Callum Roberts – Student living sustainably

And so, the second week of living sustainably draws to a close.

I think I have managed to solidly get into a routine of switching things off when I leave the room. I’ve also found myself turning off lights in the corridors whenever I walk through them if it’s light enough outside. This bit is obviously a bit harder to do in the winter months where 4 pm is associated with near total darkness but is totally viable in the summer months.

Wrapping up warm

One other thing I took upon myself this week was wrapping up warm as opposed to cranking the heating up. It’s another little step that can help and honestly it is pretty easy to do as we all have winter clothing. Extra thick socks, a sweater or a hoodie and you are set. Plus it tends to take effect faster than waiting for your radiator to heat up the room. That all said, however, this doesn’t mean you should risk freezing and totally ditch central heating; if your house is seriously cold, then do put the heating on, there’s no medal for who has the most frozen fingers.

Sustainable shopping has gotten much easier

A quick whip round of research can lead you towards shops and supermarkets who place a higher emphasis on sustainability than others and in some cases are more sustainable in certain areas than others. Aldi, in particular, does a very good job on sustainable Fish but falls short in other areas. Waitrose tends to top out in terms of sustainability however their prices put it out of reach for many students and thus instead we must try for a sort of balance. Shopping around can be a great way of improving your own sustainability. So for example, if you want to buy fish, buy from Aldi if you want sustainably grown apples, then buy Jazz apples from Waitrose and so on so forth. In this regard, a little bit of research goes a long way.

Housewives’ Choice store

In Worcester, there is also the Housewives’ Choice store which has locally sourced fruit and veg with little to no packing and for a very good price too. Also worthy of note is the newer Pack It In, in The Gallery in the Shambles. This cost-efficient zero-waste shop is a gold mine for those who are keen on living sustainably without breaking the bank. After taking a few of my housemates to check out the shop, they themselves started shopping there as well. Living sustainably only becomes easier if you can do it as a group.

Transportation

As the weather has taken a turn for the worse going everywhere on foot has become an unpleasant thought but a little bit of preparation can go a long way. Invest in a good umbrella and make your best effort and getting around on foot. However, exercise common sense if it really is raining heavily, take a bus; it’s still better than using a car if you own one!

Callum