Furman Greenbelt Sustainable Living Community

If your elementary school education was anything like mine, recycling was praised as the hero of sustainability. We learned about the three R’s of sustainability—reduce, reuse, and recycle—but focused heavily on recycling. We read books explaining how the process worked, and in 4th grade we even oversaw collecting recycling around the school.

But what we weren’t told was that these three R’s are actually listed in order of importance, with recycling being last. Although recycling, when done perfectly, is quite revolutionary, in practice it is often not very effective. For most plastic recycling does not make sense, because it is costly and the plastic degrades every time it goes through the recycling process. But even when it is recycled, it often ends up in the landfill due to contamination or because the sheer volume of plastic overwhelms recycling centers. In fact, in 2021, only about 5-6% of plastic waste actually was recycled (Osborne, 2022).

Before the 1980s, plastic recycling wasn’t widely popular because it was more expensive to recycle plastic than to produce it from virgin materials. As a result, recycling was primarily reserved for glass, paper, and metal (Gonzales & Sullivan, 2020). But then the triangle with a number—known as the Resin Identification Code (RIC)—started appearing on plastics (Fig. 1). Many plastics that were not actually recyclable ended up in recycling bins because the symbol closely resembled the universal recycling logo (Gonzales & Sullivan, 2020; Osborne, 2022).

Figure 1. A comparison of the Resin Identification Code and the recycling symbol. Shown on the left is the RIC on the bottom container holding water bottle cleaning tablets—a number 5—which is not recyclable at Furman. On the right is the recycling logo on the cottage’s recycling bin.

This symbol was added by the plastic industry under the claim that it would help sort plastics, but the industry also funded many campaigns and commercials promoting recycling. The goal was to make consumers comfortable buying plastics. If people believed recycling worked well and that all plastic could be recycled, they were more likely to keep purchasing plastic products (Gonzales & Sullivan, 2020). Some argue that the addition of this symbol was a purposeful intent to deceive people by the plastic industry, but it cannot be proven.

But either way, these campaigns and confusion with the RIC symbol widely benefitted the plastic industry (Gonzales & Sullivan, 2020). Today, single-use plastics are so common that it is hard to imagine life without them. But if recycling was so heavily promoted by the plastic industry potentially in order to increase plastic sales, should we even recycle?

The answer is yes! Recycling is still an effective way to reduce waste going to the landfill and also limit the amount of virgin materials being used, but it should be used as a last resort (US EPA, 2025). Instead of using recycling as an excuse to buy single-use plastics because “they can be recycled,” we should focus on the lesser known five R’s, which expand on the traditional three. These five R’s are Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle (Fisher, 2024; Robertson, 2021).

The most important thing we can do when it comes to single-use plastics is to refuse them altogether. Instead of buying disposable plastic water bottles, opt for a reusable one. If you cannot completely cut out plastic water bottle use, then reducing your use is the next best option. But if you do end up using a plastic water bottle, try to reuse it multiple times by refilling it. After that, you can repurpose it—giving the plastic a new life by turning it into something else.

For example, in the cottage this year, we used plastic water bottles to create fruit fly traps (Fig. 2). Once the plastic has served its life in these ways, it should finally be recycled, but only if it has been properly cleaned and is a type of plastic accepted by your local recycling system. (Fisher, 2024). At Furman, only numbers 1 and 2 can be recycled.

Figure 2. Example of the type of fruit fly trap the cottage created to repurpose a plastic water bottle (Trap-anything.com).

This is just one example of how to implement the five R’s into your life, but they can—and should—be applied whenever you use single-use plastics or anything you might eventually dispose of. In the Greenbelt, we have applied this by aiming to reduce our plastic use and avoid plastics whenever possible. For example, we refuse plastic grocery bags, use laundry detergent sheets instead of detergent that comes in plastic jugs, and make homemade decorations instead of buying plastic ones.

Understanding the hierarchy of waste management is important for our community because it allows us to make sustainable decisions about what we are consuming and what to do with items afterward.

We are also very intentional about how we recycle, because recycling is only effective if done properly. To give our recycling the best chance of actually being recycled and not ending up in the landfill, we make sure to follow Furman’s regulations—only recycling numbers 1 and 2 and ensuring that all recycled materials are clean (US EPA, 2025). By doing this, we hope to live more sustainably and use recycling as a tool rather than an excuse.

