Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. I would bet that everyone reading this has heard these words at least once. However, how many people actually implement them?
Up until a few weeks ago, I tried to do these things when I could, but I was not always proactive about finding ways to reduce, reuse and recycle. Since moving into a house, though, my roommates and I have tried to make some eco-friendly changes. They have been very easy to implement so far and I think other students should consider trying these changes as well.
One of the first changes we made to be more eco-friendly was to begin composting. At first, I thought this would be a difficult task because of how seemingly involved having a healthy compost bin is. We also weren’t sure what exactly could be composted. However, this journey with composting has been incredibly easy because of my roommate’s discovery of Rust Belt Riders and their clear directions.
This group provides community compost bins that members can dump their food scraps into; all you have to do is bring the scraps and they do the rest. There are drop off locations all throughout the Cleveland area, with the closest being right on Saybrook Road. This program is very easy for University Heights residents to use, so all JCU students should check it out.
Another addition to our routine has been a city-issued recycle bin. My amazing roommate Ruby discovered that in University Heights you need to sign up for a special recycling bin in order for your recycling to avoid getting taken by the trash. Our landlord signed us up for this program, and we will be getting our recycling bin soon. This process was very easy and something that anyone with a house in University Heights should know about.
The final addition to our eco-friendly house is an ecobrick. To make an ecobrick, you take a large, thick plastic container, such as a soda bottle, and then densely pack it with single-use plastics. This ecobrick contains the plastic in one compact place and can be used as a foundation for many different kinds of artistic projects. Like the other additions, this has been very simple to do; the hardest part is remembering to put our plastic into the ecobrick.
The small changes have the potential to make a very positive impact on our Earth’s environment. Combined with the fact that they are easy changes to make, I think more people should consider giving them a try!
