At an individual level, our pursuit of environmental sustainability can come through lifestyle changes. How we travel and dispose of our waste, what products we use, where we buy our food, and our energy usage are all areas in which we can make choices that contribute to a greener lifestyle. Here we will show you the different things you have at your disposal on campus and around San Diego to make that a little bit easier.

Eating cleaner is a great way to start being more sustainable. You can do that by dipping your toes on Meatless Mondays; shop local at San Diego's many farmers markets, which you can find at Ocean Beach, Hillcrest, Little Italy, Pacific Beach, and North Park; check out vegan cafes like Plant Power, Donna Jean, Cafe Gratitude, Peace Pies, and Trilogy Sanctuary; and you can go to The Mighty Bin for all your zero waste grocery shopping!

There are so many small things we can all do to make our daily habits less wasteful, from expanding the lifespan of our clothes, to buying personal care items with compostable or no packaging, and opting for plant-based products. Earthwell Refill is a great zero waste shop close to campus which sells personal care products like bamboo toothbrushes and reusable make-up remover pads.

Recycling is a first step towards reducing the amount of waste we produce. All cafes and dining halls on campus have recycling options, along with guides to remind you what can and can't be recycled; dorms also have a separate recycling container. Composting isn't yet available in dorms, but why not get creative and get a personal bin to practice composting at an individual level?

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