Furman Greenbelt Sustainable Living Community

Soap Opera: Why Dishwashers Win the Sustainability Showdown

 

         Renovated in 2020, the Greenbelt community is home to The Cabin and The Cottage, each equipped with energy-saving features and awesome amenities like an awesome kitchen. One notable absence from the cabin, however, is the lack of a dishwasher. Hand washing dishes has long been seen as the more eco-conscious method of cleaning. However, modern dishwashers have shattered this longstanding myth. Studies show that today’s energy-efficient dishwashers use significantly less water and energy than handwashing, even when factoring in small loads. This surprising reality makes dishwashers not just a convenience but a tool for sustainable living. In this blog, I will explain why Furman should implement dishwashers in the Greenbelt houses in order to truly follow through on the sustainability claims that we make.

            The cabin piles up dishes in the sink at an enormous rate. Whether it is from ramen cravings late at night or having tons of people over who need cups for their drinks, dishwashing stays in high demand. This means long shifts spent scrubbing away in the kitchen that result in high water usage. One of the most compelling environmental advantages of using a modern dishwasher lies in its efficient water usage. Hand-washing dishes can use up to 20 gallons of water per session, depending on the duration and flow rate of the faucet. In contrast, Energy Star-certified dishwashers use as little as 3-5 gallons per cycle, regardless of load size. This drastic reduction is achieved through advanced spray mechanisms, filtration systems, and water recycling technology that ensure maximum cleaning power with minimal waste. Over time, this efficiency translates to significant water savings, especially in water-scarce areas or during drought seasons. By reducing water consumption without sacrificing cleanliness, dishwashers present a clear win for both the environment and resource-conscious households. On top of the ecological benefits, implementing Energy Star-certified dishwashers would pay for itself over time. On average, the cost for a dishwasher with installation falls around $1200. Throughout its life, the dishwashers would save approximately $3200 in energy compared to hand washing, so the initial payment can be justified financially.

 

The average range to install a new

dishwasher is ~$1000 – $1500.

            With the implementation of dishwashers, maximizing their cost-effectiveness and environmental impact is essential, and many students might not be informed on how to accomplish that. Providing a guide on how to use each dishwasher most effectively is a good idea to help ignorant students. This should include a strong suggestion to scrape plates before racking them in the washer and only running it when it is fully loaded to minimize the number of washes, which reduces energy cost and the lifetime of the machine.

            It would certainly be an investment for Furman and there are some small downsides like the occasional repair that will need to be done and the space that having a dishwasher takes up, but with the new renovations to North Village, now seems like the right time for Furman to take a step towards a more sustainable campus.

 

References-

“Is It Greener to Hand Wash or Use a Dishwasher?” Green Choices,

https://www.greenchoices.org/green-living/at-home/is-it-greener-to-hand-wash-or-use-a-dishwasher.

“How Much Does Dishwasher Installation Cost?” Angi,

            www.angi.com/articles/how-much-does-dishwasher-installation-cost.htm#.

“How Much Water Does a Dishwasher Use?” Home Matters,

www.ahs.com/home-matters/quick-tips/how-much-water-does-a-dishwasher-use/.

It is common knowledge that electricity runs the modern world we live in. Here in the US, the simplest actions like turning on a lamp or charging a phone require electricity. Having instant access to electricity is something that I know I often take for granted. I know this because I find that I have a hard time adapting to life without electricity when we lose it due to a bad storm. Another thing about America is that we expend an incredibly unhealthy amount of energy. Given recent efforts to find more affordable and sustainable energy sources, it is imperative that we understand the unnecessary energy that we are already expending every day, without even knowing it.

What is It-

Vampire energy, also called standby power or phantom power is defined by the website “Save on Energy” as “the energy that’s wasted around your home when devices are plugged in and using power, but you’re not actively using them.” At first glance, this may not seem like that big of a problem, but when you really investigate how many appliances and devices we have plugged in at home, the amount of wasted energy can reach extremely high levels. In fact, of the devices using electricity in the average home, around 75% of the energy is used when they aren’t even on.

Another statistic shows that for the average home, vampire energy causes an extra $100 or more per year on your energy bill. 

