Summer is well and truly here, so what better time to get outside than with the blue skies and sunshine?! But with record breaking temperatures across Europe and The Earth as a whole, we think that it’s never been more important to be kinder to the planet and find ways to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle...
Here's our guide for an eco friendly summer time, with quick and easy tips, tricks and activities you’re sure to want to try!
Staycation On The South Coast!
The summer holidays are a popular time for a nice getaway… But that can often mean a plane journey, when a train or even car journey would have a fraction of the green house gas emissions! The truth is that the UK itself has something for everyone and can honestly inspire awe at the worst of times! We're obviously quite partial to the scenery here in Cornwall, so click here to read more about the beautiful beaches, best surf breaks, incredible coastal paths and even some secret spots too!
Swim, Surf or Stand Up Paddle Board!
Perhaps the most perfect way to escape the heat this summer and a bit of a must if you do decide to come to Cornwall! But wherever you do choose to visit, when going in the sea, it’s important to be mindful of how regular, chemical based suncreams can effect marine habitats and sea life… Thankfully, there are lots of all natural, zinc based suncreams available, and one that we’re always recommending to friends and family is by Shade! Not only is it completely reef safe, but it comes in a plastic free tin, with one tin lasting for weeks at a time!
Leave No Trace!
Whether it’s at a local park, after a short hike or an excuse to head to a nearby beach, enjoying a picnic can be a great way to get out into nature! But what could be worse than spoiling that experience for somebody else and ruining the landscape with litter? No one likes litter, so why not pick up anything that might have been left behind by somebody else, as well as ensuring that you leave with everything that you came with too.
Similarly, music festivals can be notorious for leaving a whole lot of waste in their wake. Although some have come a long way with the implementation of better eco-conscious practises such as recycling, what goes to landfill anyway is still well worth thinking about. This could mean plastic bottles being sent to a far-away place in Asia, only to not actually ever be recycled. Closer to home though, there has been an amazing increased awareness of another important issue - the glitter that you sometimes see in abundance at events like music festivals is often made from plastic, so never truly goes away when in our environment! Glastonbury Music Festival has gone as far as to ban this glitter, and lucky for us, Ara Evolution have a great biodegradable version - an absolute must for everyone's summertime activities!
Skip On The Single Use Plastics!
Staying hydrated is especially important over the summer months, but it’s also something that can easily slip our minds… We’ve been guilty in the past of popping into a supermarket, purchasing a bottle of water and drinking it in a matter of minutes, only for the bottle to never break down completely and possibly end up in the ocean! The same can be said for other single use items such as straws, disposable cutlery sets and takeaway coffee cups - simply carry a reusable one instead!
Pick Your Own!
Eating seasonal fruit and veg is an amazing eco tip and what better time to start doing so than the summer? This time of year is when strawberries, blackberries and raspberries are all at their peak, but instead of just buying a handful of them packaged in plastic at a supermarket, why not see if you can pick your own at a nearby farm and make a day of it - and even better if you can bring along a reusable container!
Support Small-Scale Farming!
Visiting farmers markets or signing up to a veg box service are just a couple of alternatives to picking your own fruit and veg… Not only can you still save on single use plastics, but also support small, local businesses and often times find much more organic food than at the supermarket, which can be much better for the environment. Or, if you’ve got the space, why not try growing your own fruit and veg in your own the back garden - it can’t get much more local than that!
Get Garden Ready!
Don’t stop at fruit and veg! Planting flowers is a great way to get your garden bursting with beautiful colours and lovely smells - not to mention that they can even help to save bees and butterflies, which we rely on to pollinate much of our food producing plants! Kabloom makes this super easy with their seed bombs, which are also a great way to get kids involved in the gardening too! Bonus points of course if you use your own water butt and compost bin, which will reduce both water from being wasted and food waste just going to landfill.
The Truest British Summertime Tradition!
We hate to say it, but BBQs aren’t always all that eco friendly… However, with all the meat free food options now available at the supermarkets, it couldn’t be easier to consume more mindfully! Opting for meat free alternatives can lower both our water and carbon footprints, and thanks to Linda McCartney offering our favourite meat free sausages and Beyond Meat doing the some of the best meat free burgers, you might not even notice the difference!
One Person’s Trash!
From a fresh summer wardrobe to a nice new set of patio furniture, you can get almost anything you might need second hand, which can mean helping to save the planet whilst saving some money too! It’s true! Almost everything requires tonnes of energy to create, transport and even store, so buying something once loved by somebody else can have a fraction of the carbon footprint. For fashion, Depop is a great mobile app and, for pretty much anything else, Ebay is great for finding a good bargain! However, more often than not, buying online requires postage and packaging, so if you can find the item locally then that’s great, or you could always try asking on a Facebook buy/swap/sell group too!
Make The Most Of It!
Sadly, summer always seems to come and go way too quick, so whilst the sun’s still shining, we’ve thought of a few more small ways that we can utilise the warm weather! Starting with the journey to work - it seems a real shame to not walk or cycle in the summer, saving yourself the petrol and perhaps busier than usual roads! Plus, summer is a perfect time to dig the old washing line out of the garden shed, because on a hot summer’s day, a tumble dryer just seems like a waste of electricity, and an unnecessary addition to the electricity bill! If you have any other little tips like these, do let us know below!
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