What does ‘green living’ look like in the summer?

Most Americans want to reduce their environmental impact and many are taking it a step further by practicing green living this summer, according to a recent survey.

In the poll of 2,000 American adults, three-quarters (75%) said they want to reduce the negative effects of their lifestyle and purchases on Mother Earth.

Seasonality may have some influence here, as 64% of those admitted it’s easier to be eco-friendly during the summertime.

But even still, almost seven in 10 (69%) are adopting green living this season and shaping their habits and routines to be as sustainable and eco-conscious as possible.
For many, green living just looks like recycling (78%) and creating less trash (66%). Sixty-four percent are also working to conserve water and 58% are using less electricity.

Conducted by Talker Research and commissioned by Watermelon.org, the study also found that most (87%) feel it’s important to be environmentally responsible during the summer to reduce waste and pollution, given the amount of events, holidays and parties during the season.

And based on respondents’ tips for green living, the survey found that sustainability isn’t complicated. Many shared advice that centered on conscious consumption and taking a “less is more” approach to shopping.

A number of respondents make a point to compost their food waste and avoid plastic packaging when shopping. Other eco-friendly tips include “Carry a reusable kit — a water bottle, shopping bag and utensil set everywhere you go,” “Incorporate new habits into your lifestyle and they become normal” and “Turn the water off when you brush your teeth.”

Respondents summarized how easy it is to live green by saying, “Just be conscious of every little thing you do. You never know when you will be able to do something in a more sustainable manner” and simply “Buy produce that is not packed in a bag of plastic.”

And this summer, many (29%) are grocery shopping for items with minimal packaging, along with foods that are quick and easy to prepare (64%).

Nutrient-density (44%) is also important to people when grocery shopping, along with taking home hydrating foods (35%).

Top summer grocery haul items from the survey include high-protein selections like chicken (74%) and eggs (68%), along with hydration-rich foods like watermelon (68%), greens (66%) and tomatoes (63%).

"There's a handful of considerations people have when grocery shopping during the summertime and, at times, it can feel overwhelming,” said Stephanie Barlow, senior director of communications at Watermelon.org. “Many people are balancing rising grocery prices and their needs for healthy, sustainable and hydrating foods. Eating watermelon can check all these boxes since it’s affordable, nutrient-dense, hydrating and uses minimal or no plastic packaging."

In the survey, respondents were asked about their health goals and the study found that consuming more healthy foods (78%) and drinking more water (76%) are adults’ top wellness priorities.

And for respondents with kids (61%), their biggest health goals for their kids are also improving their hydration (50%) and healthy food intake (47%).

So it’s no surprise that nearly a third of adults (31%) confessed they’re typically dehydrated on any given summer day and more than a fifth of parents (22%) admitted they struggle to get their kids to drink enough water.

To help with this, the majority of parents surveyed (66%) divulged that they feed their kids water-rich foods during the summertime to “sneak” some hydration in.

And the most popular hydrating foods respondents enjoy on summer days are watermelon (74%), strawberries (54%), oranges (46%) and cucumber (46%).

This corresponds nicely with both survey respondents and their kids’ favorite summertime fruit being watermelon (60% and 51% respectively).

“If you’re struggling to stay hydrated during the heat of the summer, try eating some watermelon,” said Barlow. “Or if you just want a cool, refreshing snack, watermelon is perfect for that too.”

TOP GREEN LIVING SUMMER HABITS
● Recycling (78%)
● Creating less trash and waste (66%)
● Conserving water (64%)
● Using less electricity (58%)
● Driving less in general (56%)
● Walking whenever possible (56%)
● Buying locally made/grown products (51%)
● Shopping less in general (44%)
● Buying secondhand products (36%)

GREEN LIVING TIPS
● “Build a compost pile out of anything organic that you would otherwise throw away.”
● “I buy fewer things but choose high-quality, sustainable options.”
● “Carry a reusable kit — a water bottle, shopping bag, and utensil set everywhere you go.”
● “Just be conscious of every little thing you do. You never know when you will be able to do something in a more sustainable manner.”
● “Incorporate new habits into your lifestyle and they become normal. We compost, recycle, buy secondhand and conserve resources. Turn the water off when you brush your teeth!”
● “I try my best to buy produce that is not packed or sacked in a bag of plastic.”
● “Turn off the lights, take shorter showers, recycle whenever possible and buy items at thrift stores.”
● “Going paperless with bills.”

FAVORITE HYDRATING SUMMER FOODS
● Watermelon (74%)
● Strawberries (54%)
● Oranges (46%)
● Cucumber (46%)
● Pineapple (42%)
● Cantaloupe (42%)
● Peaches (41%)
● Lettuce (37%)
● Tomatoes (37%)
● Honeydew melon (30%)
● Celery (22%)
● Bell peppers (20%)
● Zucchini (14%)

Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 general population Americans; the survey was commissioned by Watermelon.org and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between June 17 and June 23, 2025.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:
● Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
● Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in
Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:
● Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
● Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
● Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
● Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once
It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.