Conscious Comments October 1, 2012 | Page 7

The Environment-Tips to Save the Planet

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because research shows that indoor plants can absorb formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene that can roam in the air. Even if your dorm room is “green” meaning it was recently constructed to be more energy-efficient, plants can help absorb the dust and particles that stayed trapped in the air ducts. Just make sure to water your plant and give it enough sunlight.

Change Lighting If your school hasn’t tried to make your dorm building energy-efficient yet, that doesn’t mean you can’t. Switch out all the traditional incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent or LED light bulbs to conserve energy costs. You should also be aware of the amount of energy you use personally. For example, make sure to not only turn off the lights when you leave the room but also unplug electronic devices like cell phone chargers when they’re not in use—leaving electronic devices plugged in still uses energy.

Start Recycling Another easy way to help reduce waste is to recycle. If your school doesn’t have its own recycling program, try to implement one with other students on your dorm room floor. And remember, before you start putting everything in the recycling bin try to make sure that the materials can’t be “repurposed.” For example, Pinterest has some really crafty ideas for what you can do with old clothes, plastic bottles, cardboard, and even newspapers to decorate your room.

Make Own Cleaning Products Last but not least, you can also make your own eco-friendly cleaning products to keep your dorm room clean. Here’s a great recipe for all-purpose cleaner

A Cleaner for Everything

Add together:

4 cups warm water

1 tsp. liquid soap

1 tsp. borax

¼ cup white vinegar

Mix in a spray bottle and use to clean floors, walls, countertops and even carpets and upholstery. This is a general purpose cleaner that is eco-friendly and does not contain ammonia or other chemicals that cleaners normally include.

TSHIRT

GROCERY BAG

-Cut off the sleeves

-Cut off the neckline in semi-circular fashion

-Sew the bottom shut, at the hem. Sew again to reinforce.

That’s it! T-shirts are stretchy, so the bag does stretch under a good amount of weight, but mine has held up for a good while.

Crochet a purse from recycled bags:

Upcycle

http://greenlivingideas.com/2012/08/31/5-easy-ways-to-create-green-dorm-room/