Bournemouth University is conscious of it’s impact on the environment and constantly working towards achieving its sustainability vision with the support of it’s students. It’s the little changes that can help. Current student Jade has created this how green are you quiz, so you can reflect on some of your current practices, providing tips and advice to set you a path of greener living.

How easy is it to be more environmentally friendly as a student?  Work your way through these quick 10 questions and see just how green you really are. The answers are at the bottom!

Question 1

You’re leaving to head to uni and realise you left the light on in your room, do you…

A- Leave it on, what’s it going to matter anyway?

B- Think maybe you should go back and turn it off

C- Definitely make sure all the lights are off if nobody is home!

Question 2

How often do you use public transport?

A- Mostly use my car to get around, but i’ll sometimes grab the bus every now and then

B- I get the bus most days

C- I like to walk and cycle as much as i can!

Question 3

Time to do the weekly food shop…

A- Meal deals here we come!

B- I try and get some organic food, but i find it quite expensive

C- Look right away for the organic ranges, i know the environmental benefits it has

Question 4

At the till about to pay for your shopping, do you…

A- Buy some 5p plastic bags

B- realise you’ve not got anything to carry the shopping in, but usually you’ll reuse bags from home

C- Already have some re-usable bags to put your shopping in

Question 5

You’re in a lecture and you need to make notes, and…

A- You always have a notebook at hand

B- You’re aware of all the wasted paper but switch between paper notes and digital notes

C- All your notes are made digitally, so you get your laptop/tablet/phone out

Question 6

How often do you recycle?

A- Never

B- Every now and then

C- All the time!

Question 7

Do you ever buy your clothes second hand?

A- Never, my wardrobe is overflowing as i’m always buying new clothes!

B- Occasionally, i like to use Depop or shop in charities every now and then

C- Always, The Bournemouth vintage kilo sale is my favourite!

Question 8

Do you use a reusable water bottle?

A- Nah

B- I have one but i sometimes forget it, so i will usually just buy a bottle of water

C- Of course!

Question 9

Do you leave your phone charger on even when it’s not plugged in?

A- Does it matter?

B- Yes

C- No

Question 10

How much of the food in your fridge ends up getting thrown away?

A- 0-15%

B-15-30%

C- More than 30%

Your Green Score!!

Mostly A’s

So it seems that maybe the environment is not your biggest priority right now, but that’s okay as starting a new chapter with university can sometimes make it hard to know exactly how you can be more of a sustainable student!

Here are some of the things you can do if you want to become a bit more eco-friendly:

• Reduce, reuse and recycle– Think about how much you waste, and see if you can waste less. If it can be recycled rather than thrown away, don’t just chuck it in the bin! Did you know, in 2017/18  BU recycled 70% of our waste and sent zero to landfill. Our new target is to achieve 80% – so get started!
• Buy responsibly – Try to buy less and prevent chucking away things that don’t really need throwing out
• Cutting down on meat and dairy – Why not try ‘Meat Free Monday’? Watch how Shura gets on trialing 5 days as a vegetarian in her vlog.
• Change some of your living habits – There are so many simple ways you can change your habits to be more green! Why not opt for a bamboo toothbrush, or invest in a clothes horse and stop using the dryer (watch your energy bill go down a lot too!)

Mostly B’s

You demonstrate a really good environmental conscience! But there’s still room for improvement, so look at the questions where you scored badly and maybe see if you can make some changes. Could you use a bike instead of driving?

Mostly C’s

You can rightly call yourself a green champion! It’s clear you love the environment, and you are doing as much as you can to help keep it clean and safe, help spread the good word! You would make a great member of the sustainability society. Check out how you can get involved.

Maybe you have some tips on how to be green that you’d like to share, let me know in the comments!