This year, over 800 NYU students living on campus completed the Green Room Pledge organized by the NYU EcoReps. Below are the actions they pledged to or already take to live more sustainably in on-campus housing. Even those who don’t live in an NYU residence hall can lower their carbon footprint and live more sustainably through these actions.

THE NYUGREeN ROOM PLEDGE

ENERGY

I use light emitting diode (LED) bulbs for lamps and lights in my room.

• LEDs use significantly less energy than other types of lights.

I unplug electronic items from the wall and turn off power strips when I am not using them.

• Many household appliances, including electronics, drain energy when they are not in use.

I only use the amount of light necessary for a task and use natural sunlight as much as possible.

• Using natural light over artificial can be just as effective.

I turn lights off when leaving a room, including bathrooms and common areas.

• Turning off lights can save a significant amount of energy and reduce your carbon footprint.

I turn off the AC/heat when I’m not home and utilize my window blinds.

• AC units contribute to the urban heat island effect and heating makes up a large part of energy use.

WATER

I turn off the water when brushing my teeth.

• Turning off water when brushing teeth can save 8 gallons of water per day.

I shower for 10 minutes or less.

• Most showers use 2.5 gallons of water per minute!

I drink delicious NYC tap water and thus minimize my plastic use.

• Drinking tap water can save money and plastic waste.

I use natural hair and body products

• Many of our hygiene products contain chemicals that are harmful when washed into our water supply, so try using brands that try to mitigate their negative impact.

 

REDUCING, REUSING, RECYCLING

I regularly use reusable shopping bags.

• Plastic bags can be very harmful to the environment, cotton totes don’t use plastic.

I donate items I don’t need or use anymore (ie furniture, laptop, clothes) to local organizations and charities.

• New York City has a lot of resources for donating items!

I have a recycling bin in my room and use it properly.

• NYC produces about 14 million tons of waste per year, recycling can divert a lot of that from landfill.

I have homemade, second-hand and/or decorations in my room.

• Decorations can create a lot of waste, there are many ways to reduce and reuse.

I regularly buy thrifted and/or “second-hand” clothing instead of new clothing.

• Fashion contributes many negative environmental impacts, there are lots of great affordable thrift store in NYC.

I dispose of batteries and electronics at technoscrap bins on-campus and in residence halls.

• Technological waste is hard to dispose of and creates a lot of environmental issues.

I use double-sided printing whenever possible.

• Paper use contributes to deforestation. With some simple math, you could be using half the amount of paper by printing double sided!

I buy electronic or used books whenever possible.

• New books also contribute to deforestation, The NYU bookstore often offers used books and ebooks as alternatives.

 

DINING

I carry a reusable water bottle with me to classes and dining halls instead of purchasing bottled beverages.

• Using a reusable water bottle significantly reduces plastic waste.

I use reusable cups, silverware, and dining ware instead of disposable ones in my room.

• Disposable dining ware has large environmental impacts, reusing is always better.

I compost my food waste and compostable packaging in the dining hall and local Green Markets.

• Up to 40% of landfill waste is compostable food scraps, composting can divert that.

I clean out my food containers before recycling them.

• Food containers are supposed to be rinsed out before recycled so as to not contaminate recycling.

I eat vegetarian at least 3 days a week.

• Reducing meat consumption significantly decreases environmental impact.

 

LAUNDRY

I utilize the cold water settings when I wash my laundry.

• Hot water uses a lot of energy, cold water helps to save!

I wash full loads of laundry.

• Full loads saves money and energy since you’re using the most amount of space for the same water use.

I use laundry products free of harmful synthetic fragrances and dyes.

• Many laundry products contain harmful chemicals, using natural is much safer.

 

TRANSPORTATION

I utilize public transportation whenever possible.

• Using public transit uses less emissions and takes up less space, urban living can be very sustainable!

I bike around campus and in the city whenever possible.

• Cycling significantly reduces your carbon footprint compared to gas-powered vehicles.

I take the stairs rather than the elevator.

• Elevators use energy, walking doesn’t, and you get exercise!

 

INVOLVEMENT

I have participated in sustainability activities at NYU.

• Find out about NYU’s Office of Sustainability events here.

I take sustainability-related courses at NYU.

• Search Albert for “sustainability” as a key term and find results for sustainability-related course across many disciplines. The Department of Environmental Studies has great introductory courses to start.

I am a member of a sustainability-related extracurricular group.

• Check out Earth Matters, Two Birds One Stone, Sprout Up, and more.

I volunteer for a sustainability-related organization.

• There are plenty of great places to volunteer in NYC.