Be a part of the green movement here at BSU! Take our survey to see if you can be Green Room Certified! By doing so, you will show your friends and floor mates how you are being environmentally responsible (and maybe even win a cool prize!). Not only is being environmentally conscious good for the environment, but it can be fun! There are a bunch of thrifty items you can purchase at second hand stores that can give your room unique character. Living green not only helps the environment but is good for your body. By eating less factory-farmed meat and processed foods you will cut down your environmental impact and will be giving your body more natural and nutrient-rich food sources to keep you healthy and fueled throughout the day. Promoting a green way of life will also send a message to the community to push for curbside recycling and others policies and programs that will improve the quality of life for all citizens.
How to become certified in a few easy steps:
- Fill out the Green Certification survey.
- You will be given the option to select “As often as possible”, “Sometimes”, “No”, or “I will begin to do this”.
- To get the certification you must score 80% or higher. But why stop at the minimum? Strive to get 100% to make our world a better and more sustainable place!
- Hang/mount your certificate on your door and spread the word about Green Certification. Tell friends and dorm neighbors and show your room off as a place that is mindful about the planet!
Tips and Tricks!
TAKE YOUR TOP OFF! Bemidji has locations in the dorms and on campus where you can recycle plastic containers #1-7, bottles, and cans (remember to take the tops of your bottles off). There are also separate recycling bins for fiber products on campus and in the residential halls. Another way to help the planet is by reducing your use of plastic or paper. You can cut down your environmental impact immensely if you use your own reusable shopping bags.
FREE STORE! Here on campus there is a place to bring gently used items like notebooks, shoes, and dishes. The free store allows for stuff you may not want or need to go to good use. This will not only help students save money, but will be reducing the waste that would be produced by throwing the items away. You can donate TVs, computers, phones, clothes, binders and much more. There are also annual events you can get involved in to help replenish the Free Store’s products like the Undie Run and Donate, Don’t Dumpster!
E-WASTE. Do you have an old phone that doesn’t work? Then we have the place for you! In the Sustainability Office there are E-waste bins where you can dispose of your electronic devices properly.
DO IT IN THE DARK! Something that is super simple that will conserve energy is turning off your lights when they are not needed. You can also make your lights more efficient by purchasing CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs) which have a longer life compared to the commonly used incandescent bulbs and CFLs also use less energy! LED’s are even better! Every year there is a competition that you and your dorm can get involved in called “Do it in the Dark”. This competition not only helps the environment by raising awareness but offers prizes for the winning residence hall that uses the least amount of energy!
EVIL PHANTOMS IN YOUR HOME!! To become your own at home ghost buster team unplug items when not in use. Although you might not be using an electronic device it might still be drawing energy! To lessen this effect of phantom loads, unplug items that are not being used or plug them into a power strip and turn the power strip off.
USE THAT BACK SIDE. When printing paper you should always use double sided printing. If you are printing out power points format the printing to have two columns of three slides (6 slides per page) instead of a slide a page. If you really want to be more sustainable don’t print off paper that you could save to your computer.
FEELING DIRTY? When washing your clothes you should use cold water and only wash your clothes when there is a full load to wash, unless your washer has specific settings. You can also use green laundry products that are less harmful to the environment and still clean your clothes! You can also reduce energy and shrinking if you hang/air dry your clothes on a drying rack or clothes line. There are other ways you can stay clean by making your own environmentally friendly cleaning supplies, this not only saves the environment but also your pocket book!!
BE CAUTIOUS WHEN GETTING WET! There are many ways that you can cut down your use of water in your home or dorm room. By cutting down on one minute of showering you can save more than 2000 gallons of water a year!! When brushing your teeth turn off the water when it is not being used or turn off the water when lathering up in the shower and then turn it back on to rinse off. Another way to save water is by not buying bottled water! There is a bunch of water that goes into the production of water bottles. Another reason you should use reusable water bottles instead of bottled water is that the plastic is a huge waste. The best part about reducing your use of bottled water is all the money you will save! The cost break down for BSU in 2015 goes as follows;
- Tap Water: ~$0.04 per gallon
- Gasoline: $2.04 per gallon (Dec. 2015)
- Bottled Water at Lake Side: $13.56 per gallon
Why would you pay more for bottled water than you would for gas? To avoid shrinking your pocket book bring a refillable water bottle to campus and refill it at one of the water bottle filling stations. Don’t have a water bottle? No problem, the Sustainability Office has your back! There will be water bottles available for incoming freshmen and transfer students and will later in the year be opened up to all BSU students.