References

Fisher, C. (2024, March 10). The 5 R’s: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle | RTS. Recycle Track Systems. https://www.rts.com/blog/the-5-rs-refuse-reduce-reuse-repurpose-recycle/

Gonzales, S., & Sullivan, L. (2020, September 11). Waste Land: Planet Money [Transcript]. NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/transcripts/912150085

Osborne, M. (2022, May 9). At Least 85 Percent of U.S. Plastic Waste Went to Landfills in 2021. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-us-recycled-just-5-percent-of-its-plastic-in-2021-180980052/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Robertson, M. (2021). Sustainability principles and practice. Taylor & Francis Group.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2025, May 14). Recycling basics and benefits. https://www.epa.gov/recycle/recycling-basics-and-benefits

 

 

As a college student, my favorite time of the year is football season. I get to wake up early, watch some college football, and hangout with my friends at our school’s tailgate on a sunny day. I’m sure most college students would agree with me that tailgates are a blast… but what’s not a blast about tailgates is the number of single-use plastics and wastes going to the landfills or improperly disposed of. To be completely honest when I’m at a tailgate sustainability and recycling are not on my mind like any student. That’s what makes this such an issue is the amount of waste, culture promoting a wasteful mindset, and ineffective standards set by the school.

 

Our tailgate here at Furman

 

A lot of people simply don’t realize how easily waste is produced at tailgates. Speaking from my personal experience at Furman tailgates I see a lot of waste, whether that be in improper disposal of single-use plastics, littering, or food being abandoned. In my research I discovered a couple statistics that really stood out as shocking to me, [3] first being the fact that 85% of people who tailgate use only disposable or single use tableware. This is an issue as the more people who use single us plastics the more likely improper disposal will occur. Another not so fun fact I found was that around [3] 3000 tons of waste are generated through certain collegiate football tailgates annually. To put that into perspective the produced waste weighs the same as about 20 locomotives. I know at Furman we won’t be producing nearly as much waste as a huge football school does, but I’ve seen the aftermath of football games, and it definitely isn’t squeaky clean. In an article I read it mentioned that [5] 71% of waste at most football games were micro-litter, which is litter such as cigarette butts, bottle caps, and wristbands. The article [5] than goes on to say that a third of the students that they surveyed had admitted to littering at a tailgate within the past month. Thinking about the fact that such a substantial number of students admitted to this shows that this is an issue that isn’t viewed as problematic.

The main reason that improper waste disposal is such an issue is the culture surrounding tailgating. A lot of fan behaviors subtly encourage negative waste disposal ideas. Such as binge drinking of aluminum cans, for example college students shot gunning and then proceeding to spike the aluminum can on the ground. Some say this is the college experience, but I call it improper waste disposal. There is also a correlation between the result of the game and the fans environmental attitude. [6] It is found that fans who exhibit a more positive attitude recycle more than fans in a negative attitude. This correlates with whether the team has won or lost. This is due to the culture of the fanbase and tailgating as they are easily swayed by what goes on them around them. It also shows that college students get stuck in the moments and go by the flow. This flow can encourage to exhibit poor environmental tendencies.

Onto the question of what we as students can and what can our campus do to encourage more sustainable tailgates.

 

Students at UNC Charlotte sorting waste after a tailgate

First, I’ve read about a total ban of single use at college tailgates [4]. While I don’t think that would work at Furman due to our consumption culture. Although this would cause in an immediate reduction of waste and a more positive environmental public perception. I think something Furman could do to replicate this would be having a student taskforce that sorted tailgate waste after the games such as they do at UNC Charlotte [2]. Another thing would be to engage the fans through interactive recycling signage, more accessible waste facilities, social media engagement, and incentives such as discounts or rewards for staying committed to sustainability [4]. I think we could do something like this at Furman for fraternities and sororities. Imagine if whoever left the least amount of waste behind after their tailgate got rewarded with some prize or a social media shout out. I’m sure it would encourage more productive and less wasteful cleanups.

Overall, the gameday environment is not one that promotes environmental mindfulness, but with the right resources Furman could also be a collegiate leader of low waste tailgates.

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[1] “Game Day at Furman.” Admission Blog, May 15, 2025.
[2] “Getting Our Hands Dirty for Good: How UNC Charlotte Keeps Its Zero Waste Stadium Promise.” Inside UNC Charlotte, October 6, 2024.
[3] Linder, Jannik. “Tailgating Statistics.” Gitnux, April 2025.
[4] “Reducing Plastic in Sports Events: A Winning Play for the Planet.” Reducing Plastic in Sports Events: A Winning Play for the Planet, January 15, 2025.
[5] Scheaffer, Kristen. “The Environmental Impact of Tailgating and Litter.” The Prospector, November 9, 2022.
[6] “What Factors Influence Fans’ Gameday Recycling?” Sport Ecology Group, January 6, 2025.

