Colorado Mesa University’s (CMU) Sustainability Council is looking to aid students seeking a more sustainable lifestyle, and lessen the carbon footprint of those both on and off campus.

President of CMU’s Sustainability Council Jill Klinger has a few tips for students looking to lead that sort of lifestyle.

“The simplest way to integrate sustainability into our lives is to remember that ‘Recycle’ is the 3rd ‘R’. Everyone should be reducing consumption, reusing what they can, and recycling (or donating) what’s left,” Klinger said. “This is applicable to food in the Caf, buying coffee at Starbucks, shopping for clothes, etc.”

The Caf offers reusable green to-go containers as a way to cut down on styrofoam usage, and a compost pickup is available Tuesdays from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. in the University Center.

“There are a few ways that CMU makes [sustainability] easier for students. When students (and faculty/staff) bring their own mug to buy coffee anywhere on campus, they get a discount; that’s reducing and reusing,” Klinger said.

There are different methods to recycling. “It is very important that we sort items into the right bins, and make sure that items are cleaned. If they don’t end up in the right bin, we risk sending everything in that bin to the landfill,” Klinger said. “A key phrase here is ‘When in doubt, throw it out!’ Putting something in the recycling bin just because we are hopeful it will be recycled can do much more harm than good.

For students interested in joining Jill and other like-minded students in promoting conservation, Sustainability Council has meetings every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in Escalante Hall. 

“Probably the most important thing anyone can do, student or not, is to stay informed,” Jill Klinger stressed. “The more we learn about the environment and our Earth, the more effort we’re willing to put in to take care of the planet.”