How to Limit Vampire Energy-

Now that we know what vampire energy is, the next step is learning what options you have to limit the amount of energy that goes to waste. There are many options to stop vampire energy, with the simplest being to unplug your devices when they are not in use. Although this may sound impractical, one way to simplify this is to use power strips for many devices, such as chargers, small electronics, and electronics. This way, all it takes is for one switch to be flipped to stop vampire energy in all the devices connected. While on the topic of power strips, another method to stop vampire energy is to invest in smart power strips, which are designed to automatically cut power to devices when they are not in use or during specific hours. Lastly, when purchasing new appliances/electronics, search for “ENERGY STAR” rated products. These products are designed to consume less power both when they are and aren’t in use.

Benefits of Limiting Vampire Energy-

Vampire energy affects both the environment and your pocketbook. First off, the amount of excess energy that is produced from devices when they are not in use adds up over time and has a negative environmental impact. To meet the high demand of electricity, more energy must be created, much of it through unsustainable practices, which in turn contribute to increased greenhouse gas emissions. Secondly, vampire energy simply runs up the cost on your electrical bill. So, if you want to live more sustainably and save your money, consider following the simple steps to reduce the amount of vampire energy wherever you live.

 

References–

Admin. “What Is Vampire Energy & How to Reduce It.” Now Power, 9 Oct. 2023, https://nowpowertexas.com/what-is-vampire-energy-how-to-reduce-it/.

Payless Power. “A Guide to Getting Rid of Electronics Sucking Your Energy.” Payless Power, 12 June 2023, paylesspower.com/blog/vampire-energy/.

“Phantom Loads.” Https://Www.Mpsutility.Com/, www.mpsutility.com/index.php/en/energy-conservation/47-phantom-loads. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

“What’s Phantom Power and How Can You Track It?” Identifying and Tracking Your Home’s Phantom Power | Save on Energy, saveonenergy.ca/en/For-Your-Home/Advice-and-Tips/Phantom-power. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

 

Renewable energy has become a very common topic of conversation as it has become more apparent that we are overly dependent on fossil fuels. The United States alone consumed 62,066 kWh of energy from fossil fuels alone. Fossil fuel is not an unlimited resource either, so to keep up with our energy demands and to help keep our planet

clean many people are now using more clean energy systems, such as solar power.

Solar energy harnesses the power of the sun to generate heat and electricity. In fact, The amount of sunlight that strikes the earth’s surface in an hour and a half is enough to handle the entire world’s energy consumption for a full year. Solar technology uses Photovoltaic (PV) panels or a system of mirrors to concentrate the solar radiation. The energy can be used to generate electricity or it can be stored in batteries for later use. The main advantage to solar energy is its positive environmental impact. Solar power generation creates no greenhouse gas emissions, a significant improvement over fossil fuels. Additionally solar panel systems require very little water for maintenance, which can be beneficial in drought prone areas. Thanks to developments in the past decade solar energy has become even more efficient and affordable.

 

According to the International Energy Agency, solar energy is among the most affordable sources of energy costing approximately $32.78 per megawatt-hour, compared to coal which is widely used and costs around $72.78. Although many people have concerns about expensive installation costs for getting solar panels, most people will end up having significant savings over a 25 year period. There are online calculators that show approximately how much money you can save based on current energy consumption and how much sun your home receives. By estimating my home’s energy use and how much daylight I receive based on my home’s location, the estimated net savings over 25 years would be $70,000 dollars. While the initial cost of installation might be high, I wouldn’t mind keeping that additional 70000 around for a rainy day. Aside from being relatively inexpensive, solar energy also helps to stimulate the economy. In electricity generation, solar was the fastest growing technology, adding 17,212 jobs in 2021. This is a growth of 5.4% that occurred during an economic downturn.

 

As promising as solar energy is, there are some challenges to fully implementing solar energy systems. For example, it’s not always sunny so there has to be either a backup energy source to be used when it’s cloudy or at nighttime. Alternatively the energy could be stored in batteries, but those can be expensive for containing large amounts of energy. Land use is another important thing to consider. To implement solar energy on a large scale a significant amount of space is required to house the PV panels, which can lead to conflicts over land use. However there are innovative solutions such as rooftop solar and solar panels that can float on bodies of water.

Solar energy is an important resource that we as a society should strongly consider investing more in. On a more local level, I would like Furman to better utilize solar power. While we do have a large solar farm, I think we could do better. Why not expand the use of solar panels for water heating in the Greenbelt Community to other residences? We need to be able to make the developments on a local scale to be able to globally transition to clean energy.

