Eco-Friendly Tips for Students: Save the Environment & Your Wallet
Last updated: October 2026
Want to learn our top eco-friendly tips for students? We all want to do our bit for the planet, but let’s be real – when you’re a student, you’ve got enough on your plate without worrying about your carbon footprint too.
The good news? Going green doesn’t have to be a chore or cost a fortune. In fact, most of these tips can actually save you some precious cash. Here’s the lowdown on our eco-friendly tips for students without the stress. We’ve included some insights from our very own Content Ambassadors, who are students attending different universities across the UK.
As well as helping the planet, saving energy is a big win for lowering your utility bills.
Gas & Electricity: Leaving lights on when you aren’t using them is basically burning money. Turn those lights off when not in use, and put the heating on a timer, so you don’t forget to switch it off when you head to lectures. Also, try batch cooking – it can save energy in the kitchen and means you’ve got a meal to come back to when you’re too tired to cook!
Water: Another way to help your bank balance – as well as the planet – is to reduce the amount of water you use. Taking shorter showers, turning the tap off while cleaning your teeth and using less water when washing up are all easy wins that don’t mess up your daily routine.
It can be harder to save energy if you are working from home or moving into a shared house, but you can always head to your local library or favourite café to get your work done. Plus, you may be able to switch energy suppliers if you’re not happy with the current one.
Edinburgh student and Content Ambassador Madelaine says, “I make an effort to make sure all lights are off wherever not needed. With the recent cold winter weather, turning the heater on is a must. However, I am wary of the amount of heating I am using. Therefore, I set a timer for around 30 minutes to one hour to give enough time for my room to heat up, at which point the heating will turn off automatically.”
Recycling is huge for helping the environment, especially when it comes to ditching single-use plastics.
We all know by now how much of a negative impact fast fashion has on the planet. It’s tempting to keep up with trends, but those cheap clothes are often made with toxic chemicals and create a mountain of waste.
This means making smart purchasing decisions and avoiding impulse buying is a total game-changer!
Top tips for reducing waste:
· Grab a reusable water bottle. You could save a fortune by not buying plastic bottles every day.
· Take a reusable bag when you next do your weekly supermarket shop, instead of picking up more plastic bags – which can take 1,000 years to degrade.
· Go paperless by taking notes electronically during lectures and revision. If you really have to print documents for seminars, print double-sided and in black and white. Make sure you recycle your paper notes once you have finished with them.
· Make a weekly meal plan. Making a shopping list means you don’t end up throwing away food you forgot you bought.
Content Ambassador and University of Sheffield student Lucie says, “In Sheffield, there are various zero-waste refill shops around. The University of Sheffield’s Students’ Union even has its own one! At these shops, you can bring your own Tupperware and containers and stock up on spices, ingredients, snacks, laundry detergent, hand soap, and more. A variety of essentials, all at a cheaper, student-friendly price – determined by the weight of the product. So next time your paprika is running low or your cleaning products are looking sparse, think about heading here instead of grabbing a plastic-packaged item from the corner shop.”
Next on our list of eco-friendly tips for students: eat less meat. Animal agriculture releases heaps of greenhouse gases and is allegedly worse for the planet than cars. You don’t have to go vegan overnight, but eating less meat can make a difference here.
Check out some tasty meat-free student meals on our Instagram – we post veggie and vegan recipes all the time.
If you’re a sucker for a charity shop or thrift find, you’ll love this eco-friendly tip for students. Buying your clothes, books, and other consumables second-hand is way better for the planet than buying new.
You can usually grab yourself a serious bargain on items that are still in good condition. It works both ways, too – spring-clean your room every so often and sell your old stuff to get cash in your pocket.
University of Birmingham graduate and Content Ambassador Tamara notes, “Whether you’re in the market for new clothes or want to declutter, there are plenty of charity shops near universities (including the University of Birmingham campus). In Birmingham, venture a little further out into Harborne, and you will find a whole street of charity shops selling affordable clothes for all ages. Plus, donating your old clothes can help prevent the rise of fast fashion.”
When you’re planning your next big meal, see if there’s a farmers’ market nearby. This reduces food miles (the distance your food has travelled to get to where you are) and helps support local businesses – win-win!
There are also ways you can keep your meals cheap every single week to stay on budget. When shopping, make sure you take on Content Ambassador Madelaine’s eco-friendly tip: “I always bring a foldable shopping/grocery bag with me everywhere I go. This is just in case I might want to purchase something from the store on the way to lectures or back, reducing the need for any unnecessary plastic or paper bags given by stores.”
While cars are handy, they’re not the most environmentally friendly. See if there are walking and cycling routes you can take instead before hopping in the car. Many universities have bike share services and accessible cycle paths, so check out what’s available in your area.
Not only is it greener, but it’s much kinder on your wallet! If you’re heading further out, the bus or train is almost always a better shout than driving. Content Ambassador Tamara agrees, stating, “Campus parking is limited, petrol is expensive, and nothing beats the feeling of breathing in some fresh air. Instead of driving to campus, why not walk instead? Ask a few friends to join, and it is the perfect way to start your day.”
There’s no better way to become sustainable than by keeping up with the latest info. Have a read of some articles and stay clued up on what you can do for your community to be an eco-friendly student. It’s always more fun to do it with friends, so check out what groups or societies you can join, too.
Following these eco-friendly tips for students is a great start to living a greener life without breaking the bank.
Managing your impact on our planet is important, but managing your utility bills shouldn’t be a headache. We’ll do the hard work for you by setting up your accounts and ensuring they’re split equally between housemates. All you have to do is pay one bill each month, giving you the peace of mind that it’s all taken care of. Simple.
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