Students can begin thinking about ways to live more environmentally conscious and toxin free even before they move into their new dorm spaces. Here is a comprehensive list of things to live healthy and tread lightly on the earth.

Reduce your carbon footprint by:
-Taking shorter showers
-Walking/Biking
- Using Compact Fluorescent Lighting -
- Print on both sides of the paper
-Solar charger for your ipod and computer- http://www.lowimpactliving.com/products/Solar-Products/Solar-Chargers-for-Electronics/423

Moving
When packing up your belongings they can use recycled boxes that are used vs. new ones. Used boxes can be found in your own zip code on craigslist.org. Gather your friends and hire a moving company like MoveGreen.

Supplies and Backpacks
Use a backpack made from recycled materials. REI has several to choose from and so does greenofficesupply.com, hempsisters.com, www.timbuk2.com, www.vulcanabags.com, www.seallinegear.com, and www.targus.com.

Use recycled paper/notebooks - greenofficesupply.com.

Computers
Laptop vs. desktop – laptops use less energy. - http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=LT

Linens
Look for organic cotton or bamboo towels and sheets. Natural fibers are the healthiest choice. Gaiam has sales all the time for sheets as well as Bed Bath and Beyond for pillows. If you can’t bring your own natural latex mattress, opt for an organic cotton or wool mattress cover; it will cut down on off gassing from chemicals like formaldehyde.

Air Quality
The air in dorm rooms can be compromised. Choose a quality air filter that will keep the fresh air coming and illnesses at bay. Blue Air from Green this life.com around 350.

Clothing
There are many choices for stylish and comfortable clothing.
Target has a new line of organic cotton t-shirts from Mossimo.
Buffalo Exchange and Used clothing stores are excellent for trendy clothes to classics.
Clothes hangers – bgreenhangers.com or hangernetwork.com

Skin care:
Choose skin care and cosmetics without the dirty dozen ingredients.
Shop Greenthislife.com for several good choices. See ewg.org/skindeep for more information.

Hair care:
Choose eco-friendly dyes when coloring your hair, I remember coloring my hair every other week when I was in college, why not make it safe.

Bath/Shower:
Avoid anti bacterial soaps, they harm your liver and make you resistant to antibiotics. Use castile soaps and ones without sodium laurel sulfate and parbens. Same goes for shampoo and conditioner. Use Avalon organics to start. There aren’t a lot of great shampoos out there, choose wisely.

Lighting:
Use Compact Fluorescent light bulbs for desk lamps. Dispose of them in the hazardous waste facility and when they break, leave the room for 20 minutes then clean up immediately.

Laundry:
Baskets/Bags – choose a basket that is made from natural fibers or a cotton, Cost Plus have an array to choose from. Use a rack to dry your clothes on and minimize using the dryer.

Detergents:
We like Trader Joes, Seventh Generation, Method or BioKleen for your detergents. They are more eco-friendly than conventional ones and the bleach alternatives they
offer are terrific for keeping clothes looking good. Just look for phosphate free. Available at trader joes and target.

Food/Storage:
Bring your own bags/totes for lunch and to the market – Greenthislife.com
Make sure those snacks or leftovers are stored in glass or stainless steel not
plastic containers. Include a stainless steel water bottle.

Refrigerator:
If keeping a refrigerator in your room, stock it with healthy fresh organic snacks and drinks. Choose an energy star model when looking!

Toaster ovens instead of microwaves

Décor:
For posting important information in your dorm room look for natural ones made from cork. – umbra.com

Create a sachet with fresh herbs like lavender or rosemary. Stay away from plug ins or air fresheners, they harm the air and the plug ins cause fires.

Rugs and Curtains
Make sure you choose products with natural ingredients and avoid products with fire retardant spray. Rugs, curtains, comforters

Cleaning Products:
Look for natural, non-toxic all-purpose cleaners to keep your room looking and smelling fresh. Trader Joes, Seventh Generation and Begley’s are terrific choices. Stay away from bleach, it is harmful for your lungs and the watershed if disposed down the drain.

tip: Take your shoes off and leave the toxins at the door.

Fun idea
starterkitforchange.com for 40. for free trade cocoa, LED lightbulb, totebag and a seedling!

Top Eco-friendly schools
These 11 colleges were named to the Princeton Review’s 2009 Green Rating Honor Roll to indicate how environmentally friendly, responsible and committed they are about policies, practices and academic offerings.

