We’re always thinking of ways to stay green and help make the University of Iowa a more sustainable campus. We encourage incoming freshmen to help accomplish this goal by being green when moving in and living on campus.

See this green packing list for what you should and shouldn’t bring to school as well as some general tips for living sustainably.

Many college essentials have energy-efficient options to take advantage of. If you plan to bring a fridge – or any other appliance, for that matter – make sure it is Energy Star certified. Anything with this certification uses up less energy than appliances without it. You should also use compact fluorescent (CFL) or LED bulbs instead of standard incandescent light bulbs as they both consume less energy than the standard.

Be aware that even energy efficient appliances can cause “phantom loads,” so it is imperative to have at least one power strip with a switch. Many appliances sap energy while they are plugged in, even if they aren’t on, so completely cutting off the power to those appliances with the switch will help save the unused energy. Also, please don’t bring any unnecessary devices like printers or plug-in air fresheners. There are multiple public printers on campus and simply bringing a plant or two will improve your room’s air quality immensely.  

One of the most important questions to ask when coming to college is what to bring, and reusability should always be a concern. Washable dishware and reusable water bottles may seem like a splurge over plastic cups and water bottles, but they’ll more than make up for the initial cost in the long term since you won’t have to keep buying more. :

• Water bottles
• Cutlery
• Plates
• Napkins/washcloths
• Bags
• Glass or plastic storage containers

Your room should have enough furniture, but if you feel the need for an extra seat or table consider buying used instead of new. This will keep some open space in landfills and your wallet. Buying used will always be the better option, but under the right conditions new things can be an acceptable alternative. Items made with recycled content are good, as well as anything made locally, or are fair trade, or organic.

Many cleaning products can be made from natural materials, so keep an eye out for natural alternatives to these products:

• Laundry detergent
• Dish detergent
• Soap

So know that you have everything you need for a green dorm room, you need to pack it up. Instead of cardboard boxes, use storage bins or laundry baskets, which you’ll undoubtedly use throughout the year. If you absolutely must use boxes, don’t just throw them out after you use them. Either break them down to recycle or keep them to use at a later time.

Once outside of your room there are multiple modes of transportation you can utilize to get around campus (and Iowa City as a whole) in style. While bringing a car seems like a great idea at first, you’ll find that parking can be a major headache and probably not worth the time, especially since there are many alternatives, such as

• Biking
• Walking
• Cambus/ Iowa City/Coralville bus system
• Zipcar
• Uber

Biking is the transport of choice for many Iowa students and everyone is encouraged to bring one, along with its related safety equipment. If you choose to bring a bike make sure to include a helmet, bike lock, and safety lights.  

While these are only a scant few ways to make your time at Iowa green, they are nonetheless vital to keeping our campus environmentally conscious and friendly. See our Pinterest board for other great green move-in ideas!

By Kaylin Voss