Greening Your Dorm Room

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Come the back-to-school season, parents may have mixed emotions about sending their child off to college. It's a bittersweet moment, one in which a parent is proud and accepts their son or daughter is ready for independence. It is also a time when parents worry about what the next few months will bring.

Shopping for college dorm supplies is one way to bond while parents and students count down the days to the start of the semester. When purchasing necessities and extras, think about making eco-friendly choices.

Many of the items college students need or want for their school dorm can be substituted with greener options.

• Choose all-natural, organic linens for the bed and bath and skip synthetic comforters and the like. Today it's possible to find inexpensive, natural fiber options right next to the less earth-friendly ones.

• Skip the fire hazard halogen lamps in lieu of light fixtures that can accept compact fluorescent bulbs.

• Invest in a power strip so that the myriad electronics students rely upon can be turned off in one step. This eliminates phantom loads -- power being used even when devices are in the off position.

• This may be a student's first foray into laundry duty. Stock up on "free and clear" laundry products. Also, give lessons about washing in cold water to conserve on energy.

• Skip the chemical-laden air fresheners for all-natural options like regular baking soda to combat dorm-room odors. For students who are responsible enough to have candles in their room (and if the dorm allows), choose beeswax candles scented with essential oils over paraffin candles with artificial scents.

• Stock up on houseplants that filter the air and can beautify bland dorm rooms. Plants especially effective at filtering the air and providing balanced indoor humidity include areca palm, Boston fern, English ivy, Peace lily, and a Rubber plant.

• Dorm food is rarely the healthiest, and late-night junk food runs are the staple of many a co-ed's diet. However, instill lessons in choosing whole foods free of preservatives instead of chemical- and calorie-laden convenience snacks. For a coffee pick-me-up, suggest fair trade coffees.

• Instead of stocking up on bottled water, invest in a table-top water filter that can be used to filter tap water for drinking.

• Try buying as many products as possible locally near the school campus. This eliminates the need to ship or transport the supplies, wasting gas and creating a bigger carbon footprint.

• Instead of buying everything new, don't be shy about accepting hand-me-downs or gently used items from friends and family. Be creative about recycling some items into new ones. For example, old blankets or sheets can be used as pillow covers or even curtains on the cheap.