Arizona State University
Bates College (Maine)
Binghamton University
College of the Atlantic (Maine)
Emory University (Atlanta)
Georgia Tech
Harvard University
University of New Hampshire
University of Oregon
University of Washington
Yale University
..yours could be next, contact us to help create a committee to develop steps to having your school go GREEN!

Throw an ECO PARTY and earn some Cash!
Want to share this great information with your friends, set up your room and have an eco party and earn money through being an eco consultant with Green This Life! Contact us to find out how! It’s easy and rewarding.

Copyright Green This Life 2008
Michelle Bexelius – co founder / creative director / eco consultant
email : michelle@greenthislife.com if you have any questions!

by Michelle Bexelius

When Dr. Cates and I were approached to do a segment on “It’s Easy Being Green” TV series, the first thing we thought of was to design an eco-nursery. We felt it was so important to introduce fresh, healthy, green living to new parents and to their new babies. Tune in on July 5th and July 20th at 11:30 pst on the Fine Living Channel to see the nursery revealed!

Here are a few ideas to help create a beautiful, sustainable spot for your beloved baby –

1. No-VOC paint: Being a new parent is exciting and so it’s understandable to get excited to decorate the new baby’s nursery. Parents make a trip to the paint store buying paint that has high VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds), which off-gas into the air for a good couple of years. It may look great, but the air quality is sacrificed. Today there are many alternatives such as Envirocoat, which have low VOC’s. There is no smell, they dry extremely fast and look just as good. (more…)

by Wendy Strgar

Walking into your bedroom should make your heart rate slow down. It should be the place where you sigh deeply and your whole body relaxes. The bedroom is your nest. A singular space that both regenerates you on a cellular level every night as you sleep and provides the environment and impetus for physical intimacy. As the place where we love deeply, procreate our next generation, and regenerate ourselves, our bedroom is deservedly the sanctuary for our sanity.

Don’t let the world into your nest. Guard the sanctity of the space by keeping the world at bay at the door. I know there are many late night TV lovers who will argue the point here, but I still say that a television in the bedroom is one voice too many, especially if you are in a committed relationship that is fragmented by the business of life.

The older I get, the more convinced I am that life must provide a retreat or we wither on the vine. (more…)

by Dr. Trevor Holly Cates

We spend a great deal of time in our kitchens; cooking, cleaning, eating and sometimes socializing. During that time, we may be exposed to a number of toxins that can negatively impact our health. Do you know what’s lurking in your kitchen?

Cleaning products stored under the kitchen sink can contribute to poor indoor air quality. The chemicals in cleaning supplies vary in toxicity levels. The warning labels refer to acute exposures only and often provide inadequate information. Exposure to some of the ingredients can cause eye and respiratory tract irritation, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, and memory impairment. The long-term effects are not known for many of the compounds, but some are known to cause cancer in animals; others are known to cause cancer in humans. Switching to eco-friendly, non-toxic cleaning products is a great place to start making your home greener. (more…)

by Liesl Bradner

A little bark is going a long way in the greening of home flooring. Bark is the core substance in cork, a material which has been used for floors since 1894 and has recently re-emerged as the environmentally friendly choice of flooring for home and commercial use.

“People want something that is green, and with cork you never have to cut down any trees,” explains Tom Banner, owner of Cork USA in Sherman Oaks, California. Cork is harvested from the bark of a tree every nine years and takes seven to ten years to grow back. With an average lifespan of over 200 years, the harvesting enables trees to thrive without harmful chemicals and herbicides.

The benefits of using cork flooring are endless. It’s durable, comfortable, quiet and maintains an even temperature. Unlike carpet, cork is hypoallergenic and antimicrobial, so it does not cause allergies and is naturally resistant to mold, mildew and termites too. And no shocking static electricity can be generated from cork floors. To top it all off, cork floors look beautiful too! (more…)

by Liesl Bradner

Want to make your home eco-friendly? Instead of taking on the entire house all at once, why not try one room at a time. Since the bathroom is a place we all tend to spend a lot of time in, let’s begin there. Here are some simple solutions to green your bathroom.

TOILET
We spend a lot of time here and every flush counts. Every flush uses between two to seven gallons of water.

• Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues and other such waste in the trash rather than the toilet. During the 70’s water shortage in California, people were advised when it’s yellow let it mellow.
• Install low flush or dual flush toilets

SHOWER
Most people take at least one shower a day and use it as a place to relax, think and unwind. Unfortunately that Zen-shower experience is wasting tons of valuable water. (more…)