 

When people think of ChatGPT, images of helpful AI answering questions, drafting essays might come to mind. It’s easy to get swept up in the convenience and fascination of talking to a machine that seems almost human. Having said that, behind the sleek interface and endless uses lies an environmental question that often goes unasked: what is the ecological cost of this technology?
According to Earth.org, ChatGPT produces around 8.4 tons of carbon dioxide each year, which is a little more than double what an average person emits annually. Earth.org, a site dedicated to environmental journalism and research, points out that this number shows just how much energy these AI systems really use. While ChatGPT might seem like it lives somewhere in the “cloud,” the reality is that it runs on powerful computers inside massive data centers. Those servers use a huge amount of electricity, which leads to greenhouse gas emissions. In other words, every time we use AI tools like this one, there’s an environmental cost that isn’t immediately visible.
The second big issue Earth.org highlights is how much water AI systems use. A recent study from the University of California, Riverside found that Microsoft used about 700,000 liters of freshwater to train GPT-3. To put that in perspective, that’s the same amount of water needed to make around 370 BMWs or 320 Tesla cars (McLean, 2023). This water is used to cool the powerful machines that generate so much heat during training. What’s surprising is that even after the training is done, ChatGPT continues to use water during regular conversations, a process known as inference. For a chat of about 20 to 50 questions, the amount of water used is roughly the same as a 500ml bottle, which aligns with reports noting that data centers can burn through water at a surprisingly constant rate just to stay cool (The Teen Magazine, 2023). That might not sound like a ton, but when you multiply that by billions of users and interactions, it adds up to a massive total footprint.
Something I found especially interesting, and a bit strange, is a point McLean mentions about politeness. It turns out that saying “please” and “thank you” to ChatGPT isn’t as harmless as it seems. Every word you type has to be read and processed by the system, and that requires both energy and water. When people all over the world use manners with the AI billions of times, that small act actually leads to a surprising amount of extra resource use. It’s wild to think that something as simple as being polite to a chatbot could have an environmental cost.
At the end of the day, tools like ChatGPT are changing how we learn, and communicate. But it’s also important to understand the hidden price of that progress. AI might make our lives easier, but it’s not as “clean” or cost-free as it appears on the surface. The more aware we are of its environmental impact, the better we can make choices about how and when we use it.

Resources

-The Environmental Impact of ChatGPT | Earth.Org

-ChatGPT Is Bad for the Environment: Here’s Exactly Why

–[2304.03271] Making AI Less “Thirsty”: Uncovering and Addressing the Secret Water Footprint of AI Models

 

Nuclear reactors have been used as a source of energy production for over half a century.[1] They are steam-based energy sources, using the heat from nuclear fission to turn water into high-pressure steam, which then spins large turbines and converts that energy into usable electricity. Unlike coal or natural gas, these power plants produce extremely low emissions of greenhouse gases. Nuclear energy already makes up a large amount of the U.S. energy production and accounts for nearly half of the emission-free energy in the country.[2] Since energy production makes up such a large portion of CO2 emissions in the world, having a source of energy that is emission free becomes more important each year. In addition to the reduction in emissions, nuclear power plants reduce the amount of space needed. A small amount of uranium fuel can produce massive amounts of energy, meaning a nuclear power plant can produce a greater amount of energy for less land and fuel than other methods. [3] Nuclear energy is a powerful source of efficient and emission-free energy, however it does not come without its challenges.

Three of the main challenges against nuclear energy are economic constraints, social distrust, and nuclear waste. One of the biggest downfalls of nuclear energy is its cost to construct a single power plant. Nuclear power plants are expensive, technically demanding, and time consuming, which all pressure the economy away from nuclear power.[4] An additional challenge is the social distrust when it comes to nuclear power, largely due to the meltdown of the Chernobyl reactor in 1986. This was one of the largest nuclear disasters in history, and as a result, much of the world turned away from nuclear power out of fear of any future meltdowns.[5] One of the most brought up concerns is what to do with the nuclear waste produced by these plants, which contains isotopes that may remain radioactive for thousands of years. This means that the waste cannot be disposed of in a clean way but must be stored in places that protect people from dangerous levels of radiation. This has been a topic of recent debate about the sustainability of nuclear reactors.[4]

While nuclear energy faces many undeniable challenges, it is also the most consistent source of CO2-free energy in the U.S. Wind turbines and solar panels are good for small amounts, but they are limited to only working when the conditions are right. Nuclear power does not have any of these constraints. It is by no means the perfect source and will inevitably need to be replaced in the future, but with CO2 levels rising each year and concern for the climate growing, nuclear energy could be the logical next step to a cleaner planet. It could provide a baseline of energy that cannot yet be guaranteed by renewable energy, supplying a temporary bridge until a better, alternative renewable source can be found.

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[1] Lerner, Louise. “The First Nuclear Reactor, Explained.” UChicago News.

