One of the most important first steps for students starting a new school year is creating an environment in which you can both relax and study with a clear mind. Moving in is stressful, but when you have the right affordable, eco-friendly decor in mind, you can feel confident when creating your living space.
When looking to decorate, you should be buying items that are both eco-friendly and indicative of your own unique style. Your dorm room should include items that compliment your personality, but in a way that minimizes your carbon footprint.
A main point of dorm room decor is the lighting. String lights are very popular, but whether they are battery powered or plug-in, they can waste energy. Insead of string lights, buy solar powered mason jars to use as your extra light source. They’re affordable, space efficient and prevent extra clean-up near the end of the year. They’re sold on Amazon, Sungevity and many other DIY websites.
Succulents are also a great way to spruce up your room without putting a burden on the environment. They are minimal, easy to maintain, and relaxing. They add oxygen into the environment, so in caring for one you are one step closer to giving back to the environment what you have already taken out. Also, having life in your room will brighten up the atmosphere in your living space.
Another great feature of many dorms are pictures. To keep your picture hanging eco-friendly, skip the frames and the mounting and use a reusable adhesive to stick them to your walls. Scotch Adhesive Putty and Loctite Fun Tak are two versions of adhesives that you can use repeatedly to hang pictures on your wall. Without frames, bulletin boards or other picture mounting devices, your walls will look less crowded and your decor will be less wasteful.
When looking for decoration, shop second-hand to support small businesses and remain eco-friendly. D.C. has a variety of great thrift stores such as the Georgia Avenue Thrift Store and Frugalista where you can buy used decorations for very little. Stores such as Goodwill and Plato’s Closet also offer great deals on all different types clothes and decor that will add extra pizzazz to your room. Shopping second-hand is not only good for the college student’s ever-thinning wallet; it is also great for the environment. Reusing old decor limits the amount of waste created by humans.
Shopping for eco-friendly decor is simple and it can be more affordable than expected. Using these tips, you can create your living space in a way that helps rather than hurts the environment.
In 2017, dorm furnishing made up over $6 billion of consumer spending. This figure represents not only a large sum of money, but also a hefty burden placed on the environment. It is vital that you create a space you are comfortable with when furnishing your dorm or apartment, but reducing your decor’s impact on the environment is easy and it can make a big difference.
