By Lyndsey Gilpin

In almost every store, reusable grocery bags sell for $1. In many restaurants,  recycled paper cups or cost-efficient traveler’s mugs are available to reduce amounts of trash. Gas stations have seen a proliferation of water bottles that boast of using less plastic. In office supply stores, recycled printer and loose-leaf paper is plentiful, while on bulletin boards and billboards, on flyers and in magazines and newspapers, there is an abundance of simple advice for individuals and groups to greatly reduce their own carbon footprint on the Earth.
But how many college students notice?
Several students said that they are just too lazy to join a cause or think about ways to help out the environment.
“I don’t recycle because I just think of it all as trash really,” said Vince Marcheski, a sophomore undecided major. “I never think about energy saving stuff, I’m just so used to doing things the way I’ve always done them.”
Many other students agreed. Changing their routines to help a cause they don’t even know enough about didn’t seem like a big deal to them.
According to a recent article in the Boston Globe, the most important issues concerning college students and energy use are shower lengths, computer use, and leaving the heating and air conditioning on.  For example, the article suggests that by taking a ten-minute shower instead of a five-minute shower, one could fill a backyard pool with the amount of water used and release 2,200 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions in one year.
Having a well-charged computer in college may be one of the most crucial issues. However, unplugging the charger when a laptop is fully charged, or turning it completely off when finished using it save large amounts of energy.
According to Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin’s book, “100 Everyday Ways You Can Contribute to a Healthier Planet,” leaving a computer on all day, every day produces over a ton of carbon emissions each year. It takes five seconds to turn a computer off, and about 30 seconds to one minute for it to turn back on. This small amount of time, the article suggests, is well worth the benefits.
On a more micro level, most dorms at the University of Louisville have recycling programs that aren’t fully utilized. Kurz Hall, for instance, has trash rooms on every floor with trash bins and separate recycling bins for paper and plastic.
As on-campus eateries see increasing sales of drinks bottled in plastics, it quickly becomes apparent to students and staff alike that this is a significant opportunity for recycling.
 In “100 Everyday Ways,” it stated Americans toss 75 million containers and packaging into landfills each year.  The book goes on to state that for every ton of paper recycled, 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water and 60 pounds of air pollution are saved.
With statistics such as these in mind, students may want to consider taking the few extra steps to throw their bottles and paper into a recycling bin.
For sophomore Katrina Neubauer, while recycling requires extra work, she finds the benefits worth it.
“I live in Bettie Johnson, and they don’t recycle there,” said Neubauer, a communications major. “So my roommates and I put a regular garbage bag next to the garbage can and just toss our water bottles and other plastics into it when we would have thrown them away, and then when it’s full, we walk it to a dorm that does recycle.”
Another easy way to reduce the use at U of L, students agree, is to buy reusable cups. In the Student Activities Center (SAC), Tulip Tree Café, or Cardinal’s Nest, a reusable plastic water bottle or mug can be purchased for around $5. Also, when shopping for groceries on campus or off, a reusable grocery bag can fit more groceries than a plastic bag and also reduces waste.
Frequently, U of L hosts eco-awareness-raising campaigns, such as the recent National Teach-In about global warming. Taking a few moments out of a day to stop by one of these events can change the way one individual feels about energy use and pollution, which can cause many to decide to help the cause. As the old idiom says, “the more the merrier.”