WHITNEY CURTIS | news editor

As the “going green” trend gathers more momentum around the nation and around the APU campus, some students have begun to ask the question: “How can I greenify the space where I live?” Professor Paul Hertig and his students in his Global Engagement class give advice on going green at home.

1. REUSE PLASTIC
“I reuse my party cups,” junior global studies major Adam Szarzynski said.

Reusing any plastic, non biodegradable items such as cups, plates, and dinnerware is a start that any student can make in an effort to live more environmentally friendly. Plastic pieces, when thrown into the garbage, are broken down into bite size pieces and flushed out into the ocean where wildlife mistake them for food. To protect this wildlife, wash your plastic ware just like glassware and keep it to use again and again.

2. TURN OFF LIGHTS & WATER
There are numerous ways in which a college student can conserve water and energy. The most basic way to conserve is to turn things off when they are not in use. Anything from a curling iron to a water faucet, from a computer to an air conditioning/ heating unit can be turned off when it’s not being used in order to better conserve.

“Turn off your water when you’re not using it,” junior global studies and sociology major Kelly Worcester said. “Some people stand there with the water on while brushing their teeth or let the water run all over the dishes for like ten minutes.”

These global study students playfully boasted that they conserve water by only showering twice a week. Although that isn’t true, most do cut down on their shower times and try to conserve shower water, especially hot water since it takes so much energy to heat.

Students can also conserve while doing their laundry.

“Wash your clothes in cold water,” junior global studies major Molly Robertson said.

Also, be sure the washing machine or dishwasher is full before running it in order to conserve water. If only a few items of clothing or a couple of dishes need washing, wash them in the sink, and let them air dry.

On the concept of conserving water Worcester had one final piece of advice: “If it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down.”

3. USE ENERGY SAVING BULBS
“The dollar store sells light bulbs; they have low wattage and reduce the amount of energy used,” senior global studies major Jyl Cantieri said.

Instructor Paul Hertig said these bulbs are called green light bulbs from Energy Star and save 90 percent of electricity. Look for bulbs that look like squiggly fluorescent lights, as that is usually how the green light bulbs are made.

These LED fluorescent light bulbs are much “greener” than other florescent light bulbs because they use even less electricity than previous known CFL bulbs and last much longer without the use of mercury.

4. REUSE GROCERY BAGS
“You can buy reusable bags for when you go grocery shopping; don’t use plastic bags and reuse your paper bags, too,” junior global studies major Maggie Egan said.
Cloth bags are more sturdy than plastic or paper and can be reused again and again without the worry of tearing. And for those of us who are tempted to be irresponsible with our plastic bags, it takes away the temptation all together.

5. BUY FRESH FOOD
“When you go grocery shopping, don’t buy over-packaged food, buy fresh food instead,” Egan said.

Over-packaged food means more packaging that the consumer has to throw away, by buying fresh foods or foods with very little packaging one can cut down on waste and not use those products that will harm the environment.

“Try to buy more locally grown produce and shade grown coffee,” junior sociology major Scott Adam said. “Shade grown coffee is grown in the shade of banana trees, so the coffee isn’t clear cut and it’s better for the soil. You can get it at Trader Joe’s.”

6. CLEAN NATURALLY
“You can use vinegar or natural cleaning products, because some of the [environmentally friendly] stuff is kind of expensive, but you can just use vinegar or home-made cleaning products,” Cantieri said. “They’re really easy to make. I know vinegar is really good for window cleaning and stuff like that and you can use reusable rags instead of paper towels.”

Diluted vinegar in water can be used for cleaning bathrooms, kitchens, and floors. The product also deodorizes while it cleans. Lemon is another all natural cleaner. Mix lemon juice with vinegar and water or baking soda to create a paste that will eat away soap scum and freshen the bathroom. More recipes can be found online at mlmgorilla.com/naturalcleaningrecipe.