[2] Office of Nuclear Energy. “Advantages and Challenges of Nuclear Energy.” U.S. Department of Energy, June 11, 2024.

[3] Office of Nuclear Energy. “3 Reasons Why Nuclear Is Clean and Sustainable.” U.S. Department of Energy, March 31, 2021.

[4] Igini, Martina. “The Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy.” Earth.org, January 28, 2023.

[5] World Nuclear Association, “Chernobyl Accident 1986,” updated February 17, 2025.

 

If you are like me then you love seeing a great Broadway show. With the lights, music, acting, costumes, and overall production it is a fun night where you can go with friends and immerse yourself into the show. But have you ever thought about the sustainability of producing these shows? Luckily we have the Broadway Green Alliance, which is an organization and initiative that “educates, motivates, and inspires the entire theatre community and its patrons to implement environmentally friendlier practices on Broadway and beyond” (Broadway Green Alliance). 

 

The BGA offers reusable and recycling collections where they collect several different items that are used as props or costumes in shows that can be reused by other theatres and people can also donate personal unwanted items to these collection drives as well. They collect binders, vases, towels, linens, transit cards, clothing, instrument strings and several other items. 

 

Broadway Green Alliance Collection Drive in Times Square

 

They also have “Green Captains” for the shows that can be anyone from any department and involvement in the show and there is at least one Green Captain for almost every current Broadway show. These people serve as a leader and someone who encourages and promotes environmentally friendly practices and focuses on sustainable ways to produce the broadway show. Additionally, Green Captains work alongside stage managers to focus on pre production needs of the show and create production-wide sustainability goals for the show, such as having at least 30% of the props reused or thrifted, etc. When these objectives are very upfront and clear with the entire production team it allows for a smoother run of the show and everyone to be aware of the shows sustainability goals. Additionally Broadway Green Alliance has partnerships with regional and college theaters that can sign up to be a part of the BGA and have a Green Captain. Furman Theatre Department is one of the colleges that is on this list and is a part of the program, aiming to have more sustainable theatrical practices (Green Captains). At Furman, a majority of the costumes are made by hand and as a part of a class students can take in the costume shop. Relating to actions we can take as individuals and living in the Eco Cottage it is something that I strive to do. I try to alter several of my clothing myself and if a piece of clothing rips, I fix the article of clothing myself or make something new out of the fabric. If not, it is important to donate extra clothing to local donation sites or clothing drives to ensure the clothing is being repurposed and not ending up in a landfill. 

List of colleges that are on the Great Captain list, including Furman University.

 

Several shows have already started making amazing progress and changes after the establishment of BGA and having Green Captains working on their shows. Wicked is the first show that changed their mic packs to have rechargeable wireless batteries. Wicked saved approximately 15,800 batteries per year since making this change in their sound production 8 years ago; and it has inspired several other shows to follow in their steps (Broadway Green Alliance – Wicked) Wicked is now double the amount of green (with Elphaba working towards a greener future haha).

 

If you have ever been to a Broadway show you know that they always give you a playbill that has the cast list, bios and all the info about the show and are often kept afterwards as souvenirs. I personally have collected all my playbills since I was in elementary school and have a giant playbill binder with them all. However, some people might not care at all about the playbills and may trash the playbill after the show or just leave it on the floor of the theatre where it gets stepped on, damaged and has to be tossed out. Next time you see a show if you do not want to keep your playbill, recycle it at the lobby so they can reuse it for future runs of the shows. (Playbill Recycling) Some alternative solutions are to offer virtual playbills at all Broadway shows in addition to the physical copy so people have the option to choose which one they want to use. Additionally if there is an understudy or swing performing at the specific show you attend they have a slip of paper in the playbill noting the person who will be playing that role at your show. Stuffing over a thousand playbills with these slips of paper just for them to be tossed out and left all throughout the theatre also creates lots of excess paper and waste being used. A solution is to have a QR code in the playbill and in the lobby of the theatre that takes you to a website that is updated for every show to recognize the people filling in for that role at the show you attend. It is important to recognize everyone in the cast and crew but by offering virtual playbills and having this site available for attendees it can help limit the waste and production of Broadway playbills (Playbill).  This same situation applies to regional, local, and school theatres as well. At Furman we have moved to using entirely digital playbills where you can scan the QR code in the lobby and it takes you to the online playbill.

Playbill from when I saw the Great Gatsby last year, one of the playbill inserts is seen in the photo as the small black piece of paper sticking out from the top of the playbill.

 

Resources

“Broadway Green Alliance.” https://www.broadwaygreen.com/about-us. 

