With the warmer weather and longer days, Summer is a time for getting outside and soaking up the sun. But the heat can make it difficult to stick to eco-friendly habits, especially on holiday when our daily routines change.
Thankfully it's possible to enjoy an eco-friendly summer without sacrificing any of the fun—when you know how! From disposable barbecues to plastic water bottles, I'll show you how to swap all the summer essentials for eco-friendly alternatives.
How can we be eco-friendly in summer?
Being eco-friendly in the summer isn't all that different from the rest of the year. However, the heat does brings with it some unique challenges that can make being sustainable a little more difficult. With a few small adjustments and some new eco-friendly habits, it's possible to enjoy the summer season while protecting the environment.
There are several ways to be eco-friendly in summer from choosing reef-safe sunscreen to bringing reusable picnic supplies to shopping locally and eating seasonally. By making small changes to your daily habits, you can help protect the planet by reducing your environmental impact—without skipping any fun summer activities! Keep reading to learn more.
How to Be Eco-Friendly in Summer
Being eco-friendly in summer doesn't have to be difficult or inconvenient. You don't have to miss out on your favourite summer activities either! By being mindful of your impact and making small changes to your daily habits, it's possible to enjoy the season while protecting the planet. Continue reading to learn how to be more eco-friendly this summer.
Use Eco-Friendly Sun Protection
Conventional sunscreens often contain ingredients that pollute waterways and cause harm to marine wildlife. This summer, switch to using an eco-friendly sunscreen made with reef-safe ingredients. If you're worried you'll be sacrificing safety in favour of sustainability—don't be!
Eco-friendly SPF offers the same broad spectrum protection against UV rays as traditional sunscreen; made using natural ingredients to keep both you and planet safe. Don't forget to wear sustainable sunglasses and swimwear!
Embrace Natural Fabrics
A lot of clothing is made from synthetic fabrics, which, when washed or exposed to sunlight, shed tiny plastic particles. These microplastics get literally everywhere, from oceans, rivers, lakes, soil, air—and even our food!—posing a serious environmental problem.
Opting for clothing made from natural, breathable fabrics, such as linen, cotton, rayon or hemp clothing, will not only reduce the microplastics in your wardrobe, it will help you to keep cool in the heat!
Travel Responsibly
Summer holidays provide a fantastic opportunity to visit somewhere new. But travelling is also one of the major contributors to carbon emissions. If you're planning a summer vacation, travel responsibly by planning an eco-friendly getaway or even a staycation. Avoid flying in favour of greener alternatives, and extended trips than lots of short ones.
Go camping or book a sustainable resort, and plan eco-friendly travel activities. Learn how to be an eco-friendly traveller.
Walk Don't Drive
The good weather makes walking and cycling a great option for getting around in summer. So if there was ever an opportunity to go car-free, summer is the season to do it! It's a choice that is not only better for the environment but one that's often faster and more enjoyable.
Head to the best beaches in your area or plan some woodland walks to really make the most out of the hot weather this summer.
Eat Local and Seasonal
Summer is the best season for enjoying fresh produce, grown and sold locally. It also happens to be an excellent way of reducing your carbon footprint. Not only does seasonal produce usually taste fresher and tastier because it hasn't been stored or transported for a long time before reaching your plate.
Shopping at markets and craft fairs in your area is a great way to support small businesses, from local farmers to designer-makers, helping to reinforce sustainable practices.
Pack Reusables
Whether it's a picnic on the beach or a barbecue in the garden, switch out the disposables for plastic-free alternatives. Approximately 8.3 billion tons of plastic waste is found on UK beaches during the summer months. This includes a wide range of plastic items, many of which are used for picnics.
Instead of paper plates and plastic cutlery, choose reusables. By making this small change, you'll avoid causing unnecessary harm to marine wildlife and help reduce the amount of plastic waste found in our environment.
Enjoy Natural Cooling
Cranking up the air conditioning is the first thing many of us do when a heatwave hits but this is a huge energy drain that impacts the environment. Before flipping the on switch, try natural cooling methods first.
During the day, use fans to circulate the air and curtains to block out the sun during the hottest parts of the day. When the AC is desperately needed, select energy-efficient settings to minimise the impact it causes.
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