Suggested Actions

Energy

  • Plug devices into a power bar
  • Turn off the lights when leaving any room
  • Use LED light bulbs
  • Let your room get hotter in the summer and cooler in winter
  • Run your computer in power save mode
  • Turn off electronics every night
  • Use task lighting: only turning on a smaller light over the space you’re working, not lighting the whole room

Water

  • Limit showers to less than 10 minutes
  • Turn off the tap during tooth brushing
  • Run only full loads of laundry or dishes
  • Wash your vehicle by hand at the car wash or at home
  • Catch the “warming up” sink or shower water in a bucket to use to water plants later
  • Wash dishes in a sinkful of water, not under a constantly running tap

Waste

  • Refill a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottled drinks
  • Take a reusable bag on shopping trips
  • Borrow, don’t buy, infrequently used items
  • Switch from paper towels to washable dish rags
  • Recycle everything you can
  • Donate what you don’t want; never throw useful items in the trash
  • For one month, buy nothing new
  • Print documents only when you must — and when you do, print double-sided
  • Find places to recycle the odd stuff (the Illini Gadget Garage will take your old CDS and dead batteries)
  • Store a metal (reusable) set of silverware in your office desk or backpack.
  • Refuse plastic cutlery when ordering food to go

Food

  • Add one more meat-free meal to your weekly menu
  • Buy fresh fruits and vegetables within three days of when you plan to use them
  • Refuse plastic takeaway silverware — pack a fork instead!
  • Take a small portion first; you can always grab a second helping later if you want
  • Visit local weekly farmers’ markets: Illinois Quad Student Farm Stand, Urbana, or Champaign.
  • Compost food scraps (hints and tips via HGTV)

Transportation

  • Replace one solo car trip a week with a bike ride, bus ride, or carpool (heck, take a skateboard, longboard or flying broom — anything without emissions!)
  • Register your bicycle with campus (go.illinois.edu/mybike)
  • Combine errands to make fewer trips
  • Create a cycle-to-work group in your neighborhood or office