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With a new semester underway, it’s easy to splurge on items branded as back-to-school must-haves. Before making any purchases, though, students should consider how unnecessary shopping sprees affect both the environment and their wallets.

Between the holidays and the chance to work over break, many Syracuse University students are returning to campus with extra money in their pockets, and are eager to spend it on room decorations, clothing and other items just in time for the start of classes.

Still, it’s important to be cognizant of what will happen to these items once it’s time to go home. The average college student throws away 640 pounds of trash per year, with the majority of it discarded during move-out. Adding such a large amount of trash to landfills wastes expensive, usable goods and causes significant harm to the environment.

On average, students at private institutions like SU spend about $2,858 each year on personal expenses such as dorm decorations and clothing. College dorms and off-campus apartments are known for the very expensive trash they produce at the end of the academic year. In fact, many people who live........

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