3 Tips for Green Dorm Living

You don't' have to go to one of the nation's greenest colleges to enjoy green dorm living. There are several options available that allow you to stay to true to your values while creating a cool, green dorm you'll be proud to call your home away from home.

Green Dorms Use Eco-Friendly Bedding

Luckily, you don't have to sacrifice style when greening your dorm room. Eco-friendly bedding has become more affordable and stylish in recent years. Where it was once difficult to find organic cotton or sheets made from bamboo, you can now find these options at many discount retailers in a variety of colors.

Wondering why choosing organic cotton over regular cotton is better? According to Mother Earth News magazine, the cotton industry uses 25 percent of the world's insecticide and 10 percent of the world's pesticide use. Organic cotton provides you with the same comfort of cotton without the worry of toxic chemicals that went into making them. Sheets made from bamboo are naturally soft and are efficient at wicking and absorbing moisture making them an ideal choice for a hot and humid dorm room.

Green Dorms Recycle & Reuse Materials

Colleges and universities have begun to put recycling bins in residence halls for residents to recycle paper, plastics and glass. If these are available, you should make every effort to recycle items when possible. If your college campus does not have a recycling program in place for the college dorms, work with the housing office to develop a recycling program for the dorm.

Another way to minimize your use of resources and to make your dorm more green is to reduce the amount of paper you use. Instead of printing out items, try reading them on your computer monitor instead. Save articles and other reference materials as a PDF file instead of printing. Use both sides of paper when possible and try using the other side of old assignments as scratch paper before recycling the item.

Instead of packing everything up for the year in cardboard boxes, consider using plastic totes, hampers and laundry baskets to organize your items. These multi-purpose items are ideal for organizing your things and can be used over and over again.

Vintage is Green

Avoid buying new items to decorate your dorm. Instead let your own creativity be your guide. Before the school year starts, take a trip to some neighborhood garage sales and flea markets. Items such as old album covers, magazine covers, metal signs and other materials that can serve as decorations for your green dorm room. Create your own decorations by taking an old picture frame and painting your own artwork to place inside. Turn old t-shirts into throw pillows or repaint a wooden chair to use as extra seating.

Enjoy college living without sacrificing your commitment to the environment with a few of these green dorm tips. A little creativity and ingenuity can go a long way in creating a space you'll be proud to call your own.

Sources: Wilson, Kate, Mother Earth News, "A Few Reasons Why Organic Cotton is Best, "June 2, 2009.