Winter Break Can Be Green

By: Melinda Toussaint

The end of school means packing up, finishing term papers, and completing finals but it can also mean something green. The end of the semester is stressful enough so do something good for the Earth that will make you feel good as well.

Recycle. Instead of throwing out all your old school supplies make sure to use them completely and then recycle them. Most people throw out their notebooks and folders when that class is done- but if it’s not filled up, use it next semester. You’ll save paper and money by using every piece of your notebook. Also ask your professors for your papers or projects back so that you can recycle them. So much paper is wasted by assignments done by students, so better yet suggest to your professors that all assignments be sent electronically through email. It is harder for them to read and grade yes, but it means that paper is not wasted. Imagine if all college students in the country eliminated hard copies of their papers? Just how many trees would be saved? I can not provide you with the number but the impact would be outstanding.

Clean Up. By cleaning up your apartment for Winter Break you might realize that you don’t need to buy some supplies. You might just find pens, note cards, or folders that you didn’t even know you had. Save money by looking before buying. Why stop there with your cleaning? Take it a step further and clean out your closet, drawers, and bookshelves. Any clothes, accessories, and/or electronics that you haven’t used or didn’t even know you had you can probably live without. Donate them to friends or family or better yet Goodwill. Someone in the world needs those things more than you do, so let go. Every break from school is a great time to clean up your life and start fresh.

Volunteer. It’s also a great opportunity to give back to the community by volunteering or working for companies that care. You’ll be rebuilding the Earth and building your resume. Do job searches for volunteer opportunities in your town. Visit http://www.volunteerinamerica.org/ and search for jobs in your state and in your area of interest. Other helpful sites are http://www.volunteermatch.com/ or http://www.smartvolunteer.org/. Or if you can’t afford to just volunteer visit http://www.jobs.care2.com/ to find a job with a company that is socially responsible. Spending time giving back to others means a great deal and perhaps it will provide you with a new perspective on your life. Hopefully when you go back to school you can appreciate everything you have and realize what you can live without. Giving up things you don’t need is a great start to a greener life.

So when you are preparing to say goodbye to school and hello to family, friends, and holiday fun think about ways to make a green impact as well. If winter break isn’t the right time, sit down and plan out ways to make next semester the greenest one yet. Join a club, cut back on your spending, or start your own blog or project to share your green ideas. Help yourself and the Earth by inspiring others around you to do the same. You are affected by many people in college and in turn you change… make that change a good one… a green one. However you decide to green your winter break, now is the time to do it.

“Be the change you see in the world!”