Practice sustainability during Earth Month

During the month of April, our eyes may be glued on the finish line; however, as our minds are skewed toward school, it’s also important for us to recognize this month as Earth Month. 

April highlights awareness toward all things earth: incorporating sustainable practices, addressing current issues and advocating for change. While most of us are busy preparing for final exams, projects and papers, we should also make conscious efforts to take care of mother earth. 

The sun is shining brighter than months prior, and it’s a great time to toss the keys and take a walk or a bike to class. There are plenty of bike racks located on campus as well as Bird scooters to try out. Not only is it preventing more pollution from swirling around our campus, it’s also helping us get our daily dose of exercise. 

Another small change we can make in our school routines is sustainable school supplies. Instead of using a regular notebook, there are tons of recycled notebooks in the market. Instead of bringing a plastic water bottle to class, use a reusable one. The same goes for lunchboxes or other materials — if there’s a reusable or recycled version, use it. 

We can also bring recyclables to the classroom — maybe inside an art class to take trash and turn it into treasure. 

Eliminating waste as much as possible is another component to caring for the earth. Eating everything on our plates, using washable dishes over paper and plastic ones or using a cloth towel and setting aside the paper towels. 

Something as simple as stopping to pick up litter on the way to class can go a long way. Although there are a million trash cans on campus, there is just as much waste and scraps rolling around. Picking up garbage when we can helps us get into the habit of doing so in our everyday lives. 

We also have the ability to use our voices to support the earth. Whether it’s reminding a classmate, an entire class or the whole campus of these practices, the more we talk about taking care of the environment, the more support we obtain in doing so. 

Although April is Earth Month, carrying forth these habits during every month of the year is a great way to show appreciation for our one and only home planet.