INHALE SOMETHING GOOD! There are a few things that can help keep the air you breathe clean and fresh. Don’t use plug in air fresheners as there are unknown, potentially harmful compounds that are released in the air. Instead, you can make your own from known ingredients. (Directions below). You can also bring a house plant into your room that will not only help purify the air you breathe, but will brighten up your room too.
GET REVED UP WITH FRIENDS. Instead of driving, try to walk, bike, rollerblade, or skate to where you need to go. This will not only cut down on your carbon emissions but will also keep you physically fit. If you have to drive somewhere try to car pool or catch the Bemidji Transit. If you have a bit of a commute and want to bike but don’t own one, don’t fret. There are bikes available on campus and in the community to rent for an hour or an entire academic year.
LOCAL IS BETTER. When possible try to by organic foods or buy foods from your local farmers market or Co-op. This will not only help out your local farmers but will also help you be more healthy and educated. You will be able to talk to local farmers and learn their practices. It is always good to know where your food comes from, because in the end it is your body that you are hurting or helping!
RECIPES:
ALL PURPOSE CLEANER:
2 cups of Water
1 cup Hydrogen Peroxide
¼ cup Lemon Juice
GREEN SPRAY AIR FRESHENER:
1 oz rubbing alcohol
6 oz filtered water
20-40 drops of essential oil, a few suggested oils: peppermint, jasmine or citrus oil
POWDERED LAUNDRY DETERGENT:
1 cup grated Fels Naptha Soap
½ cup Washing Soda
½ cup Borax
Essential oils like tea tree (optional)
For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons.
DRY SHAMPOO:
Take orris root, ground rosemary or arrowroot or a combination of any of them. Dry thoroughly in the oven, grind to a powder and brush though hair. The powder should take both grease and dirt with it.
CASTILE SHAMPOO:
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary + lavender + 1 cup distilled water + 3/4 cup castile liquid soap or 20 drops lavender essential oil + 10 drops rosemary essential oil + 3/4 cup liquid Castile soap.
For the herbal option, simmer the herbs and water in a covered pan for 30 minutes. Stand overnight, if possible. Strain, pour back into the pan and simmer, covered, until reduced to 1/4 cup. Strain through coffee filter paper, add to the castile soap, mix and then bottle.
For the essential oil option, add the essential oils to the Castile soap and mix well. Up-end the bottle a couple of times before use.
Plants for you:
SPIDER PLANT (Chlorophytum comosum):
Don’t be afraid because of the name, these plants reproduce like bunnies and get there name from the “runners” they put out. They are very good at cleaning the air and are very low maintenance. Spider plants prefer well-lit indirect sunlight.
ORCHID:
Orchids are a great way to give your room some color while scrubbing those toxins out of the air. Orchids do not need direct sunlight but prefer a well-lit room as in nature they are epiphytes (plants that grow on the limbs of other trees) in tropical rainforests. Since Orchids are epiphytes they need to be misted or watered in Orchid potting mix because they do not like losing moisture to soil.
SUCCULENTS:
- Aloe Vera
- Jade Plant
- Cacti
Succulents are one of the easiest plants to take care of. They like direct sunlight or well-lit rooms and need to be watered on occasion. So if you forget to water it, it will survive, but try not to neglect it.
POTHOS (Money Plant):
Considered by many to be a great way to get started caring for houseplants! The pothos is not very demanding and is easy to propogate!
SANSEVIERIA (Snake Plant or Mother-in-law’s tongue):
Another very easy-to-care-for house plant, the snake plant does well with minimal light.
Warning: some plants can be poisonous and/or “pokey” which could cause injury or illness.