 

References:

https://energycentral.com/c/ec/comparing-costs-renewable-and-conventional-energy-sources

https://www.weforum.org/stories/2022/07/renewable-energy-jobs-us/#:~:text=In%20electricity%20generation%2C%20solar%20was%20the%20fastest%20growing,opportunities%20in%20the%20US%2C%20a%20new%20report%20finds.

https://ourworldindata.org/fossil-fuels

https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/how-does-solar-work

 

 

Ever since I was a small kid I can remember going thrifting with my parents. The vibrant clothes, the massive shoes, and the strange and miscolored furniture, I can still remember it so clearly. While I wasn’t always the most enthusiastic about staying at the local Goodwill for hours at a time, it’s something I now look back on with a smile. Even to this day it still feels like a treasure hunt every time I walk into a second-hand apparel store, a feeling that has never gone away since I first started thrifting.

 

 

 

Thrifted yet fashionable clothes from my childhood

 

 

 

 

Living in the Greenbelt housing has really opened my eyes to how thrifting and overall recycling items can be highly beneficial to living a sustainable lifestyle. My closet consists of about 90% thrifted clothes, which saves me money and allows me to explore many different styles that I never would have found otherwise. Recently some of my fellow cabin members and I have been working on a free store that essentially has the same concept as a thrift store, except for the fact that everything is free. This project has reignited my passion for thrifting and recycling clothes, and I hope to foster a community built upon repurposing the things we no longer want. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure after all.

Thrifting not only saves you money, but it also helps save the environment. You can almost hear the money rolling in. According to roundup.org, over 100 billion garments are made every year, and on top of this over 92 million tons of clothing end up in landfills. It may be easy to blame the fashion industry for all of the excess clothing being produced, but it’s also important for us as consumers to take ownership of our fault in it as well. Consumers on average own 60% more clothing than they did 15 years ago, but each item is only worn 50% as often as we used to. This excessive consumerism and overproduction has long-lasting effects on the environment around us, as many of these garments contain fossil-fuel heavy synthetic garments (plastic, polyester, nylon) which don’t break down naturally in the environment. Instead they end up as microplastics, which when ingested can cause DNA damage, reproductive harm, and can change your gene activity, which increases the risk of cancer. As a whole, the overproduction and overconsumption of clothes and other garments has nothing but negative effects for our environment and for us.

So you may be asking yourself, “How can I help combat this unsustainable practice?” Well have I got the solution for you. Thrifting gives clothes a new purpose rather than ending up in a landfill, which greatly helps reduce pollution and waste. In addition, spending your hard earned cash on second-hand clothes not only saves you money but helps cut down on overconsumption of new clothes as well. So what are we waiting for? Give thrifting a try today!

 

References

Ruiz, Arabella. “17 Most Worrying Textile Waste Statistics & Facts.” The Roundup, 18 Mar. 2024, https://theroundup.org/textile-waste-statistics/. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Dutchen, Stephanie. “Microplastics Everywhere.” Harvard Medicine Magazine, Spring 2023, https://magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/microplastics-everywhere. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Van Brande, Helena. “6 Unsustainable Fabrics to Avoid.” This Green Lifestyle, 11 Dec. 2023, https://www.thisgreenlifestyle.com/all-articles/6-unsustainable-fabrics-to-avoid. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Boyle, Rob. “What Is Upcycling?” Emission Index, updated 21 June 2024, https://www.emission-index.com/carbon-footprint/upcycling. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

 

One of the biggest advantages of being a freshman that we probably took for granted at the time is the proximity to some of the most frequented buildings on campus. Last year, the furthest walk was at most a quarter mile, but things have drastically changed this year with living in the Greenbelt Housing. Now, it’s a minimum quarter mile walk to make it to the dining hall or closest class buildings and other classes being over a half mile away and the PAC being even further at almost three quarters of a mile. I know these distances still are not that far but the time it takes to walk up to triples thus becoming much more appealing to drive from place to place.

 

A map of the Furman campus with paths from different housing illustrating the different lengths.

 

As we all know, this is definitely not a good thing for the environment, especially when you are just trying to save yourself a couple minutes out of convenience. To be more specific about the impacts cars have even in such a short drive, they “emit about 400 grams of CO2 per mile” and this doesn’t account for other greenhouse gasses emitted or those emitted in the production of the car and gasoline it uses (EPA). This means that every time someone drives from the cabin just to the chapel parking lot and back their car emits 600 grams of CO2, which goes directly into the atmosphere to further the effects of global warming. This number does not seem like a lot when all of human emissions have increased to over 36 billion tons per year, but it does not account for the many times it happens in a year or how easily avoidable it is. CO2 contributes to global warming by “absorbing heat radiating from the Earth’s surface and re-release it in all directions—including back toward Earth’s surface” as all greenhouse gasses do (Lindsey). The focus of greenhouse gasses is on CO2 because of its prevalence in the atmosphere and drastically higher impact on global warming with it being “responsible for about two-thirds of the total heating influence of all human-produced greenhouse gasses” (Lindsey). 

