Jessie Auclair, the Hokies Abroad Marketing Intern from Virginia Tech, tackles the issue of Green Living. She writes:

All Hokies Abroad courses have a main focus of learning how to live sustainably. Here are some helpful Sustainable Living tips on how to reduce waste and conserve power.

Waste Reduction

Plastic is one of the most abundant waste products that is on the earth today. Plastic is not biodegradable so it continues to build up over time. To reduce your plastic waste:

• Instead of using plastic bags at the grocery store, bring reusable bags.
• If you do not have reusable bags, ask to use paper bags instead of plastic as paper bags are recyclable.
• Carry reusable bamboo utensils so you do not have to use plastic ones at restaurants.
• When at restaurants, request not have a straws in your drink and drink out of the glass, or bring your own reusable draw to use instead of a plastic one.
• Instead of buying plastic toothbrushes, you can by bamboo toothbrushes that will last just as long as plastic ones and bamboo is biodegradable.

Food waste continues to be an increasing problem in developed countries like the U.S. and China. To reduce your food waste:

• Instead of throwing food away, you can use it in composting. Composting allows for natural foods to break down and can be used to make fertile soil.
• Eat smaller portion sizes of food. With smaller portion sizes you are less likely to still have food left over when you are full.
• If you buy more food than you will use or eat, donate the extra food to your local food bank or shelter.

Conservation of Power

We live in a modern digital age where we are dependent on electricity to accomplish our daily tasks.  You can cut down on the amount of electricity that you use and still be able to get through your day. To cut down on electricity:

• Turn off the light switch when you leave the room.
• Buy and use power strips to cut off the power completely to devices instead of just turning them off.
• Instead of turning on the AC in the beginning of the summer, try opening up windows to cool your house.
• If the summer is too hot and you need to turn your AC on, then set it to a reasonable temperature.

These are just some of the basic tips for sustainability; if you like these tips and/or want more, there are many excellent and inspiring online resources that can help you live a more sustainable life. For example, here is a fun and informative one!: www.trashisfortossers.com