As flowers begin to bloom for spring, Earth Month makes its annual appearance — just in time to remind us that our generous planet needs us just as much as we need it.

It’s easy to get caught up in all aspects of college life, but keeping the Earth clean should never lose its place in our daily lives. We can start creating a greener world just by considering some healthier choices like these:

Eat locally sourced food 

It’s closer, it’s tastier and it’s cheaper. Engaging with your local farmers markets and neighborhood cafés is a fantastic way to connect with your community and support sustainable living.

According to University of Arizona Nutritional Sciences professor emerita Nobuko Hongu and colleagues in an article published in 2017, there are innumerable benefits to eating locally sourced food — for both the consumer and the environment.

“Local foods often do not require special packaging for traveling great distances. Thus, buying locally can reduce the use of plastic bags and petroleum based packaging which helps reduce the waste associated with packaging. Fuels, packaging, and preservatives may be applied to maintain freshness of fresh produce. Each has a negative impact on the environment,” Hongu said in an article entitled Local Foods in Arizona. 

Tucson has some of the most unique local food choices; you’ll be glad to replace your weekly Target runs with them. Just west of campus is Time Market, a quaint restaurant and grocery store that prides itself on serving local produce and sustainable meats.

For the more DIY foodies, the community-owned Food Conspiracy Co-Op on Historic Fourth Avenue sells organic, locally grown foods, along with a full bulk and wellness section.

You can still eat locally sourced food even if you don’t want to leave campus. Market on the Move is a project that University of Arizona Students for Sustainability bring to campus on the final Wednesday of every month. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the UA Mall, this group of students partners with a food bank to hand out free produce, giving back to the community and reducing food waste.

Utilize the divided trash bins on campus 

It can be really tough to start a compost of your own or convince your apartment building to provide a recycling option. But the University of Arizona offers resources, like separated bins for paper, plastic and even compost, to reduce the stress of making sure our waste goes in the right place.

The University of Arizona’s Sustainability and Climate Action Plan includes goals aimed at revolutionizing the future of composting and waste management on campus.

According to the Climate Action Plan, “Current composting infrastructure and operations should be expanded so that the University can increase waste diversion to compost by 50% in 5 years, and divert 90% of compostable waste by 2040.” 

While this goal sounds incredibly refreshing in an era of environmentally inconsiderate laws, our role in post-consumer composting is essential to its success.

Responsibly disposing of our food waste allows the University of Arizona to move toward creating a more sustainable environment for generations of Wildcats to come.

Skip the plastic 

While we’ve all heard this one before, it’s more relevant than ever: single-use plastic can take decades, even centuries, to decompose. Yet we find its tracks everywhere, from plastic bags at the grocery store to to-go containers at restaurants.

According to UA Environmental Studies major Tessa Cosper, during a course she took on sustainability, she became more conscious of the amount of plastic we students tend to overconsume.

“One of the projects within [that class] was to measure your own […] waste and any sort of garbage. And so we would basically contain that throughout the week and weigh it. It was really eye opening to see,” Cosper said. 

After being exposed to the reality of single-use plastic overconsumption in her own life and that of her peers, Cosper decided to start opting for reusable containers, bringing her own bags to the grocery store and avoiding plastic altogether.

Cosper hopes for other UA students to follow in her footsteps, “A little goes a long way, so make the effort, […] just try to avoid buying plastic,” Cosper said. 

Becoming aware of our daily habits is the first step. Replacing unnecessary plastic with reusable or more sustainable materials can minimize, or even eliminate, the extra step of recycling.

Get Involved 

From volunteer opportunities to community-building clubs, the University of Arizona offers plenty of ways for us to actively take part in creating a healthier future.

Students for Sustainability is an Associated Students of the University of Arizona-recognized program that empowers students to spread environmental literacy, advocate for social justice and pioneer sustainable innovations.

SFS’ Healthy Living Chair Madalyn van Asselt found community and career boosting opportunities through this organization. 

“It means a lot to me to be part of this. I joined freshman year […] and it’s really helped give me a lot of volunteer opportunities, […] practice leadership skills […] [and] it’s also just given me friends, which is really valuable,” said van Asselt. 

One of the major projects SFS is working on at the University of Arizona this semester is the Pollinator Garden. Van Asselt is passionate about what the garden can bring to students and nature lovers on campus. 

“We have a little plot by the school of nursing and […] in a couple weeks we are going to add some plants in; we are targeting butterflies, bees, a lot of insects that are important to the ecosystem. [This garden] is something that, if people are interested, will need upkeep through the years to come,” van Asselt said. 

The Pollinator Garden is a perfect opportunity to give back to both your planet and your peers. Reach out to Students for Sustainability on Instagram @uasfs for more information on how you can get involved.

It’s never too late to start new habits for living more sustainably. Just a few minutes of your day to find a compost bin or grab a reusable grocery bag could mean a whole lot to our Earth in the long run.

As Cosper said, “All the little things, they do end up making a big difference if everyone does it.” 

If we all start chipping in, we can make every month Earth Month, creating a cleaner, greener campus for us all.