Illustrated by @yameenhssn

Any idea how much plastic is not recycled? A staggering 91%! I’m sure you’re well aware that our environment is far from perfect. Waste production, pollution, species extinction, global warming - these are just some examples of urgent issues that need to be addressed right now. As a country, the cold truth is that we have plenty of room for improvement in our commitment in these areas. Stockholm is one of the most sustainable cities in the world, being a place that strongly encourages cycling and walking, 90% of materials are recycled, transport run by ecological fuel and plenty of green spaces. We can do more than admire and aspire to be as sustainable as Stockholm, little habits could make a big difference so here are ways for us Taylorians to be more eco-friendly:

1. Bring a water bottle/cup/container

This is straightforward since many of us already have one. We all have our days when we have to sprint out the door for our 8am class with our water bottle just lingering in the back of our minds, and that’s fine. Make more use of the water fountains at campus instead of buying the RM1 bottled water every day. You can even use a reusable drinking cup or flask when you get your daily pick-me-up from Starbucks or Family Mart.

2. Use recycling bins

Throw printing mistakes in the paper bin, your coffee cans in the can bin and of course, plastic bottles in the plastic bin. Just recycle! It’s one of the easiest ways to be eco-friendly, just toss your waste in the right bin as you walk past one. Let me just remind you why we recycle: we reduce the waste sent to landfills and reduce the demand for new materials which simultaneously reduces energy use, especially since new paper means deforestation and new plastic is made from fossil fuels which takes a long time to produce.

3. Walk

I know we also have our days when we’ve had enough and just want to get home but take the time to walk back to DK Senza or D’Latour. Walking burns calories we don’t get to burn from sitting all day, lowers blood pressure from stress and boosts your immune system to keep you going! Naturally, less vehicle use means less carbon emissions and walking even spares you the stress of expensive fares and traffic.

4. Bring your own metal straws/utensils

We’ve all heard this before but let’s admit some of us just keep forgetting to get one. If you don’t know where the phrase ‘save the turtles’ came from, it was prompted by a disturbing but devastating video that went viral in which a plastic straw had to be extracted from a turtle’s nostril. Now it became somewhat of a meme, but this is alarming on its own. Taylor’s University has over 10,000 students; we could potentially save 10,000 plastic straws. You could easily get a set from places like The Hive Bulk Foods, Lazada or even Shopee.

5. Buy used textbooks/copies

Having to splurge a little money for our textbooks is familiar to all of us. Check out Spartext, a platform for Taylor’s Business School students to buy and sell second-hand textbooks. Alternatively, get in touch with seniors or use apps like Carousell to find the textbooks you need and save a bit of cash and paper. Later on, you can sell your own textbook or photocopy to a willing junior!

6. Carpool or use the shuttle bus

One vehicle carrying multiple people is much better than 30 people taking their own. If you’re not in a rush and would like to save a bit of transport money, go ahead and take the shuttle bus which costs only RM1.50 to any destination on its route.

If you have the opportunity to carpool to and from campus, take it! Some may feel iffy about using GrabShare but give it a try some time and do the planet a small favour.

7. Always turn off the lights after using a classroom

We’re a big campus with a lot of students. We use a lot of electricity every day. We charge our laptops, we use the projector, we’re in class or the library all day. There’s more to this simple step: it reduces carbon emissions and greenhouse gases. It also reduces the use of non-renewable resources and elongates bulbs’ lifespan, thus reducing the energy used in the manufacturing process.

You might be thinking, “Why would what I do matter?”. It’s a global effort. Simple changes like this will make you feel so much better that you’re making an effort. We all have a lot going on, but we should also take the time to support charities who are working towards a more eco-friendly society. There’s the Malaysian Nature Society, 4Ocean who makes bracelets from recycled plastic, Free Tree Society who gives away trees for free and even Taylor’s Nature Club who organise a variety of activities such as beach clean ups, tree planting and animal shelter volunteering. Our country has a long way to go but we’ll surely get there if we all do our duties to save the planet!