Sustainable Living

Start practicing some of these eco-friendly tips to make Ball State a more sustainable campus.

Also, be sure to follow BEAT on Pinterest for other sustainable living ideas!

Transportation

Walk, bike, or ride the M.I.T.S. or shuttle whenever you can. You can prevent the release of 19 pounds of CO2 for every gallon of gasoline you save.
Don't let your car idle for more than one minute. Those drive-thrus are costly!
Keep car tires inflated.
Carpool. Saves you gas money, saves the environment, and saves you the hassel of finding parking spots!

Turn the faucet off. Stop being the person who leaves the water on while brushing your teeth or shaving. Water use requires energy for pumping and storage, purification, heating, and managing waste. In Indiana, that means not only CO2, but also mercury emissions.
Limit shower time. Make sure to wash, but try taking shorter showers or turning off the shower to lather.
Use cold water. It takes energy to heat water, so wash your clothes in cold water.

Print on both sides of the paper. Saving paper means saving trees and energy and reducing pollution from solid waste.
Buy paper with post-consumer recycled content.
Print multiple PowerPoint slides per page. This can result in up to twelve-fold paper savings!
Donate or sell back your textbooks. Those things are valuable...don't throw them away.
Use a laptop to take notes. If you must use paper, take notes on both sides and use refillable binders instead of notebooks.

Use reusable bags when getting food to go. A single plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to degrade. Just bring your reusable bag with you into the dining hall for your food!
Go for the metal silverware and washable glasses. Plastic is extremely harmful to the environment. Choose reusable!
Buy organic foods. This protects the soil and the environment. It also reduces your exposure to chemicals.
Eat your vegetables. Go meatless at least one day a week to allow the earth to more efficiently provide nutrients to humans. When eating meat, choose poultry and hogs rather than cattle.
Eat locally-grown food. You will reduce the energy used for transporting the food. You can find great local food at the Downtown Farmstand in Muncie or at the seasonal Farmer's Market.
Research fish farming. Some fisheries are healthy and others pollute the waters and threaten oceans. For more information, check out oceansalive.org.
Learn about what Ball State Dining is doing to help protect the environment.

Unplug TVs, DVD players and stereos. Most electronics are still really powered up even when they're switched off. They need power to detect the remote controls. Cut all power by turning them off at the source.
Watch movies with friends. Instead of all using separate electricity to power your entertainment needs, get with your friends and watch TV in the same room! Just be sure to turn off lights in rooms that aren't being used.

Use Ball State's designated recylcling containers in the residence halls and across campus. Recyclable materials include empty containers of metal, plastics, unbroken glass, un-glossy paper, newspapers and cardboard.

Use compact fluorescent bulbs. Using these bulbs in all light fixtures saves 67% of the energy used in incandescent bulbs.
Turn off your lights. Use the natural lighting from windows, and be sure all lights are turned off if the room is not in use.