Sustainable living in the city

While living in an atmosphere primarily constructed of concrete and steel, it is easy to fall into bad habits that have grave consequences on the environment in the long run. The lack of natural features, such as trees and grass, which are abundant in most other parts of the country, often cause people to feel disconnected from Mother Nature.

Many urban dwellers do not make an effort to lessen their individual, life-long impact on the environment. Perhaps it is because they think the necessary resources are not readily available, especially at a low cost. Surprisingly, an urban setting can easily provide many of the same resources to live "green" as does a rural town. Numerous strategies can be employed effortlessly into peoples' daily lives that have the potential to save both the environment and their personal incomes.

The greatest—and easiest—environmental outlet a city-dweller already has at hand is public transportation. In an urban environment, one has access to bus lines, subways, light rails and bike trails. Quite frankly, there is barely a need to drive an automobile in a large city at all. If a person uses alternative methods to commute, he or she doesn't have to worry about gas, insurance, parking or sharing the road with reckless drivers. It will save you time, money and worry.

Another method of sustainable living is to pay more attention to what you throw away in the garbage, considering which materials can be recycled. The average American will produce 600 times his or her adult weight of garbage in their lifetime. If waste isn't reduced through proper disposal, the millions of pounds of garbage in landfills will continue to multiply and worsen each year.

In 2007, about 7.7 million tons of garbage, including many recyclable materials, were disposed of by Chicagoans, according to a study conducted by The City of Chicago. If the 2.8 million inhabitants of the country's third largest city took recycling more seriously, we could put a major dent in the conglomeration of waste.

According to John Tillo, president of the DePaul Environmental Law Society and a third-year DePaul University College of Law student, Chicago landlords are required by law to provide recycling services to buildings with six or more units.

A person who qualifies for recycling services but isn't currently offered them should approach their landlord or management company and politely ask that a system be employed for the entire building.

"If they're obstinate and don't, you know, immediately agree to provide the recycling facilities, point out the law to them, since the Chicago Municipal Code requires these landlords to [do so]," said Tillo.

The individual can also take it upon himself or herself to dispose of recyclable materials at one of Chicago's 30 designated drop-off centers. Visit here for a list of the locations.

Follow the general rule of thumb to conserve natural resources whenever and however you can in order to live sustainably. Though many Americans are fortunate enough to have easy access to free water, that doesn't mean we should take advantage of the luxury by dumping gallons upon gallons down the drain. People should aim to shower for shorter periods of time, or less frequently, and turn off the faucet when it is not in use, like during teeth brushing.

Kimberly Frye, an environmental sciences instructor at DePaul University, thinks one of the best ways to be a sustainable citizen, without spending a fortune, is to utilize community-supported agriculture.

"I think there are a lot of grocery options that people just don't think about. I mean, Chicago has over 100 CSAs (community-supported agriculture)," said Frye.

Due to a wide array of co-ops, community gardens and farmers' markets, a person who lives in the city doesn't have to pay top-dollar for the same kind of high-quality food they would find at commercialized grocery stores like Whole Foods. Online grocery shopping and delivery services, besides their increasing popularity in big cities, are also a great option to help someone buy affordable, organic products.

Frye's favorite source of community-supported agriculture in Chicago, Irv & Shell's Fresh Picks, only charges consumers for the food they purchase, without tagging on extra charges, like a membership fee.

"With selective buying, I think it's actually a cheaper option for college students," said Frye.

Visit localharvest.org for a list of "farmers' markets, family farms and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area."

Many Chicagoans also have easy access to community gardens where they can plant their own fruits, vegetables and other plants. Creating a compost bin in such areas can also help members of the entire neighborhood significantly decrease the amount of food waste they produce.

Javier Cevallos, a mechanical engineer at The Chicago Department of Environment, suggests weatherproofing all buildings, both residential and commercial, to reduce the cost of heating and cooling. Insulation, air sealing, caulking windows, weather-stripping doors and repairing or replacing old furnaces are the main steps which can help you save around 20 to 25 percent on a gas bill, according to Cevallos.

Replacing outdated incandescent light bulbs with modern alternatives, such as compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), will also save a significant amount of energy each month. CFLs initially cost more than incandescent at the time of purchase, but they are worth buying for long-term savings because they use energy much more efficiently and they last longer than incandescent light bulbs.

"CFLs are probably the best alternative to incandescent light bulbs because they provide almost 75 percent energy savings," said Cevallos.