Green Living in Student Accommodation

A Student Guide to Sustainability: Organising Your Homes for a Greener Lifestyle

You don’t need to be a sustainability graduate to start making a difference. Minor changes day to day are the first steps towards being environmentally conscious and reducing your carbon footprint at home. Whether you live in shared accommodation, a studio or private housing, there are eco-conscious, budget-friendly habits you can build into your routine.

Zero-Waste Basics in Shared Student Housing

Reduce

Energy Consumption

One of the easiest ways to lower your carbon footprint is to reduce your energy and water consumption at home. Here are three straightforward ways to lower your utility use:

Take a shorter shower.

The average showerhead uses 9.5 litres of water per minute. That means a 10-minute shower uses close to 100 litres of hot water. Limiting your showers to four minutes will reduce your water consumption and still give you plenty of time to wash thoroughly.

Turn the electronics off at the Main Socket.

According to Whatcost, 30% of energy usage among three-person households is a result of phantom loads. Phantom loading occurs when your appliances continue to draw energy from the main socket after they are turned off because they are still on at the mains. Except for appliances like the fridge that you must keep on, turn off your electronics at the mains when not in use.

Avoid energy-hungry appliances.

After your heating, kitchen electricals are one of the largest consumers of electricity in people's homes. Heat-producing equipment like your oven and kettle is the main culprit. Avoid overfilling the kettle and try to cook in bulk to reduce oven use throughout the week. Heating pre-made food in the microwave rather than the oven will also save energy.

Unnecessary Purchases

Temptations to buy new are everywhere. If you talk about a dress or the games console you want, you can guarantee it will pop up on your Instagram shortly after. However, if you plan to wear it once or use it rarely, consider whether you need to buy it at all.

Borrowing or loaning is an excellent way to fight the buying bug and still enjoy something new. Try services like the library, bike rental, or an outfit rental for formal events to help reduce commercial waste.

Food Waste

Planning your food shop around meals rather than impulse buying will help prevent overbuying during your grocery trips. It is also worth using apps like Too Good to Go, where you can enjoy leftover food from your favourite local restaurants and cafés at a discounted rate.

Reuse

Finding creative ways to reuse your old items, rather than throwing them away, significantly benefits the environment. Fewer things are made in factories, which decreases CO2 emissions, water waste and the use of fossil fuels. Here are a couple of ways you can reuse your belongings:

Upcycling Your Old Things

If you have any old furniture, try giving it a new lease of life rather than sending it to the landfill. With a clean and fresh coat of paint, it could be your new favourite homeware piece.

Thrifting Old Clothes and Furniture

Out with the old, in with the new, done sustainably. Thrift shops, charity shops and online marketplaces like Depop and Vinted are a great way to revamp your wardrobe without breaking the bank.

Recycle

In the UK, recycling saves 10-15 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually. Recycling also reduces the rubbish sent to landfills and the need for extracting finite raw materials from the planet. However, not all your waste is recyclable and you need to follow recycling guidelines.

General Recycling Rules to Follow

Check the recycling guidelines for your local community.
Check the recycling instructions on the packaging before disposal.
Rinse out recyclable plastic containers to remove food residue.
Separate film packaging before you recycle an item.
Recycle clean paper and cardboard.
Safely dispose of electrical waste (E-waste) at your nearest drop-off point.

Don’t

Mix contaminated packaging with recyclables (e.g. packaging that has contained meat).
Recycle kitchen rolls, toilet paper or tin foil.
Throw any food or liquids into the recycling.
Put your recyclables in a bin bag.
Assume all plastics are recyclable. Check the packaging first.
Throw the E-waste into the recycling or black bin.

Disposing of Electric Waste

If you do have E-waste that you need to chuck, it needs to be disposed of at a designated waste disposal point. You can easily find your local disposal points online. Electric waste includes:

Compact fluorescent bulbs
Batteries
Computers, laptops, and tablets
Printers and scanners
Keyboards and mice
Speakers
Power cords and cables
Network and phone equipment

Greener Home Cleaning Practices

Swapping disposable cleaning products like single-use cloths and kitchen rolls for reusable cloths is an easy way to reduce your cleaning waste. You can also make DIY cleaning products from home ingredients. Why not try combining white wine vinegar, baking soda and water to make a multi-purpose surface cleaner? Mixing baking soda with water also produces a paste you can use as an oven cleaner.

Build a Sustainable Student Community with Chapter

Whether you are an undergraduate or a postgraduate studying in London, Chapter is committed to supporting the growth of sustainable living at our 14 student accommodations across the capital. Read more about how you can reduce your carbon footprint with our blog, 10 ways to make your student living experience more eco-friendly.