Paulson, Michael. “What Should I Do With My Playbill?” The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/theater/playbill-recycling-color.html 

Playbill, https://playbill.com/article/in-the-face-of-climate-change-broadway-can-help-save-the-world-here-are-some-concrete-steps. 

 

Owning a pet is one of the many joys of life, and it’s far too easy to get carried away dressing them up in seasonal outfits and supplying them with endless toys. As a first-time cat owner, I had no idea what my cat truly needed, leading me to buy a plethora of items that proved to be useless. Over the past few years, I’ve learned a lot about the best ways to supply my cat with what he needs, while not directly conflicting with my sustainability efforts. 

Here are a few small changes that you can to reduce your own footprint, as well as your cat’s pawprint, on the environment!

A Not So Paw-sitive Impact

Its hard to believe our cuddly little critters could cause harm to anyone, much less the environment. However, cats are known invasive species across the world, particularly in Hawaii. Cats are a natural predator of birds and insects, among other small animals. In biodiverse places, such as Hawaii, cats are a huge threat to many endangered species, already contributing to the extinction of over 30 different species (Hawaii Invasive Species Council). 

To combat these devastating effects, it is essential to keep cats indoors. My cat was a stray before I found him, so it took a while to get him acclimated to living indoors. I knew that I was not going to let him loose outside, so I decided to leash train him. He still loves going outdoors, but now he is able to do so in a controlled environment that will not negatively impact the local wildlife!

Unfortunately, not all cats are fit for home environments. In order to control feral cat populations, efforts to trap, neuter, and release have grown (ASPCA). By controlling cat populations, we can control the impact cats have on local environments. Additionally, offering safe places for birds to nest will allow bird populations to prosper. Adding bird houses outside of windows not only gives bird’s a home, but also gives indoor cats entertainment!

The Scoop on Litter…

While owning a cat is full of wonder and whimsy, one of the least exciting responsibilities is cleaning out the litter box. Constantly sifting through, replacing, sweeping, and throwing away litter can be exhausting, and extremely wasteful! Most cat litter is made from clay, often sourced from strip mines that cause extreme environmental destruction (New York Times). Luckily, there are many alternatives to traditional clay litter, including plant-based litters made from corn, wheat, paper, wood, soybeans, grass, and even walnut shells! While a lot of these eco-friendly litters are compostable, you should only compost cat pee, as cat feces may carry Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that can contaminate soil and cause illness (CDC). 

When it comes to disposing of cat feces, one of the most convenient ways to do so is with a Litter Genie. Rather than taking trips to the trash can multiple times a day and using endless amounts of plastic bags, the Litter Genie can hold weeks-worth of waste at a time and the container is made from 98% recycled plastic. Additionally, Litter Genie offers numerous types of bag-refills, including 3 sustainable options: one made from 65% recycled plastic, one made from compostable film, and one which allows you to reuse plastic cartridges from previous refills. Along with being eco-friendly, the Litter Genie completely masks any smell, creating a happy and healthy home environment. 

Another easy way to fight against any litter smells is by using a stainless steel litter box and scoop! Stainless steel does not harbor as much bacteria as plastic does, leading to less odor. Stainless steel products are also far more resilient, meaning there’s not a need to replace them as frequently as plastic litter boxes. 

While owning a cat is a blessing, it’s important to be aware of the potential harm they can cause to the environment. Actively working against environmental harm is essential to being a responsible cat owner.

 

References: 

About Toxoplasmosis. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/toxoplasmosis/about/index.html

A Closer Look at Community Cats. ASPCA. https://www.aspca.org/helping-shelters-people-pets/closer-look-community-cats

Brown, E. (2024, December 9). What Kind of Cat Litter is Best for the Planet? New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/09/climate/environment-sustainability-kitty-litter.html

Feral Cats. Hawaii Invasive Species Council. https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/info/invasive-species-profiles/feral-cats/

Every year around this time, I hear someone say, “Christmas just doesn’t feel like Christmas anymore.” “It doesn’t capture the same magical feeling,” people complain, even as their Amazon carts fill up with the latest decor trends, viral Halloween costumes, and gift lists recommended by influencers. I can’t help but wonder when the holidays began to feel so artificial. But before we mourn the loss of holiday magic, maybe we should ask what defines the holiday spirit in the first place. Has it really disappeared, or has the growth in consumerist culture overshadowed what we truly value in our holiday seasons?

The season once defined by creativity and sentimental memories has become one of the most wasteful times of the year. From fast fashion Halloween costumes to random aesthetic gifts that collect dust, it’s easy to lose sight of what we actually value in the rush of festivity and consumption. Social media has particularly impacted how we view the holidays. Nearly 10 times more shoppers engage with influencer content than other social media content around the holidays (Adobe). Due to constant exposure to materialistic videos that encourage others to purchase more, many consumers are pressured into excessive purchasing. With the growth of social media influencers, we have seen a simultaneous rise in holiday spending (as pictured in Adobe graph to the right). The more we chase a certain visual standard set for us by others, the further we drift from the heart of our holidays.

