Protecting the Earth one Tiger at a time

By: Victoria Nicholson, Art Director

You know that quote, “We only get one planet”… well, I hate to break it to you, but it’s true. Our best friend planet Earth is slowly deteriorating and sadly enough not a lot people care. I do have to give a mighty shout out to those VSCO girls for at least trying with their reusable Hydroflasks and metal straws, but there are a lot more ways to reuse, reduce, and recycle. My sophomore year is when I finally realized how much waste college students produce when I witnessed the garbage shoot in Tower A was overflowing. I should note I was on the fifth floor so imagine at least five stories worth of trash just piled up in a building. Not only was the garbage overflowing, but there was legit trash in the recycling bin. The amount of times I would run into my room venting to my roommate on decent recycling habits was obnoxious. You may think you’re helpless when it comes to saving the planet in college, but really there are multiple ways to stay green as a student.

  • Reusable bags: Major key alert! It can take many years for a plastic bag to decompose but these harmful plastics are ending up in our waterways endangering our sea life. Keep a reusable bag on you at all times, this can include places like your bookbag, car, or even on your keychain. 
  • Used books: If you have the option to buy used books in your class, which I promise 99% of the time you will, take it! Not only are these books cheaper, but it enforces a healthy way of reusing items. The best part about this is when you’re done with the book you can stop by local resellers, such as BookHolders, and they will personally buy the book off of you so it can go back into the system for other students to enjoy! 
  • Reusable water bottle: It’s 2020 — plastic water bottles are so out of style. Take advantage of the water refill stations located all around campus! If you’re a little iffy on water from the tap, there are plenty of water bottles out there that have a filter built inside of them, such as the Brita water bottle. 
  • Donating: A lot of clubs on campus will hold annual drives for charities and good causes. You can see some of their donation boxes laying around certain academic buildings. Donating your unwanted items will help you declutter your closet but also will provide your items to people who may need it more. Don’t ever throw away clothes unless they are in terrible condition, clothes are the easiest thing to donate. 
  • On-campus food choices: If you were to go into Susqehanna to get food you would leave with multiple things that will eventually end up in our landfill. This includes plastic silverware, cardboard to-go boxes (which you can’t recycle if dirty), or even a plastic bag. Instead, eat more at dining halls! Dining halls only cost one meal and they build their system on traditional plates and silverware. The only waste you could create there is food, which takes less time to decompose. 

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