10/6/2008 12:00:00 AM

By Sung Bin Park

Do you care about the environment and want to do something about it? Here are 12 easy ways to becoming a eco-student and an eco-warrior:

1. Start something.Volunteer for an environmental group or join an environmental club. Be an eco-warrior and start your own club if your school doesn’t have one and coordinate an eco-awareness event. You could make great friends with similar passionate goals. Spread the word about your new eco-friendly ways to your friends and family.
2. Give your electronics a break.Think about all the electronics you use every day and turn them off when you’re not using them. Your computer or laptop, music player, and cell phone all drain energy when they’re plugged in. Unplug adapters and chargers when they’re finished charging. Put your computers on energy saving mode or turn them completely off at the end of the day.



3. Recycle your used electronics.Bring your old cell phones, batteries, and other portable electronics to a local recycling drop off. Best Buy, Staples and other electronics stores now have recycling take back programs. Check here for a collection site near you. Be an eco-warrior and start your own electronics or cell phone recycling collection at your school. Ask for help bringing used electronics to a drop off location.
4. Recycle your paper.Print on both sides when you can. Be an eco-warrior and buy recycled paper and notebooks. There are a number of recycled school supply options available like Terracycle’s Eco Binder, made from 100% recycled paper. Buy your textbooks and course books used instead of new. It will save you money and save on paper.
5. Strut your stuff in renewable fashion.Don’t throw away your old clothes, instead donate them to a local charity or shelter so they don’t end up in landfills. You can give your clothes a new life by refashioning them into new ones. If you’re crafty at sewing, an old pair of jeans or t-shirt can become a great bag. If you do buy new clothes, check out organic and recycled clothing brands that are gentle on the earth and make you feel good about wearing them. Go vintage or thrift store shopping for some unique finds. Recycled clothing helps the planet because you waste less energy and materials producing them. Be an Eco-Warrior and start a clothing drive and donate them to those who could really use them or arrange a school clothing swap for gently used clothes.
6. Carry it with you.Bring your own reusable water bottle with you like a Klean Kanteenor a BPA free reusable bottle instead of buying bottled water. Carry and extra bag or tote bag for unexpected extras instead of using plastic bags. Be an eco-warrior and reuse or recycle your plastic bags if there are stores that recycle them. Say no to plastic or paper bags when shopping by bringing your own.
7. Put your best face forward.Wear natural products like Burt’s Bees or organic makeup like Josie Maran Cosmetics. There are a number of safe, eco-friendly products out there that are healthier for you. Some even donate a portion of their proceeds to environmental efforts. Look for a certified USDA Organic seal or circle on packages and read the ingredients carefully. Just because it says it’s natural or organic on the bottle doesn’t necessarily make it so. If you are not familiar with or can’t understand more than half the ingredients on the label then it’s probably not that natural. Be an eco-warrior and research products before you buy. The Environmental Working Group has a Cosmetics Buying Guide along with common toxic chemicals found in many teenage cosmetics.



8. Eat GreenBring healthy lunches to school like salads or veggies. Organic and local foods are better for you because they aren’t grown with pesticides or travel far to get to you. Bring reusable containers for lunch and don’t forget to recycle at school. Think reusable not disposable.
9. Grow Green Foster a green thumb by joining a gardening club. Studies have shown that handling soil can actually make you happier. Be an eco-warrior and start a composting bin or better yet get your school to compost any left over food scraps from lunches. Composting is a way of recycling plant materials, even fruit and vegetable scraps. The compost can then be used to feed other plants and gardens.
10. Read and research the things you care about. Read more books about the environment like Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-friendly Life or read environmental news to understand the larger problems and ideas for solutions for our planet. Be an eco-warrior and donate your used and read environmental books to your school library. Other students can benefit from those books.
11. Travel light. Bicycle to school. Biking is the most environmentally friendly way to ride to school and you can get a great workout from it. Or take a bus or carpool to minimize your impact.
12. Take a hike. Most of us don’t take enough breaks for nature. Stroll around a park or garden with friends, or hike and do more outdoor activities. Even for just take a few minutes a day, take the time to enjoy your natural surroundings. Appreciating and enjoying nature will motivate and inspire us to action.