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. But in college, that spark feels dimmed by overconsumption. Millions of costumes are mass-produced from cheap materials, worn once, and tossed away. In an interview with CBS, sustainable fashion experts compared the amount of waste compiled from Halloween costumes to amount to “83 million plastic water bottles,” (CBS) and explained that the average mass-produced costume takes “anywhere from 20 to 200 years to decompose” (CBS) . It’s kind of ironic; our generation prides itself on originality and niche humor, yet so many people default to the same convenient, prepackaged outfits shipped in plastic from SHEIN.

This year, the cottage resisted this standard and wore costumes made primarily using items from our own closets or home-crafted. Thrift stores, too, we found were amazing places to search for missing costume pieces and ideas. All the Halloween decorations were also homemade or brought from our roommates’ families. This is a more sustainable approach to celebration, and it also helped bring the festive feeling we strive for. Sharing our closets, swapping ideas, and helping each other glue and pin together created the kind of excitement that cannot be found in a store-bought costume. 

Genuine experiences such as that are what make holidays feel worth celebrating. The winter holidays especially rely on nostalgia and warmth. When I think of the holidays, I imagine the smell of cookies in the oven and enjoying themed music and movies with loved ones. I picture handmade ornaments and exchanging personal, thoughtful gifts. The holiday magic has always been more about sentiment than perfection. Shifting our holiday focus from Instagram worthy snapshots to connection and authenticity would also make massive impacts on the amount of Christmas waste. The holiday features that make for an aesthetic Christmas (wrapping paper, tissue paper, and plastic trees) are also the biggest contributors to the seasons excessive waste (iowastatedaily). The best way to recreate the nostalgic, cozy feeling isn’t through buying more, but through doing more together.

Some ideas for fun Christmas activities and sustainable decor options are listed below. Sustainability doesn’t mean giving up on the joy of the season. Rather, it can help the holidays be less about buying magic and more about creating it. This can help our holidays feel more festive, joyful, and fulfilling. When decorations are made with your own hands, especially when made with loved ones, they become sentimental keepsakes. Each time you unpack them, you’re reminded not just of the holiday itself, but of the fun memories from creating them. Intentional experiences such as these are the best way to help your Christmases regain their nostalgia. 

 

If you’re looking for ways to make your holidays feel more personal and less performative, here are a few ideas:

• “Gingerbread house” made from painted and reshaped recycled boxes (Picture from Little  Red Window) 
• hanging stars from old paper bags and pages of thrifted books.
• DIY wrapping using brown paper bags, reusable cloth or pillowcases instead of glossy, nonrecyclable wrapping paper
• Natural decor: Pinecones, branches, cinnamon sticks, and dried fruit, which can be composted when the season’s done
• Gift experiences, not things: Concert tickets, museum passes, or a day spent together often mean more than another item collecting dust 
• LED lights and timers (also saves your electricity bill!)
• Homemade Holiday Cards
• Save and reuse gift bags

 

References:

Andrews, Alyssa. “Why an expert says you shouldn’t throw away your old Halloween costumes.” CBS Boston, October 27, 2025, https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/leftover-halloween-costume-disposal/ 

Fu, Kevin. “Adobe Forecasts Record $240.8 Billion U.S. Holiday Season Online with Black Friday Growth to Outpace Cyber Monday” Adobe, September 25, 2024, https://news.adobe.com/news/2024/09/092524-adi-holiday-forecast

Winkelpleck, Sophie. “Overconsumption around the holidays: Sustainable strategies.” Iowa State Daily, November 27, 2023, https://iowastatedaily.com/286240/limelight/sustainability-and-the-holiday-season/

May, Cassie. “Tiny Cardboard Gingerbread Houses Christmas, Crafts.” Little Red Window, December 12, 2017, https://littleredwindow.com/tiny-cardboard-gingerbread-houses/

By living in the Greenbelt, my peers and I have been able to look into the products we use in our everyday lives and examine how sustainable these products are and what impact they may have on our environment. While doing research, I came across an issue that has been affecting my hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, the unsustainable practice of horseshoe crab blood harvesting.