 

Graph from Climate.gov illustrating the direct correlation between the increased emissions and CO2 in the atmosphere.

 

Bringing this back specifically to the Cabin, there is no need for us to drive simply across campus to save ourselves the slightest convenience and time, especially with the emissions coming from such a short drive. The emissions seem minimal right now but over time it all adds up, and as residents of the Greenbelt, we should be more concerned with any way we can reduce our emissions because of their effect on the environment. All of us are fully capable of walking or biking over to the main parts of campus or the PAC, so those options should take precedence over a drive. Also, this would not only decrease our emissions as a community and school, but walks and other forms of physical exertion have been linked to increase in mental health.

As college students, we are all stressed by nature, so why not add an extra walk to our day since it takes a load off our shoulders. The American Psychological Association has found up to a “25% lowered risk of depression among adults who got the recommended amount of physical activity per week” (Pearce). These extra walks that we avoid by driving across campus would easily get us to that recommended amount of activity thus improving our mental health and giving us a better outlook on the rest of our day. Based on this and the environmental impacts of driving, there is no good reason for us to be driving across campus despite the increase of distance this year and inconvenience.

 

 

Campus Map.

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.furman.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/174/2020/03/Campus-Map.pdf. 

DeAngelis, Tori. “Want to boost your mental health? Take a walk.” APA, 1 November 2022, https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/11/defeating-depression-naturally. Accessed 19 November 2024.

“Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Typical Passenger Vehicle.” EPA, 23 August 2024, https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/greenhouse-gas-emissions-typical-passenger-vehicle#driving. Accessed 18 November 2024.

Lindsey, Rebecca. “Climate Change: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide.” Climate.gov, 9 April 2024, https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide#:~:text=Without%20carbon%20dioxide%2C%20Earth’s%20natural,causing%20global%20temperature%20to%20rise.. Accessed 18 November 2024.

 

          November 5, 2024 millions of Americans were glued to their screen. Living in the Eco Cottage, my house was anxious longing for a president that would protect our climate. We were longing for a president that would acknowledge the sustainable foundations we have built in our lives here.                                                                        

           As a sustainability student, we are aware of what climate change is and how it affects our environment. Majority of people when voting are unaware of policies that are in support of our environment versus policies that would harm the environment. It is important to look at the policies of the people we elect. The United States currently holds different policies while also having a task force for climate change. This task first was forged in 2015 when the Paris New Deal was adopted as a treaty by international nations. The United Nations refers to the New Deal  as “ a landmark in the multilateral climate change process because, for the first time, a binding agreement brings all nations together to combat climate change and adapt to its effects”.     

                                          

                    

Under this Deal, President Biden currently has a national goal to reduce carbon emissions by 50%-52% by 2030. The US is also tackling climate change with the Inflation Reduction Act. This act called for clean energy incentives. The act currently has caused clean energy to surge in all fifty states. The US also passed the Kigali amendment that reduces HFC’s. HFCs make up some of the greenhouse gasses admitted into our environment. We also have pledged alongside 155 other countries to cut down methane admissions to 30%.

As the new presidency starts, we have to be aware of what the next leader has planned. Currently, our president-elect wants to repeal all climate change policies passed by the former government. As we are aware of what the president elect can do due to his former presidency, it is reasonable to be fearful. In the past, we have been faced with this president wanting to pull out of the Paris deal and any other major climate incentives. When faced with putting the economy over livelihood what can one do? Scientists have a grim estimation of what climate change can and will do to us. It is important to be aware that the  science lets us know that the furthering of climate change will lead to droughts, sea levels rising, malnutrition, worsening storms, and other atrocities. With this grim prediction, it feels like  our impacts are miniscule. Living sustainably means living for a better future. The use of sustainable practices by the average American is impactful in the fight against climate change.We can continue to promote sustainability through recycling, walking instead of driving, or even managing food waste. However, the most important thing to push for sustainability is to vote. We must be aware of how the laws the government passes affects our planet. Local and state legislators pus the laws that determine our future. If we want to see a better planet tomorrow, it is important to be educated today.

