The warmer weather and longer days that Summer brings are in full force here in the UK! Whilst we enjoy all of the wonderful Summer days ahead of us, it is important to make sure we're keeping up our sustainable lifestyles. The heat can make it harder to stick to your eco-friendly habits as we often opt for convenience and comfort, especially when we are on holiday and our day-to-day routine changes. However, it can be simple to enjoy a sustainable Summer season as long as you are properly prepared - and you won't have to sacrifice any of the fun! So, here are our top tips for keeping up your eco-conscious lifestyle this Summer...
Always Take Reusables
Whether you're heading on a holiday abroad or to a barbecue in your friends back garden, one great habit to get into is to always keep reusables in your bag to avoid using things like disposable cutlery and plastic water bottles. Approximately 8.3 billion tons of plastic waste is found on UK beaches during the Summer months, a sad fact that we are all too familiar with here in Margate.
Use Eco-Friendly Sunscreen
Many widely-available suncreams contain harmful chemicals and ingredients that are bad for the environment. These ingredients can pollute waterways which in turn can harm marine wildlife. When shopping for a new sunscreen, keep an eye out for one that says 'reef safe' as this means it doesn't contain ingredients that will cause harm to fish and other sea animals. Make sure to check the fine print on the bottle carefully to ensure you're buying the most eco-friendly sunscreen you can. Also, sunscreens come in so many forms now-a-days, so try and pick one with sustainable, recyclable packaging that works for you.
Travel Consciously
We know that everyone is keen for a lovely holiday in the sun, but flights are one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions globally. If you are able to, consider greener methods of transportation for your holiday (such as trains) or, off-set your carbon emissions with a donation to an environmental charity of your choosing. Another great option is to take fewer, longer trips in favour of lots of short holidays, meaning you really get to enjoy your Summer getaway to the fullest!
For more tips on how to travel sustainably, you can read our guide here.
Keep Cool Naturally
We know how tempting it is to just turn on your electric fans and keep them on all day long. However, this uses a huge amount of electricity and is very damaging for the environment. There are lots of natural ways to keep your home cool such as keeping the air circulating and making the most of the coolest areas in your home. And when you're out and about? Ditch the battery-powered, plastic fans and instead opt for a foldable fan that you can use again and again. Available in a range of bold and colourful designs, our Ghanaian Wax Cotton Fans will help to keep you cool.
For all of our top tips on keeping your home cool, click here.
Use Natural Fabrics
From the clothes you're wearing to the sheets you're sleeping under, choosing natural, breathable fabrics will not only keep you cooler, it is also much better for the environment. This is because many synthetic fabrics contain plastic, so whenever they are washed or exposed to sunlight, they shed tiny, microscopic particles of plastic which gets washed into the waterways, get into the soil and even the air that we breathe! Some great natural materials to look out for are cotton, linen, rayon or hemp. Synthetic materials like polyester and nylon are not only bad for the environment, they also trap in the heat, making you feel much hotter.