North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 96, No. 10, Ed. 1 Friday, September 10, 2010 Page: 11 of 12
twelve pages : ill.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
EntertainmentSCENE
Students have creative
options for going green
OPINION
By Amber Mullins
Contributing Writer
Students living in a small college
dorm or a 600-square-foot apart-
ment may have their hearts and
minds in the right place when
wanting to go "green." But some
may hesitate when attempting to
live an environmentally friendly
lifestyle because they fear their
small spaces or budgets may not
accommodate so many recycling
bins or pricey measures.
What they may not know,
however, is that there are a lot of
interesting "going green" options,
many of which can be kept compact
or on a modest budget.
There are a few small steps that
students can take in their everyday
lives that will help reduce their
waste.
That is what recycling is all about:
people coming together to do what
they need to do to provide for a
healthier future for the planet.
Create an indoor garden
A great way to reuse kitchen
waste is by creating a compost bin
from used fruits, veggies and coffee
grounds.
Students will save enough land-
fill space to make a 3-foot-high
compost pile the size of the city of
San Francisco, Calif, within one
year.
Odor-free compost bins reduce
the smell of decomposing food.
Students can keep one under their
kitchen sink or any convenient area
where it's available for all compost
needs.
A fur vest is on display at a local thrift store. Buying vintage could help students
live environmentally friendly.
Recycle your threads
Another way to recycle is to buy
vintage or resale clothing.
Used clothing may not sound
very appealing, but it is an inno-
vative way of recycling that will,
instead of taking up more space,
actually free up room in a small
place.
Buying used also cuts back on
production costs and the pollution
generated when factories have to
create new clothes.
Many Denton residents already
frequent thrift shops in an effort to
find something dynamic and inter-
esting to add to their wardrobe or
to just try to save money.
While they may be doing this
for different reasons, buying and
selling pre-worn clothing helps by
reducing the resources and mate-
rials used to provide for additional
clothing to fit the needs of the entire
public.
Many students, however, may not
be a fan of recycling and wearing a
complete stranger's clothing. This is
where fun activities, like hosting a
"clothes swapping" party can come
in handy.
It's a fun way of "going green"
without having to subject a student
to something he or she may not be
comfortable with, yet will still allow
them to do their part in reducing
future waste.
Buy smart
Environmental activists like
Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael
Pollan, author of "The Omnivore's
Dilemma" and "Food, Inc.," said
that one of the best ways to be
environmentally sustainable and
reduce the harmful impact on the
environment is to buy smart.
In a USA Weekend interview in
2007, DiCaprio said, "Every time
you put money down to pay for
Friday 9.10.2010
All Photos by Berenice Quirino Staff Photographer
Buying clothes from a local thrift store can help cut down 011 pollution emissions
when clothes are made in factories.
something, you're advocating the
way the company does business."
It's not enough to just recycle or
buy organic anymore.
As buying organic becomes a
trend, consumers and students
alike can no longer be sure that
even organic practices are envi-
ronmentally sound.
To buy smart, students must
know what's in their food and how
their food is being treated, pack-
aged and shipped.
Shopping for groceries, or
anything really, can be similar to
voting As their items are scanned,
students and consumers are, in a
sense, voting for what they want
in the stores.
Don't be afraid to research what
you're buying. Buying products
made with bad environmental prac-
tices is exactly what's keeping them
around.
Green Facts
- 79 million tons of waste
material was diverted
away from disposal in 2005
through recycling and com-
posting.
- 20 million tons of elec-
tronic waste is thrown away
each year.
- Buying an antique or
vintage piece rather than a
new reproduction can save
as much as 537 kg of car-
bon dioxide emissions (the
equivalent weight of 6 fully
grown men).
- Recycling one ton of plas-
tic is the same as saving
two people's energy use for
one year.
Information from planet-
green.discovery.com and
en vi ro n ment-g reen .co m.
Denton Chiropractic Center
Auto & Work Injuries
"ec* Pain
1-35 @ McCormick
1 Block from UNT
940.566.3232
www.dentonchiro.com
,
II
Of
. VW
Dr. Kent C.
Dr. Melissa
Noell K. Noell
'We're Always Here When You Need Us"
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 96, No. 10, Ed. 1 Friday, September 10, 2010, newspaper, September 10, 2010; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth164923/m1/11/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.