                                             

                                                              References:

 The United States Government. (2024, August 9). National Climate Task Force. The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/climate/#:~:text=Reducing%20U.S.%20greenhouse%20gas%20emissions,clean%20energy%20to%20disadvantaged%20communities 

Climate change impacts are increasing for Americans. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (n.d.). https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/climate-change-impacts-are-increasing-for-americans

Higgins, T., & Lespier, D. (2024a, July 26). The Biden Administration has taken more climate action than any other in history. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-biden-administration-has-taken-more-climate-action-than-any-other-in-history/ 

Lashof, D. (2024, July 30). Tracking progress: Climate action under the biden administration. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/biden-administration-tracking-climate-action-progress 

1, N., 11, J., 14, A., & 13, S. (2024, November 6). Clean economy works: Tracking new clean energy projects across U.S.E2. https://e2.org/announcements/ 

Inflation reduction act. U.S. Department of the Treasury. (2024, October 17). https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/inflation-reduction-act#:~:text=Across%20the%20economy%2C%20the%20IRA,good%20wages%20for%20those%20efforts. 

U.S. Department of State. (n.d.). U.S. Department of State. https://www.state.gov/u-s-ratification-of-the-kigali-amendment/ 

Trump Issues Executive Order on Climate Change. Trump Issues Executive Order on Climate Change | Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. (n.d.). https://climate.law.columbia.edu/content/trump-issues-executive-order-climate-change-0 

 

 

 

I grew up in Vinnytsia, a medium-sized town in Ukraine with a population of around 400,000. For 17 years, I traveled throughout Europe. When I moved to the USA, I had to adapt to many lifestyle changes. I have always been interested in sustainability and have diligently followed this topic online. It seemed that U.S. citizens discuss and share information about sustainability the most, which gives the impression that they are the most concerned.

My experience after moving here has revealed why this is the case. Living sustainably in the USA is quite complicated and needs to be consistently addressed, whereas in Europe, it tends to be a natural part of daily life, and people find it comfortable.

The first difference I noticed is the easy accessibility of products in the USA, which often leads to excessive consumerism. In the USA, you can get almost anything you want within a few days if you shop on Amazon, or even within minutes if you drive to a store. This is not the case in Europe, where the variety of products is more limited. If you’re looking for something specific, you may have to spend a lot of time searching for it and might eventually realize that you don’t really need it after all. And I think it is a good thing.

It helps prevent impulsive buying and encourages consumers to purchase only what they truly need.

The second difference is ways of commuting. Oh, how I miss my rides on trams, trolleybuses, and trains.

In Ukraine, teenagers typically do not own cars, and most families have only one car, at most two; there isn’t a separate car for each person. To be honest, people in Ukraine don’t need cars. Public transportation can take you anywhere you want to go, starting at 5 AM and operating until midnight. I used to travel alone on public transport to my music school since I was six years old, and I never had any issues with it. It is safe, comfortable, affordable, and widely used by our population. Additionally, public transport allows you to relax.

Driving makes me feel exhausted because I have to constantly focus on the road. In contrast, while using public transport, you can read a book, do some work, or even take a nap. This makes traveling within cities and between them much easier and less tiring. Moreover, cities in Ukraine and Europe are very accessible for bicycles.

We have bike lanes everywhere, which makes it even more convenient to commute. Additionally, most towns in Europe and Ukraine are extremely walkable, so you can easily get whatever you need within a short walk.

The fourth difference is waste management. Europe has actively promoted the concept of a circular economy, emphasizing waste reduction through recycling and sustainable practices. The EU has implemented various regulations and directives aimed at minimizing single-use plastics, encouraging recycling, and promoting the eco-design of products. These initiatives are designed to create a closed loop that reduces environmental impact while enhancing sustainable consumption and production

(ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES – Why Is Europe More Environmentally Conscious than the U.S.?” 2024). For instance, in Italy, waste is taxed, and individuals can face fines for improper separation of recyclables. In Ukraine, waste is also separated and recycled. Many people choose to shop with their own reusable bags, drink from reusable bottles, and bring their own cups to coffee shops when ordering takeout. Additionally, consumers must pay for plastic bags, and there is legislation that allows EU member states to ban plastic bags entirely (Casavant 2018).

I myself experienced firsthand how your surroundings shape your choices. For instance, when deciding what to eat, I find it much harder to resist the temptation of ordering fast food instead of making an effort to cook a well-balanced meal at home, especially when I am tired and short on time. However, it’s not just about your surroundings; governance and legislation play a crucial role as well, often even more so. The EU’s commitment to the Paris Agreement exemplifies a collective effort to combat climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions (UNFCCC, 2024). While certain states and cities in the U.S. have implemented progressive ecological measures, the lack of cohesive federal policies has hindered the country’s overall commitment to sustainability (“ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES – Why Is Europe More Environmentally Conscious than the U.S.?” 2024).

