Make A Change
There are many ways in which you can help the environment, and you can occasionally make your life much easier in the process. Below are just a few of many ways in which you can become more sustainable and create a better environment for yourself, while also saving money in some cases.
Freecycle is a page where people post their unwanted items to give away for free - no catch. Items listed here are in good condition, and most owners give them away because they are moving out or to make space in their homes. You can find furniture and appliances here, among other goodies. This is an initiative to prevent good items from going to landfill, so you can get your freebies, save money, and help the environment all at once.
Mooncup is a cheaper alternative to sanitary towels and tampons. It is a medical-grade silicone menstrual cup which can last for up to 10 years. You can save the hassle and costs of having to regularly buy sanitary products, while also playing your part in reducing the amount of waste that goes into incinerators, and the amount of greenhouse gases emitted.
Don't throw away your pencil when it gets too small to write with - plant it instead. Sprout pencil is a sustainable pencil made out of all-natural products. Once you use it up, you can plant it and it will grow into herbs, flowers or vegetables.
Donate and shop from local charities
Charity shops can provide good quality, second-hand items at much cheaper prices. You can save a lot of money and help your community by shopping from them, while also helping reduce waste that goes to landfill. Alternatively, you can donate your own unwanted items to various charities so that they don't go to waste, and instead contribute to helping people in need. Below are just a few local shops where you can donate or purchase items.
British Heart Foundation
Cancer Research UK
Emmaus Norwich
Oxfam
If you have unwanted items, you can help the British Heart Foundation help you. They offer various services to come and pick up anything you would like to donate.
Collection of small items (clothes, books and more)
Collection of furniture
House clearance
Great British Spring Clean
Take to the streets and work with other volunteers to clean up your city in this annual, nationwide event. If you feel like you want to do even more, you can create your own event through this page and lead volunteers to make Norwich, or other regions, more beautiful.
Go Vegan
Not only will you help suppress animal cruelty, you will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Even if you can't cut back on meat completely, reducing its presence in your diet can go a long way. Largely meat-based diets result in emissions of 3.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per person annually, while vegetarian and vegan diets produce roughly half that amount, at 1.7 and 1.5 tonnes respectively. You can read more about the impact that your diet can have on the environment at these external articles, here and here.
General tips
Eat vegetarian or vegan at least one day a week.
Have your own plastic water bottle to refill on campus rather than buying bottled water.
Be conscious of how much plastic you are buying when purchasing groceries, and try to limit the amount.
Cycle or walk to University a couple of times a week instead of using motorised transport.
Turn all non essential electric items off in your house when they are not being used.
Set your heating to times where the most people will be in the house, be as efficient as possible.
Recycle as much as you can.
Try not to overcook to the point where you throw food away.
Buy a reusable bag to take food or clothes shopping to cut down on plastic bags.