How to be More Sustainable on Villanova's Campus
By Olivia Pfeiffer
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the climate crisis can feel overwhelming and almost exhausting. At the beginning of the year, looking at post after post of the destruction of the fires in Australia brought me to the point of burnout. It can sometimes feel as though anything we do is absolutely hopeless. However, there are still small acts of change we can make, including in our daily lives at Villanova. While it’s not necessary to engage in everything I have listed below, making small changes to your daily habits (and encouraging your friends to do so to) will make a big difference.
Reduce your single use plastic at Holy Grounds. We all know going to Holy Grounds is a vital part of the Villanova experience, but you cannot deny that the waste build up can be as extreme as your coffee addiction. Invest in a reusable cup and start bringing it to Holy Grounds instead. You’ll get 25 cents off of every order as well! Also, stop buying water every time you go to Holy Grounds. Invest in a reusable water bottle and carry it around with you. It’s even chic nowadays to have a hydro flask decorated with stickers of your sorority and other things you’re passionate about. Alternatively, Brita sells filtered water bottles for 10 dollars on Amazon.
Try and Reduce Your Beef Intake. I’m not advocating that everyone goes vegan, and I cannot deny how good a law school burger or Philly Cheesesteak tastes every now and then. However, beef and the meatpacking industry is directly responsible for a lot of CO2 emissions. Villanova has a very creative vegan bar, and even if tofu isn’t your thing, it is better for your health (and the planet to) swap out a burger for a salad every once in a while. Going vegetarian even just once a week makes a huge impact. If you really like your meat fix (like me), swapping out chicken for beef for two meals a week also makes a significant impact. Villanova’s veggie burgers taste pretty good too!
Use web extensions like UCapture. Web extensions are a very easy way to help offset carbon emissions, and literally takes 20 seconds to download. A fellow Villanova student has set up a relationship between Villanova and UCapture. I’ve copied the main text below: “I’m working on this project with a company called UCapture to help people reduce their carbon footprints. It’s a really cool browser add on that partners with companies to offer carbon offsets when you make purchases in addition to giving you discounts. It takes 30 seconds to download on your laptop browser and you can join the Villanova group to help the university as a whole become carbon neutral. Check out the link here I promise you’ll like it! www.ucapture.com/vucapture
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. I’ll admit, this one seems like a no brainer. However, not setting up a recycling bin in your apartment on West or in The Commons leads to not only more trash produced (so more frequent trips), but also harms the planet. Villanova provides everyone with a blue bin if you are in an apartment, so make good use of it! Alternatively, one bottle can be reused many times, from when you bought it one morning to when you fill it with a mixed drink before going out with friends on a weekend night. Take a look and see what products you already have in your dorm or in your apartment before you go out to KOP to get something! This goes to clothing as well: you don’t need a brand new dress for every formal. Doing a dress swap with friends or roommates keeps your formal looks looking fresh while saving both your wallet and the planet from more fast fashion.
Get Involved in Advocacy on Campus! I understand not everyone has time to join the Sustainability Club or run another executive branch of an environmental club. However, Villanova students are constantly staging environmentally friendly events, from CRS running films on climate change to Villanova students walking out of class to demand climate action from the administration. You are not in this alone, and other students are working to combat the climate crisis and be sustainable as well!
