Article written by the Archers Road, City Gateway, Glen Eyre and Highfield Hall RLAs

Do you want to know more about how to be a pro at helping the Environment? 

Here are the RLAs top 15 tips that you as a student in halls can do to help create a more environmentally friendly and sustainable environment.

• Switch Off Electronics: Turn off lights, appliances, and electronics when not in use.
• Unplug Devices: Chargers still draw energy when plugged in, even if the device isn’t charging. Unplug them when not in use.
• Use Natural Light: Open curtains during the day instead of relying on artificial lights.
• Recycle Properly: Familiarise yourself with the recycling system in your halls and separate your waste correctly. Use the food bin and rinse out packaging before recycling.
• Avoid Single-Use Items: Use reusable water bottles, coffee cups, and utensils instead of disposables. Bring a reusable cup to campus for your hot drinks and get a green sleeve in the SUSU shop to save money. Reuse Ziploc bags.
• Minimise Food Waste: Plan your meals, store food properly, and freeze leftovers to avoid spoilage. For example, freeze half your loaf of bread and save meal leftovers when cooking.
• Buy Things in Bulk with Flatmates: Makes things cheaper and minimises waste.
• Shorten Showers: Try to limit shower time to save water and reduce energy use for heating.
• Turn Off the Tap: Don’t leave the water running when brushing your teeth or washing dishes.
• Sustainable Products: Use biodegradable cleaning products and eco-friendly toiletries.
• Report Maintenance Issues: A leaking tap or draughty window wastes resources – report these on Planon as soon as you spot them.
• Drains: Be careful of what goes down the drain. Don’t pour fat or oil down the drain.
• Grow your own herbs: not only is it more cost-effective, but it also reduces product packaging.
• Laundry: Save water by doing full loads of laundry, wash your clothes on a lower temperature, or maybe try a colder wash!
• Clothes: Don’t throw your clothes out, all Halls sites have clothes banks which support those in need. Try buying pre-loved clothes from charity shops to reduce your carbon footprint.