Go Green with Dorm Appliances

Today's awareness of the need to reduce our personal impact on the environment has led to many "go green" actions. Colleges have taken steps to provide more green options in dorm living. Dorm residents can further this by choosing wisely when selecting dorm appliances. A review of dorm room appliances should be done in conjunction with your roommate in order to only bring those things you need to your dorm room. Here are a few tips on things to consider in your approach to a greener dorm room.

Go Green with Dorm Appliance Tip #1: Get rid of the plastic water bottles. Add a water filter to your tap and buy a reusable water container. A stainless steel water container lasts extended periods of time and does not have the same chemical attributes of a plastic water bottle. Disposable water bottles not only increase chemical involvement but also fill landfills. Greenfeet.com sells a 27 ounce stainless steel water bottle perfect for use in your dorm room or for taking to class with you.

Go Green with Dorm Appliance Tip #2: Buy power strips. Many current day appliances draw power even when not in use. Any item with an auto-on function or a clock will utilize power even if you are not using it. A power strip with a single on/off switch allows you to turn off all the items plugged in with one flip of the switch.

Go Green with Dorm Appliance Tip#3: When buying your college computer buy a laptop, not a desktop computer. A laptop computer cuts your energy consumption by 50% annually. If you already have a desktop, consider replacing any older monitor for an energy savings model. Laptops can use even less power if you set them to go into stand by mode after a short period of inactivity.

Go Green with Dorm Appliance Tip #4: Use an inkjet printer for printing jobs that do not take extended amounts of time. While laser jet printers can spit out pages faster and may use less power for those extensive jobs, inkjets predominantly use less power. An inkjet printer can use up to 90% less power than a laser jet. Consider the greener appliance and use the inkjet in your room and use computer lab laser printers if you have a larger job.

Go Green with Dorm Appliance Tip #5: Buy a Multi-layer Food Steamer. Want to cook a meal for your dorm pals? A multi layer steamer allows you to steam vegetables on one later and cook your meat on another, all using the same energy and steam. Steamers can be used for cooking hard boiled eggs also. Put the longer cooking item at the bottom and the easier to cook item at the top so they finish cooking around the same time.

Go Green with Dorm Appliance Tip #6: Use a toaster oven or a crock pot. Many dorms have a public kitchen area with a regular stove. If you are cooking a full meal, this may be a good option but if you are cooking a single item, consider a toaster oven or a crock pot. These appliances use less power than a full size oven.