The Student News Site of Lake Central High School

Lake Central News

The Student News Site of Lake Central High School

Lake Central News

The Student News Site of Lake Central High School

Lake Central News

How to have an eco-friendly summer

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A student holds their reusable cup. Franchises such as Starbucks and Dunkin’ now offer reusable cups as an alternative to single-use plastic.

Sunshine, watermelon and beach days are what I think of when I hear ‘summer.’ Complete relaxation and no homework go hand-in-hand throughout the months of June to August; however, before this summer I had not really thought about how my summer plans could be affecting the Earth.

Here are some eco-friendly tips to have a green summer:

 

  1. Reusable Cups and Straws: A staple summer drink for me is a Dunkin’ iced coffee or a Starbucks Frappuccino, but ordering drink after drink adds up to a lot of single-use plastic. To avoid this, purchase a reusable cup and straw set and ask your barista to make your drink in that cup instead. A bonus is that places usually give discounts for using your own cup!
  2. Shop Local: Throughout the summer, just about every town in Northwest Indiana has their own farmer’s market with local family-owned farms’ produce. Try buying all of your produce from these farmer’s markets instead of from the grocery store. It’s important to buy local because it cuts the amount of travel the produce has which lessens emissions and helps prevent climate change.
  3. Use Reef-Friendly Sunscreen: Planning on swimming in the ocean this summer? By using reef-friendly sunscreen, you are decreasing the amount of harmful chemicals, nano zinc oxide to be exact, that are going into the ocean and could harm ocean life.
  4. Stay on the Trails: If you are visiting any National or State Park or any sort of nature preserve, be respectful of the plant life and stay on the trails. By staying on the trails, you make sure that the human impact to the surrounding area is limited and that you are not harming the native species by stepping on them or uprooting them.
  5. Better Bug Repellent: The go-to summer bug spray is usually a can of Off! or Cutter, but these sprays can contain harmful chemicals that are not good for you or air pollution. A better alternative could be to use essential oils such as citronella, clove or lemongrass, that are all-natural and non-toxic.
  6. Recycle your Old School Papers: Odds are that you have stacks of paper from the school year. Instead of just tossing those papers straight into the trash, put them in the recycle bin. While it still takes energy to break down the paper and recycle it, it is better than throwing it into a landfill.
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About the Contributor
Karisa Candreva, Author