In my opinion, there are several reasons why people in Ukraine tend to be environmentally conscious. Personally, I never considered consuming only what you need and saving energy and water as sustainability practices; it’s simply how I was taught to live. I believe this attitude is largely influenced by Ukraine’s history. Living in a post-Soviet country, which has faced economic challenges, encourages people to turn off lights when they’re done using them, keep the water running only when necessary, walk instead of driving, and choose affordable food options, often from local markets. While many aspire to achieve the American dream, it’s important to recognize the trade-offs associated with that lifestyle.

In conclusion, since moving to the USA, I have had to adjust to many lifestyle changes. However, living in the Cottage has fostered an environment and community that supports and encourages me, along with others, to practice and learn more about sustainable living and keep each other accountable. Let’s be mindful of our actions and try our best to not allow our surroundings to dictate our choices!

Works cited:

UNFCCC. 2024. “The Paris Agreement.” United Nations Climate Change. United Nations. 2024. https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement.

“ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES – Why Is Europe More Environmentally Conscious than the U.S.?” 2024. Www.greenunion.co.uk. 2024. https://www.greenunion.co.uk/lifestyle/1621/ENVIRONMENTAL-ISSUES—Why-Is-Europe-More-Environmentally-Conscious-Than-The-U.S.%3F.

Casavant, Morgan. 2018. “5 Sustainable Living Practices Europe Teaches the Rest of the World.” YouAligned^TM. January 21, 2018. https://youaligned.com/lifestyle/sustainable-living-europe/.

 

As the cool brisk of autumn presses upon the oaks and they cry a silent retaliation, their leaves shift to a fiery orange.  As this cool brisk sinks among the lake and the icy water stills, the geese escape South. As this cool brisk conquers the air and the bugs find little warmth, the spider risks everything to sneak inside. As the cool brisk of autumn settles into our bones and the world alters, we flock to Spirit Halloween. 

Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love decorating, going to pumpkin patches, carving pumpkins, finding multiple costumes, dressing up, and celebrating Halloweekend with all my friends. For many of us at Furman (and other college students), fall reminds us of everything Halloween embodies. However, for most of the world (the environmental and human world) this is not a joyous time. Halloween embodies the worst of our sustainability issues. The scariest part about Halloween is how it capitalizes off cheap consumerism and how vast the environmental injustices of this holiday are.

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Halloween consumerism is especially harmful for many different reasons. Since Halloween is only one or a few nights of the year people aren’t willing to invest a whole lot of money in costumes or Halloween decorations. Because of this demand for costumes and decorations, producers will use the cheapest method to produce the costumes. This causes the use of exploitive labor, sometimes even slave labor, and many environmental consequences (Kennedy, 2024).
Exploitive labor most frequently happens in other countries that don’t have a whole lot of oversight in production facilities. This lack of oversight often includes but is not limited to little to no child labor laws, a lack of an appropriate minimum wage, and unsafe working conditions causing the vast majority of fast fashion workers to live below the poverty line (Ross, 2021).

Fast fashion production also has very serious implications for the environment. Mass production of costumes and decorations causes so much pollution. Just in the US alone, it is estimated that 35 million Halloween costumes are thrown away annually. The production in itself releases a lot of greenhouse gas emissions as well as transporting it across the world (Center for Biological Diversity, n.d.). When making these seasonal items they also use the cheapest material possible which is primarily synthetic materials with many harmful chemicals that pollute the surrounding environment (Kennedy, 2024). These synthetic, often carcinogenic, materials pollute local streams affecting the communities living around production facilities. These materials in costumes specifically also break down over time so even if you do not throw the costumes away, they will still cause waste (Kennedy, 2024). 

While costumes and decor cause a lot of waste during this time, so does the innocent task of carving pumpkins. When carving a pumpkin and scooping the guts out of it, it gets thrown away. Then, after carving the pumpkin is finished and it has been sitting out for a while and it begins to rot, it gets sent to the landfill. Pumpkin waste is particularly harmful because when it gets broken down in these landfills it produces methane, a greenhouse gas that is 25 times more harmful than CO2. Every year, nearly 80% of all pumpkins that are bought are just thrown away. In the UK alone, 18,000 tonnes of pumpkins get thrown away. Now in the US, since around 80% of pumpkins are wasted, imagine how many of the 900,000 tonnes of pumpkins produced are being thrown away. Pumpkin waste every year around Halloween has a haunting effect on global warming (World Economic Forum, 2019).

