Everyone knows that “going green” is a simple good deed that each citizen should work towards to better the planet. Whether this be by recycling, taking shorter showers to conserve water, or carpooling to work—each little bit helps. However, college students have a busy schedule that may not always give them time to focus on the environment. But to show their dedication towards conserving the environment, a handful of colleges have worked diligently with their students and community to make their school campus “eco- friendly.”

The University of California Irvine (UCI) is a campus that has a zero food waste program. This means that the university reuses left over cafeteria food for environmental benefits such as composting. By reusing the excess food, the campus is able to return nutrients back into the soil which helps with plant growth. According to the UCI News, the campus recently replaced trash bins with recycling bins which caused the campus’s recycling rate to increase to 75 percent. Now, UCI uses 83 percent of the campus’s waste by recycling, reusing, and composting. Hydration stations are scattered around campus that have helped reduce the use of disposable plastic bottles by 14 tons. UCI News reported that because of the hydration stations on campus, more than 509,000 reusable bottles have been filled.

The students at UCI are also committed to helping the environment.  The U.S. Green Building Council recently acknowledged UC Irvine with six new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum awards for Biological Sciences III. The campus now has 18 LEED Platinum and Gold awards, among the most at any campus in the U.S., for their commitment towards keeping the Earth green.

Another university that has taken eco matters into their own hands is the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. The UW Oshkosh campus uses 100 percent recycled paper and even offers an eco-friendly carpooling program online that students can sign up for. The sustainability team at UW Oshkosh works towards purchasing renewable energy, creating green buildings and blending environmental sustainability into the curriculum, campus life, and outreach. The campus also has agreed to using machinery that uses minimal resources, such as a dishwasher that reduces water conservation to 30% percent.

Being centered in the middle of the Swannanoa valley, Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina uses the green resources surrounding their campus for their environmental needs. Due to the organic resources available, the campus gets food and lumber from their very own garden and trees. The school vehicles run on bio-diesel and the lights on campus are all energy conservative. The street lamps on campus are solar powered and the inside lighting are low pollution. While the buildings itself on campus are eco-friendly, the students at Warren Wilson College have the opportunity to participate in a community store that allows students to donate and choose from recycled items. The students and staff at Warren Wilson College are committed to keeping their campus and planet Earth clean.

Lastly, Colorado College in Colorado Springs is an environmentally-conscious campus that uses organic farming tactics and hands-on experience with their student life. Colorado College offers a club that maintains the school’s organic farm of 1.3 acres. Among the farm are vegetable plots, an orchard and a honeybee hive. A student-built greenhouse even holds dozens of produce that are all kept by the students. These locally-grown goods then travel directly to the campus dining hall where the students are able to consume the organic and healthy food they helped grow.

These college campuses are full of students with bright ideas who are dedicated to keeping Earth green and beautiful. No matter their major, students work diligently on and off campus to find ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Whether one is a freshman or senior in high school, students are always thinking of their future. However when deciding on a college, take into account their concept of the future too.