Students better themselves and the environment
And an increasing number of schools are using green-construction methods and materials to build or renovate residence halls. One example: Swarthmore College’s Alice Paul residence features a vegetative roof.

But any student can create a green dorm room. And it doesn’t require giving up basic comforts or a great look.

A good place to get started, Harvard’s Kreycik says, is the Web site Shopbacktoschool.org. Created by the organization New American Dream, the site — its motto: “Go back to school in a different style” — offers a green perspective on items from batteries (rechargeable only, please) to personal-care products (try making your own) to room furnishings (instead of buying new, check out thrift stores and Web sites such as craigslist.org and Freecycle.org).

When you do go out to shop for that dorm room, Kreycik advises, “You want to think about buying Energy Star-rated appliances, products without a lot of packaging, and that are made without too many chemicals.”

Buying cheap, throwaway stuff at the big-box stores is easier to do, says Patricia Gaylor, an interior designer in North Jersey who specializes in eco-friendly design.