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When fall hits and we all get so excited for Halloween, we must remember the stark realities of this holiday for the rest of the world. As we galavant around on October 31st in our costumes worrying about getting good Instagram pictures– there is a person across the world, getting ready to work 14 hours for an unlivable wage in conditions so dangerous, that any slip-up can result in a lost limb or death. As you get ready and put on your Halloween costume you ordered off of Amazon, Shein, Temu, Fashion Nova, Zara, etc…– a little fish, a world away, is trying to do his daily business of protecting the coral formation he has claimed as his, with a little piece of plastic lodged in his gill impairing his ability to breathe. As you walk past a perfectly crafted Jack-o-Lantern this week– someone is sitting amongst rubble following a climate-induced hurricane trying to cope with their entire life having been destroyed. This is a spooky season indeed.

This is the harsh reality of Halloween however, I still celebrate and cherish it deeply. There are many ways you can sustainably celebrate Halloween!

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For my Halloween costumes I always thrift and make them! This year at the Cottage we are throwing a little Greenbelt Halloween party and we all are being Minecraft characters. This year, we are only wearing what we have in our closets with cardboard heads we made. My other costumes are pitbull, a leopard and a siren. For pitfall, I just used my mock trial suit, pantyhose, and eyeliner! For the leopard, I am doing a makeup-intensive costume so I do not have to order as many things. Finally, for my siren costume that I am most excited about, I am making a beaded top from scratch. I made the outline with chains from Michaels and the beads I had left over from

when I made beaded curtains! I also got some more beads from a second-hand craft store, Recraft in Greenville, that is super helpful for DIY Halloween costumes. For our Halloween decorations, we made a lot of

ours and brought many from our homes. We didn’t buy any of the commercial Halloween decorations!

We also carved pumpkins! We did this and made really yummy pumpkin seeds and composted the pumpkins. If you want to carve pumpkins at Furman without contributing to waste I urge you to bring them over to the Furman farm and compost them. This substantially limits the amount of greenhouse gasses that it releases into the atmosphere and it goes into the yummy food we eat at the dining hall. 

There are so many ways to celebrate Halloween sustainably! I have been able to celebrate all of the seasonal traditions while making minimal impact.

 

 

These are some of the final costumes!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Citation

 

The most glaring issue of sustainability that I’ve seen in my day-to-day living at Furman is the overuse of “recyclable” paper cups for coffee or tea in the dining hall. More specifically, people use disposable cups and then sit back down at a table rather than leaving. This wouldn’t necessarily be an issue if they were the only option available, but reusable mugs are literally inches to their right at the tea/coffee station.

The biggest problem stems from the production of these paper cups, these cups are dipped in a tiny layer of polyethylene or, in other words, regular plastic. The plastic surrounding the paper cups makes them excruciatingly difficult to dispose of sustainably. The single-use nature of these cups also promotes a culture of disposability within the dining hall, as I’ve seen people use them once and then throw them away instead of using the reusable mugs directly to their right or left. This “culture of disposability” increases the amount of waste generated by Furman and undermines the tautological nature of our sustainability practices.

A Commons article by Naman Bajaj states that “99.75% of disposable coffee cups can’t be recycled.” he then further speculates that, on average, America uses 146 billion coffee cups a year. The process by which these coffee cups could be recycled is, according to Foodprint, “both complex and expensive, [so] the cups are routed to incinerators or landfills for final disposal.” The point is that in the Dining Hall, they are marketed as “sustainable” and “recyclable” as they have green leaves printed on the outside of the cup, so people give them no second thought when using them. When in reality, they are hugely detrimental to Furman’s sustainability efforts. On top of this, hot beverages can cause styrene to leak from the plastic in these cups, “which has been linked to a host of health problems from impaired concentration and nervous system effects to cancer.” (Foodprint) I think it would be in good practice to dramatically decrease our use of these items, as there seems to be no benefit to them.

Relating this issue back to my experience living in the Greenbelt Community, I think because of the education about sustainability practices within this program as a whole has allowed me to be more cognizant of issues like this. Flashback to freshman year, the environmental impact of disposable cups would be the last thing on my mind. I think if people on campus knew the true consequences of using them, I think their use would be extremely diminished. Or even just offering them as only a to-go item and instead make people use the reusable mugs already out for use. Living in the Greenbelt has opened my eyes and ears to issues like this and the problems they pose from a local and systemic perspective. It’s important to bring education about topics like these to the majority of the student body, as most issues like this can be neutered by simple tweaks, by literally just using less.

