When given a straw at a restaurant, most people use it. Necessary groceries are all wrapped in plastic. We take what is given to us.
Accessibility to sustainable products is a large contributor to individuals making a difference in the Earth’s climate crisis. However, sustainable living is not cheap living. Sustainable products are 75-80% more expensive, according to research conducted by Kearney, a global management consulting firm.
Can low-income college students be held accountable for poor sustainability habits?
To an extent, yes.
Being a sustainable consumer is only part of what an individual can do. Students can recycle properly, reduce consumption and consistently educate themselves on how to continuously be sustainable.
I recently learned you can recycle pizza boxes and that recyclables do not have to be perfectly cleaned before recycling, according to a story by The Washington Post.
In my experience, it is easier to forgo trying to live sustainably. It can be annoying to constantly follow what is new and a more sustainably effective lifestyle.
Sustainable living habits ask more of the average lazy person.
Diya Shah, a third-year environmental sciences, policy and management student at the University of Minnesota, said if you want to be sustainable, it is pretty easy. A good place to start is to practice sorting your trash and recycling.
Self-accountability is very important when it comes to climate action, according to Shah.
“You should be morally holding yourself accountable,” Shah said. “Be like, ‘This is my planet too, and I need to do my bit.’”
Shah is on the culture and communications subcommittee of the University’s Climate Action Plan team. They work on fostering conversations and communication about climate change and sustainability by putting up posters and signs around campus and posting informational videos on the Office of Sustainability’s website.
The University does a good job in sustainability efforts, especially with its Climate Action Plan to be carbon neutral by 2050, according to Shah. Nevertheless, we could always talk more about sustainability.
Everything an individual can do to help the planet, no matter how big or small, matters, Shah said. This concept is one everyone needs to understand.
“Sometimes people push it off, like, ‘That’s not my job. There are other people there for that,’” Shah said. “But every person matters, and something that every person can do matters. No matter what stream or what field you’re working in, anything you do that reduces your impact creates a really big impact on the planet.”
Lilja Anderson, a third-year ecology, evolution and behavior student, said it is impossible for anyone to be 100% sustainable.
“Our phones and tablets are not even sustainably sourced,” Anderson said. “You can try your best, but it’s hard to be sustainable just by how everything else is around you.”
Textile waste is a huge factor in climate change, but sustainably made clothing is expensive. Many brands, such as H&M and Zara, greenwash or mislead consumers. Thrifting and buying clothes secondhand is a tried and true alternative.
“College students are really good about thrifting,” Anderson said. “All my friends go thrifting, and that’s a great way to get clothes sustainably.”
Everyone should do their best to be sustainable, according to Anderson. However, Anderson does not think college students should severely be held accountable for poor sustainability habits.
“Unless they’re doing something egregiously or purposely messing up recycling or composting, then sure,” Anderson said. “But I really think it’s impossible for people to be sustainable based on how the world around us is built.”
To Anderson, climate activism is the best way an individual can make a difference.
“Trying to strive to be the most sustainable you can be is good, but in the grand scheme of everything, going to protests, signing petitions and making your voice heard about climate policies will actually make an impact on how our government operates around climate change,” Anderson said.
It can be exhausting to persistently alter how we live in favor of a greener planet, but it is worth it. Even if you are making occasional sustainability mistakes, such as using the straw your server gave you, you should be actively pushing our government and our companies to do better.
We are living in a time when your comfort is not a priority. The past four years have been the hottest on record. Climate change worsens food and water insecurity, and low socio-economic communities are disproportionately affected by climate disasters.
I cannot make people care about the environment, but everyone should care. We can all do something, even something small like not using a straw. Everything matters when it comes to taking care of our planet.
