Sustainability Tips for Students Approaching Summer Vacation
By Jack Shaw
As summer approaches, students eagerly anticipate the freedom and relaxation that comes with the end of another stressful academic year. However, amid the excitement, it’s crucial to consider your activities’ impact on the environment. Embracing sustainability during the vacation season is a fantastic way to look after the environment and create habits that last a lifetime. Here are some tips for students to make their summer break eco-friendly.
What Impact Do Students Have on the Environment?
Collectively, students have a significant impact on the environment. Their actions — from daily routines to consumption habits — contribute to various environmental challenges. One notable area is transportation. Whether commuting to school or traveling during breaks, students often rely heavily on fossil fuel-powered vehicles, contributing to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Campus activities — including events and facilities management — also play a role. Energy-intensive operations, such as heating, cooling and lighting, can strain resources and increase carbon emissions.
The prevalence of single-use items, from disposable coffee cups to plastic water bottles, contributes to the global waste crisis. Campus dining services often involve prepackaged meals and excessive packaging, generating substantial waste streams. Additionally, buying new textbooks and school supplies adds to resource depletion and waste production.
7 Tips for an Eco-Friendly Summer Break
Embrace sustainability during your summer break by promoting mindful living. Here are seven tips to help you enjoy an eco-friendly vacation while reducing your environmental footprint.
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Explore Staycations
Tourism accounts for roughly 5% of all greenhouse gas emissions, and transportation is responsible for 90%. Instead of hopping on a plane for every trip, consider alternatives such as buses, trains or carpooling for destinations closer to home. Biking or walking is an excellent environmentally friendly option if you’re going even shorter distances. If driving is necessary, carpooling with friends or family members reduces the number of vehicles on the road, cutting down on emissions and saving money on fuel costs.
Consider exploring destinations nearby and minimizing travel distances. Staycations reduce carbon emissions and support local businesses and economies.
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Choose Green Accommodations
Choose accommodations prioritizing sustainability, such as eco-lodges, hostels with green certifications or campsites with environmental initiatives. Choose places that use renewable energy sources, implement water-saving measures and support local conservation efforts. Look for these certifications when booking lodging:
- EarthCheck
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
- Green Key
- EU Ecolabel
- Green Globe
- Green Seal
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Embrace Minimalist Packing
Packing only the essentials reduces your luggage’s weight, which can decrease fuel consumption during transport. Plan your outfits to avoid overpacking and choose versatile clothing you can wear multiple times.
Opt for durable, reusable items such as stainless steel water bottles, bamboo utensils and silicone food storage bags. These eco-friendly alternatives eliminate the need for single-use plastics, reducing waste and pollution.
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Practice Responsible Tourism
Be mindful of your impact, whether exploring a new city or enjoying nature in a national park. Follow the principles of leaving no trace by respecting natural habitats, minimizing disturbance to wildlife and removing all trash. Stay on marked trails to protect fragile ecosystems and prevent soil erosion.
Approximately 80% of travelers visit coastal regions, contributing to the 8 million tons of plastic that end up in the ocean each year. Avoid single-use plastics by bringing your own reusable bags and bottles. Make an effort to support local businesses and eco-conscious tour operators focusing on sustainability.
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Use Air Conditioning Only When You’re Home
You’ll likely spend most of your vacation out and about, so remember to turn off your heating and cooling systems when you’re not home. Many people leave their air conditioning running, resulting in unnecessary energy usage and increased utility bills. Keep this in mind when you’re staying in hotels, hostels or Airbnbs while on trips.
Turning off or setting back your thermostat while you’re away can save energy and money. Lowering it by seven to 10 degrees can save you about 10% on your yearly heating and cooling costs. This small adjustment reduces power consumption and helps combat climate change by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy production.
Additionally, using programmable or smart thermostats can automate temperature adjustments based on your schedule, making it even easier to conserve energy levels in your home.
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Embrace Sustainable Eating Habits
Whether at home or overseas, enjoy local, seasonal foods to support regional farmers and reduce the carbon footprint associated with long-distance transportation. Over one-quarter of carbon emissions in the food industry are from beef farming alone.
Livestock farming uses a substantial amount of resources, contributes to methane gas in the environment and results in deforestation. Incorporate more plant-based meals into your diet, which generally have a lower environmental impact than animal products. Minimize food waste by ordering only what you can finish and composting organics when available.
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Plan Eco-Friendly Activities
Make the most of the warm days and look for outdoor activities that allow you to connect with nature while minimizing harm to the environment. Hiking, kayaking, camping and cycling are wonderful ways to enjoy the outdoors. Participate in beach cleanups or community gardening projects to give back to the places you visit.
Have a Greener Summer
While summer vacation is a time for relaxation and adventure, it’s also a chance to positively impact the planet. Incorporating sustainable practices into your summer plans lets you enjoy your time off while minimizing environmental impact.
Author Bio
Jack Shaw is the senior editor of the men’s lifestyle magazine Modded and has written extensively about electric vehicles, sustainable practices and maintaining a green lifestyle through your everyday actions. His writing can be found in Green Living Journal, Packaging Digest, EcoHotels and more. Connect with him via his LinkedIn.