 

Works Cited

Link, Kristen. “The Massive Impact of Your Takeout Coffee Cup.” FoodPrint, 11 Dec. 2020, foodprint.org/blog/environmental-impact-coffee-cup/.

 

 

While driving back to campus from work last week, a billboard caught my eye. It read, “Save water. Shower tomorrow.” This took me aback, because I don’t think I have ever in my whole life witnessed an encouragement to take less showers. In America at least, the rhetoric is always that you can never be clean enough. Bodily odors are looked down upon, and greasy hair is “gross”. Not showering is associated with several negative stereotypes, and many people I know feel like their day is incomplete without a shower. It is estimated that 2/3 of American adults shower daily. In fact, most people will swear by the benefits of this approach to hygiene, like containment

of body odor, removing dirt from the skin, cleansing of bacteria, and improved confidence. There are also general mental health benefits of having a routine to stick to, and many people use showers to wake themselves up in the morning or wind down in the evening. While these advantages are certainly something to think about, I couldn’t help but wonder what this billboard was getting at.

 

In addition to common daily showers, the average shower in the US lasts for 8 minutes, using 16 gallons of water, according to . This adds up to about 1 trillion gallons of water used yearly just for showers. Not only is that a lot of water, but it is also not necessarily good for you to be showering daily. Excessive showers is linked to dry skin. Dry skin can cause an increased amount of bacteria to be introduced into your body through the cracks, as well as a weakened immune system due to all the “good” bacteria being routinely washed off.

During the few days we were out of power here on campus due to hurricane Helene, I found myself wishing for a shower. The temperature was getting up there due to the lack of air conditioning. In the cottage, we did have access to indoor lighting because of our skylights, but we still needed our doors and windows wide open. Even with this attempt at ventilation, it was still getting hard to sit, unentertained, in a sauna. This period of time had me welcoming a cold shower (as if I had a choice – we had no hot water). While we do have regular access to hot water and air conditioning now, a cold shower need not be a temporary product of a situation. 

Not showering daily may sound extreme to some, and for certain skin and hair types, is just not doable. However, taking colder showers can be a great way to lessen the environmental impact of a person’s need to shower daily. This can encourage shorter showers due to less comfort, in addition to decreasing carbon emissions. Credibly Green reports that using cold water as opposed to hot water can save up to 3 times the amount of emissions. And you don’t have to jump straight into a cold shower. Decreasing the temperature just a little bit at a time can be helpful in acclimating, and a warm shower is better than a boiling hot one!

Are cold showers definitely not for you? That’s understandable. Another way to reduce daily water consumption is called the “navy shower.” These showers, which originated on naval ships where water resources were scarce, are actually not as unglamorous as they might sound. All you do is turn the water off in between steps of your shower!

This method uses only about 3 gallons of water total per shower, compared to the 16 gallon average in the US.

 

The use of reasoning like this is vital to creating environmental allies. If you present environmental protection as a hassle or work-intensive, people are less likely to make changes. This is exactly what WildAid has done with the billboard I saw, as well as many other initiatives out there, a gallery of which is available at https://www.theenvironmentexcuse.org/media/.

Contrary to the title, I do not actually believe in the merit of bad hygiene. However, mindful hygiene practices and simple habit changes are a stepping stone to a sustainable life and future. At the end of the day, we know our own needs best, so the routine that works for you is the one that you should follow. Even so, we should always be open to trying out a new approach, especially if there are possible benefits to it!

 

Works cited:

Media Gallery – The Environment Excuse. (2023, February 6). https://www.theenvironmentexcuse.org/media/‌

Shmerling, R. (2019, June 28). Showering daily — is it necessary? – Harvard Health Blog. Harvard Health Blog. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/showering-daily-is-it-necessary-2019062617193

(2023, February 16). Hot vs Cold Showers. Credibly Green. https://www.crediblygreen.com/2023/02/16/environmental-impact-of-hot-vs-cold-showers/

Stonestream. (2022, October 11). What is a navy shower?. StoneStream UK. https://www.stone-stream.com/post/what-is-a-navy-shower?srsltid=AfmBOorXpaPTDH4bKUL9594S5qtXXdUoBd3twNbLpK619tPzVrbGlnDL