• • Unplug all small appliances when they are not in use. This includes Keurigs, chargers, kettles, and microwaves. Such appliances use phantom energy, even when turned off, wasting energy and increasing costs.

  • When looking for paper towels, look for post-consumer recycled paper towels. Even better, switch to using unpaper towels or cloth dish towels to clean up rather than wasting paper and creating more trash.

  • Invest in reusable dishes and silverware instead of disposable. This purchase will not only decrease waste, but it will decrease costs overall as reusable dining materials are a one time purchase rather than multiple.

  • Look for compostable dish brushes and sponges when purchasing cleaning materials for your kitchen. These products will break down without further releasing microplastics into the environment. When purchasing, avoid compostable products that are wrapped in non-compostable plastic materials.

  • Contact CNU Maintenance in on campus housing for all leaks as soon as possible to limit water waste. If you live off campus, contact a plumber or landlord to address the issue quickly. This will additionally save money on utility bills while decreasing water waste.

  • Try to only run the dishwasher when it is full. When handwashing dishes, turn off the water in between items to limit water usage.

  • When purchasing appliances, look for the Energy Star certification. These products reduce energy usage without sacrificing quality.

  • Look into a free recycling program for commonly used, hard to recycle items in your kitchen. Recycling programs can be found here through TerraCycle.

Baking and Cooking:

• • Try switching to silicone baking alternatives such as baking mats and cupcake liners.

  • Purchase a reusable K-Cup for your Keurig. This eliminates the plastic waste that is created through each cup of coffee made in your Keurig. Many of these reusable pods require compostable filters. A switch like this saves money and limits waste.

Storage:

• • Rather than using plastic cling wrap to save your food, try beeswax wraps or silicone stretch lids to cover leftovers.

  • Switch to reusable containers when storing food. These can be new containers or reusing jars such as cleaned pasta sauce jars.

• • If you live in an apartment or dorm room that allows you to program your thermostat, set it to use the least amount of energy as possible. In the summer months, set the thermostat to the warmest level at which you are comfortable. In the winter months, set the room to the coolest comfortable temperature.

  • If it is sunny, use natural light to light up your room! Sunlight saves energy and increases vitamin D helping boost your mood.

  • There are so many amazing thrift stores in the Newport News area. Check out Goodwill, Vintage Thrift, Peninsula Rescue Mission, and more! Find second-hand decorations and furniture to bring some unique pieces in your room while extending the life of many products.

  • Refurbish and upcycle old items and clothing that you no longer love. Search the internet and social media for fun, trendy methods of fixing up old pieces to bring them back to life.

  • Donate whatever you don't need at the end of the year and in between semesters. It is great to go through the items you have collected throughout the year and take those to the thrift stores listed above. Learn more about opportunities to donate supplies and items with our #GiveItUp! move-out program.

  • Buy some plants for your room! Plants keep the air fresh in your room and provide fun decorations. Look into planting a windowsill herb garden if you have access to a kitchen. This lets you grow fresh herbs for your cooking, adding an extra layer of satisfaction to your delicious meal.

Hygiene:

• • Place a bucket or pitcher under the shower head when you are running your shower waiting for the water to heat up. You can use that water for your plants later! The EPA estimates that about 280 million gallons of water are wasted each day due to waiting for water to heat up.

    • Speaking of saving water, remember to turn off the water when brushing your teeth and shaving. Water can be turned back on when you need it, but for a majority of the time during these tasks, leaving the water running further increases water waste.

    • Another great way of saving water is by setting a shower timer. Set the timer for 5-10 minutes, and make your shower routine fit in it! If you follow some of the helpful tips such as turning off the water when shaving or lathering up, you will save more water than you think!

  • Try replacing your plastic toothbrushes with bamboo! These are now easy to find in my popular stores and are completely compostable. Bamboo grows rapidly without the need to consistently plant new stalks, making it a economically and environmentally sustainable material.

  • Look into buying shampoo and conditioner bars rather than bottles. Many hair care products come in hard to recycle containers that go to landfills. This packaging can be avoided completely with the purchase of bar forms.

    • If it is difficult to find a product you like, check out TerraCycle's free recycling program for self-care products here.

  • Look into purchasing toothpaste tablets or toothpaste that comes in a recyclable container such as an aluminum tube. Many toothpaste containers are hard to recycle due to the type of plastic and the residue left by the product. Toothpaste tablets avoid this entirely as they often come in glass or metal containers leaving no residue behind.

Cleaning

• • When it comes to laundry, try to only do laundry when you have a full load. Run the washing machine with cold water. If possible, hang or lay your clothes out to dry to avoid energy usage of the dryer.

  • Purchase a mesh wash bag to clean clothes made out of synthetic fabrics in. Often, when these clothes are washed, microplastics come off the clothing and are drained with the water of the machine. Many mesh bags will catch the microplastics and limit their arrival in the water.

  • Instead of dryer sheets, try dryer balls! These may cost more upfront, but overall will save money in the long run. Dryer balls can be used multiple times and lower the waste of each laundry load. Many are made from natural materials, aiding in their decomposition at the end of the product's life.

  • Look into purchasing laundry detergent strips which generate zero plastic waste and function in a similar manner as detergent pods. If this is not possible, we recommend you look for laundry detergent sold in recycled or plastic-free containers and made from more natural ingredients. To learn more about the environmental impacts of our laundry habits, read this article.

  • Try creating your own cleaning supplies if possible. Many companies include extra ingredients and provide only single-use bottles for their products. Recipes for cleaning products can be found here.

  • If a DIY cleaning product is not your style, look into purchasing products that sell refillable items. This includes Myers, Blueland, Infuse, CleanCult, Public Goods, and many more. Some of these products are even sold at stores near campus such as Target and Harris Teeter.