The horseshoe crab is a mysterious species, even older than dinosaurs, resulting in them having many unique traits that make them scientifically special (Center for Biology and Diversity). Horseshoe crabs have unique blue blood due to their high copper levels (Animal Welfare Institute). Scientists have found that this agent allows for agglutination, or clotting, when there are endotoxins present. This process is similar to how the blood on the outside of your body hardens if you get a cut; however, in horseshoe crabs, this occurs in the presence of gram-negative bacteria. By taking the blood of horseshoe crabs, scientists are able to test if humans or animals are infected with endotoxins. This process is also used to test any equipment that enters the body of a human or animal. This includes needles used for vaccines, insulin, and replacement joints. The horseshoe crab blood makes sure these materials are truly sterile and do not infect the patient.

While this practice has a profound impact on the medical field, it is also affecting the populations of the horseshoe crabs. The actual process of extracting blood from the crabs does not kill them; however, due to stressful situations and improper care of the horseshoe crabs, 10-30% of them die in the process (Animal Welfare Institute). Many migratory shorebirds like the robin-size red knot depend on the eggs of horseshoe crabs to feed on (NPR). With the dwindling population of the horseshoe crabs, some species of shorebirds are now labeled as vulnerable or endangered as a result. The suspicion that they cannot effectively spawn eggs after a large amount of blood has been extracted has become a prevalent issue (Scientific American). 

Additionally, many sources have shown that the individuals collecting the horseshoe crabs are not complying with state laws to handle them carefully. It’s vital for horseshoe crabs to have their tail to live; however, many of the fishermen collecting the crabs have admitted to holding on to the tails and even breaking them to make it easier to carry and transport the crabs. (NPR) Additional footage has even been taken from Turtle Island, SC, of fisherman grabbing the horseshoe crabs by their tail like spurs and loading hundreds onto small johnboats. In 2021, a record number of 700,000 horseshoe crabs were bled for the roughly 80 million tests (NPR). In addition to the damage to their tails, crabs are also forced to spend anywhere from 24-72 hours out of the ocean, which for aquatic animals is very stressful and leads to the death of many of these crabs (Scientific American). The death toll of these creatures is rising, and as a result, Asian tri-spine horseshoe crabs are now listed as endangered, and the American horseshoe crab is to be listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Gene Drive Network).

 

Blood Money: Vested Industry Interests Keep Drain Open on Horseshoe Crab Population | Animal Welfare Institute, awionline.org/awi-quarterly/winter-2021/blood-money-vested-industry-interests-keep-drain-open-horseshoe-crab. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.

     The film industry has dominated the American pop culture scene for over a century. Fit for its time, “the major national obsession” (Britannica) came at the turn of the 20th century. Now, nearly 600 new films are produced in the United States annually. The public’s hunger for the next-best apocalyptic film could make our film dreams a reality. The film industry remains one of the most crucial proponents of waste, and generates an alarming carbon footprint. 

     Film production may not come to mind as an obvious area to implement sustainability initiatives. However, “the global entertainment industry generates millions of metric tons of CO2”, with an average estimate of “15 million metric tons” each year (Time). On a smaller scale, an individual movie, with “an average budget of $70 million” will “[produce] a carbon footprint of 3,370 metric tons” (Arts Management & Technology Laboratory). In context, this would be the equivalent of “786 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year” or “8.5 million miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle” (Environmental Protection Agency). 

     Statistics as such caught the attention of the Producers Guild of America, who “issued an industry-wide call for a transition to clean energy” in 2021 (Time). The Producers Guild of America is among many organizations pioneering sustainability in the film industry. In fact, “the history of sustainable film production traces back to the early 1990s” (EcoBlvd). The current approach to sustainable initiatives in the film industry includes partnerships with independent agencies like Earth Angel and Green Production Guide. Agencies as such typically pair with “major studios such as Disney, Amazon, Viacom, and Netflix” (Arts Management & Technology Laboratory) to specifically combat the mark left by film companies with large budgets. The goal of the agencies is to reduce the long lasting carbon footprint of the film industry as a whole. 

     Headed by founder and CEO Emellie O’Brien, Earth Angel is one of the more successful agencies. When working with large production studios, O’Brien would ask all the right questions in order to push sustainable initiatives–“Can we use different materials? Can we recycle those materials better?”(Time). In her partnership with the producers of Amazing Spider-Man 2, O’Brien achieved notable sustainability advancements. These advancements included “a sustainability manager”, which helped them to “[redirect] 52% of materials, that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill, for reuse”. Preventing waste, along with “mandatory switch… to reusable water bottles” and “[donating] 5,862 meals… to prevent food waste” allowed the studio to save $400,000. (Arts Management & Technology Laboratory) Now, Amazing Spider-Man 2, is deemed “the most eco-friendly [large budget, high profile] movie [of its] time” (Time). 

