Yes, You Can Be Sustainable In College (AND You Can Do It On A Budget)
Over the past two years I have made major strides toward becoming a more sustainable member of my college community at the University of Southern California. In the beginning of my journey toward a low-impact lifestyle, I thought becoming sustainable would require a large financial commitment. As the past two years have gone on I have come to realize that while some things may require an investment, a number of the everyday sustainable actions I have taken are low-cost and even save me money. This post is a conglomerate of some of the most requested topics in regards to being sustainable in college: everything from dorm life to shopping sustainably in college to getting the most out of your education while you’re still in school.
October Sustainable Lifestyle Challenge: Plastic-Free To-Go Kit
In our world of convenience, plastic utensils are everywhere. They come with your Postmates orders, you use them with your unexpected takeout lunches, and are available at practically every birthday party or casual dinner gathering. 40 billion disposable plastic utensils are used in the United States each year, and with the increasing availability of takeout and delivery options (Seamless, Uber Eats, Tapingo, etc.) this number is predicted to rise. What’s worse? Most plastic utensils are made out of polystyrene #6, which is incredibly difficult to recycle (and carcinogenic). In general, polystyrene is not accepted in curbside collection recycling programs. Read this month’s sustainable lifestyle challenge post all about creating a simple plastic-free to-go kit to reduce your reliance on plastic utensils.
AC(TEE)VISM: In The Wake Of Kavanaugh’s Confirmation
I never intend to get political on Tunes & Tunics, but I do feel as though today is an important day to remind those of us that are ready to give up with our political system that there are actions we can take every day to influence the future of our country. Regardless of your political affiliation or your personal experience with sexual assault or harassment, the past two weeks have been especially triggering for a large population of the United States, and have highlighted the intense political divide that is only growing in our country. Obviously I could not personally vote in the Kavanaugh confirmation today, but I can vote in the midterm election, I can encourage civil political discourse among my peers at school, I can support organizations that I believe are bringing about meaningful change despite the current political climate, and I can do all of these things simultaneously through a little something I like to call AC(TEE)VISM.
Ethical Denim Diaries: DSTLD
I’ve talked about denim production’s insane water usage before in my Sustainable Denim Diaries series, but I haven’t quite touched on how much the denim production process relies on human capital. If you think about all of the details that go into a pair of jeans — the dyeing, the distressing, the pocket detailing, the zipper or button closure, the belt loops — it becomes clear that even the simplest pair of jeans can take a lot of time and energy to put together. As consumer expectations have shifted rapidly due to the proliferation and popularity of fast fashion, brands throughout the industry have been forced to rethink their business models.
The 70th Annual Emmy Awards: Red Carpet Green Dress
My “once in a lifetime” red carpet / award show experience turned out to be not-so-once-in-a-lifetime after all. On Monday night I attended my second awards show, the 70th Annual Emmy Awards. Read all about my night, my favorite red carpet look, and the Red Carpet Green Dress movement.
Burberry Burned Their Unsold Inventory. Here’s What We Can Learn.
In July Burberry came under fire (literally) for burning $37.8 million worth of unsold inventory. In defense of their actions, Burberry said they burned these products to prevent Burberry’s intellectual property from getting into the wrong hands, and ultimately maintain brand value. After the initial backlash from consumers and industry insiders alike, “Burberry said that the destruction was an industry-wide practice and that it used incinerators that harness energy”. Read more to see Burberry’s response and what this means for us as consumers.