in Scotland have local facilities available and, let’s face it, you'll be producing a lot of empty beer cans and wine bottles in the next few years. Sign up to the closest Freecycle group as soon as possible (http://www.uk.freecycle.org). Not only is it a great source of free furniture, electronics and books, but it makes passing on said goods at the end of the year even easier. Other small things you can do are as simple as using a bike to get around, which saves you money on buses (and helps keep the beer belly at bay). You could also switch to energy-saving lightbulbs, no matter whether you’re living in halls or a flat-share.

Think locally – Scotland’s full of excellent micro breweries and indigenous brands – check out Cairn O’ Mohr wine or BrewDog beers – and it’s practically your duty to make sure you try them all at least once. Check out www.scottishfarmersmarkets.co.uk to find your nearest market, selling organic local produce at a snip of the supermarket price.

One of the biggest tools at your disposal as a student, perhaps ironically, is your spending power. Banks are all too aware that the majority of students stay with their financial institutions throughout their lives, so they're eager to lure you in. Ignore the short-term gains of a free iPod or cinema tickets and invest with banks such as The Co-operative and Tridos, who won’t place your money in trades such as fur, arms and child labour. Making sure you choose the option of online banking helps as well, reducing needless paper usage in bank statements that will, in the end, probably just serve as coasters.

And if you’re willing to push the boat out even further, consider ideas such as growing your own herbs and veggies in a window box, making sure the first set of bedding you buy is made from organic fibres (more expensive, but sturdy enough to survive four years of partying). You could also use your spare time to volunteer. Take into account the fact that charities need a lot of help in areas such as event management, research, media and communications (and not just shaking a fund-raising can) and the experience you gain could make all the difference to your graduate CV.

Being green doesn’t mean loving tofu or abandoning showers. A few conscious choices as you begin your academic career can lead to practices that not only save you dosh but mean the planet lasts that little bit longer too.