Hydro Flasks, metal straws, bamboo toothbrushes, oh my! There are so many ideas that young adults of Kennesaw have been advocating for as a way to go green. Sometimes, all it takes is realizing that walking a few extra steps to the recycling bin is worth making a positive difference on the whole planet. It is kind of hard to be selfish or lazy when justified in that way. If we are doing little actions such as refilling our plastic water bottles, picking up trash that we see on our way to class, and making sure to recycle when possible, it makes all the difference.
Keep Kennesaw Beautiful
Kennesaw is a beautiful place to live, and we owe a lot of that to Keep Kennesaw Beautiful, the city’s environmental committee. The group meets at 6 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at the City Hall Training Room. All meetings are open to the public. They work with hopes of encouraging the community to administer our natural resources in an intentional manner that will be beneficial to everyone. The committee also holds an event called “Curbside Recycling”. Place your bin on the curb before 7 a.m. full of items to recycle: paper, cardboard, plastics, and metals. While this habit might not seem like a lot of help to the environment, it truly is conserving natural resources and helping preserve landfill space.
Recycling Right
Recycling on a regular basis makes such an overall difference, and it is simple to create a habit out of it. There are recycling bins around campus and in dorms and apartment complexes. We all have extra papers, water bottles, and other waste that does not belong in a landfill. If we make a point to recycle this instead of putting it with the rest of our garbage, this improves our carbon footprint and the environment we live in. Always make sure to clean out your recyclable items before placing them in a recycling bin!
Aside from recycling trash, there are many ways that us college kids can help the environment in our town that are efficient and beneficial, both short- and long-term.
Recycle old clothes by selling to thrift/consignment stores
Make this a side hustle. You would be surprised at how much money you can make by simply cleaning out your closet. Consigning and buying used clothing prevents so many new clothes from being made and thrown out, leaving them to waste. Uptown Cheapskate, Revive Consignment, Ecologie, and Plato’s Closet are only a few examples of shops around town that will give money back for the things you consign and are also great stores to shop at. Once you start this habit, you will never be able to justify paying $45 for a top again.
Save your plastic bags or buy a reusable one.
This way you do not have to always get new bags when doing any shopping. Many places, including grocery stores and clothing stores, have stopped giving out bags, so bring your own! If you already have a bunch of plastic bags lying around from previous grocery trips, make sure to recycle them!
Get a reusable water bottle
Aside from the VSCO girl stereotypes, Hydro Flasks really are great products. And if spending $50 on a water bottle is not your speed, there are so many cheap alternatives at almost any store.
Avoid traveling by car when possible
The small-town feel of college is full of chances to walk, take the bus, and carpool. This not only helps the environment but can be beneficial in a social aspect, as well. Everyone is in the same position. Embrace the B.O.B! If you live on campus and can avoid buying a parking permit, you are saving that money, building relationships, living sustainably and getting some exercise in all at once.
Try to avoid paper products.
Just wash the dishes. It takes such a little amount of time out of your day when you do it consistently and reduces so much waste. Scrub your plate once you’re finished. It builds character.
I could go on, but if recycling and finding ways to live sustainably has been or is becoming an important factor in your life, there are so many tips and tricks to help pursue that all over the internet. Let us continue making Kennesaw a beautiful town to live in. When you walk by the campus green today, use it as a motivator to keeping the city clean and environmentally friendly.