     Organizations like Earth Angel must become more widespread in the film industry. Much like Earth Angel’s initiatives, sustainability goals can start small, and begin with mitigating waste where they can. For example, “the 1952 musical Singin’ in the Rain… ran countless gallons of water for a week” (University of Colorado Boulder) during production. Hiring a sustainability manager would quickly and easily prevent this wasteful act from happening. Furthermore, some organizational oversight could help producers limit their carbon footprint by making travel more efficient, or using more eco-friendly alternatives. This remains one of the most harmful parts of the film industry, as “51% of [the] vast CO2 emissions” caused by film production “[is] transport related” (Forbes).

     Due to the various problem areas it contributes to, film could easily become an exemplar industry for sustainable alternatives. “Large film studios have the funds and labor to be more sustainable,” Calawerts, from Arts Management & Technology Laboratory writes, “and therefore [should] set a precedent for other studios to follow”. As a dominant industry in global media, particularly the United States, the film industry should be inclined to use its influence for good. It should recognize what powerful change it could foster regarding sustainability. With just a few more steps added to forefront planning, the film industry could become the leading agent for positive change, and direct the world towards sustainability acceptance, education, and initiatives. 

 

References:

Calawerts, G. (2022) “The Impact of Emerging Sustainable Practices In The Film Industry” https://amt-lab.org/blog/2021/12/what-does-sustainability-look-like-in-the-film-industry

EcoBlvd, (2024) “Greening the Silver Screen: Sustainable Film Production Practices” https://www.ecoblvd.com/blogs/news/sustainable-film-production#:~:text=The%20Reel%20Revolution:%20The%20History,social%20equity%20and%20economic%20viability

Marshall, L. (2020) “What’s Hollywood’s dirtiest secret? Its environmental toll” https://www.colorado.edu/today/2020/01/27/whats-hollywoods-dirtiest-secret-its-environmental-toll#:~:text=In%201997%2C%20during%20the%20filming,barrier%20against%20monsoons%20and%20tsunami

Sax, S. (2024) “Film and TV’s Carbon Footprint Is Too Big to Ignore” https://time.com/6767943/sustainable-film-and-tv-production/

Sklar, R. (2025) “Post-World War I American cinema” https://www.britannica.com/art/history-of-film/Post-World-War-I-American-cinema

Whittington, R. (2022) “How Film Production Is Becoming More Sustainable and Profitable” https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2022/02/28/how-film-production-is-becoming-more-sustainable-and-profitable/

(A rosewood guitar)

Like many others around the world I love listening and especially playing music. My main instrument is the acoustic guitar, which looks to be like an all natural type of instrument. This is a common held belief, but also a false one. A few of the many and most popular wood types that are used to create acoustic guitars are rosewood, mahogany, ebony, spruce, and maple. The thing that all of these woods have in common is that most of these types of wood come from old forests, mainly in endangered habitats. (gprotab) Also, 40 percent of the wood for ebony and alder wood guitars is sourced illegally (Ecomena).

This mass production of guitars contributes to more illegal logging and biodiversity loss. But, some companies have realized that this is a problem and have switched to more sustainable wood types such as recycled wood, bamboo, domesticated hardwoods, and other types of more sustainable and common wood types. (gprotab) In January of 2017, the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) placed rosewood under protections. These protections affected the guitar industry due to the mass amounts of the limited source of rosewood that these companies need to create rosewood guitars (USITC).

Although this is a big problem, the only thing I can do to help is to just not buy the guitars that are made from those unsustainable wood types. But there is a different problem that I could help with and practice myself. For any non guitarists, picks are the small and usually plastic objects guitarists put in between their fingers while strumming for a clean sound.

(A guitar pick)
I and every other guitarist that I know own many picks, mainly due to their small size and their ease to lose. In one guitarist’s lifetime they will likely have owned hundreds of picks. The plastic from these picks will most likely eventually be tossed in the garbage or lost. Due to this need for many picks, “Combined, manufacturers produce hundreds of millions of picks every year.” (Premier Guitar) Since I have started researching for this blog, me and my roommate have decided that in the Greenbelt, (and after the fact), we will begin to use non plastic and bio-degradable picks. Companies such as Pigtrum create and sell these types of renewable and plant derived guitar picks. This way we can help be more sustainable in the long term with easily replaceable materials.

Overall, the creation of guitars and the gadgets and additions that guitarists use to play is not a very sustainable industry, but it is fixable. I think that these types of very fixable problems are the ones that should be tackled first by sustainability groups or just people who want to try and make a small difference in their own lives. I never thought about how sustainable playing an instrument was. And I suggest to anyone reading this post that if you play an instrument, take a moment to think about how it was made or what you use to play it, and how sustainable or not sustainable that instrument is as a whole.

 

Picture Citations:
Bedell Guitars

Strings and Beyond