Summers are a time to step out with friends and hit the water for a cooling and refreshing time. Unfortunately, many of our summer indulgences aren’t that good for the environment. Just because it’s about time to figure out holiday destinations, doesn’t mean we can take a vacation from being responsible and conscious of all our choices – ALL OUR CHOICES.
Yes, we know, we’ve got a lot of things to worry about.
But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Read our top tips for a guilt-free summer!
1) Eat Less Meat
Yes. Even in the summer! And yes, we know that barbeques are a summer staple. Livestock raised for meat accounts for nearly 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions. For a pound of beef, nearly 1800-2000 gallons of water are utilized. Maybe try some for plant-based foods like mushrooms, zucchini and potatoes? – equally delicious but also planet-friendly.
2) Bring Your Own Straw or just Ditch it!
Straws, though so small and often used casually, have a huge impact and add to the already high plastic pollution in the oceans.
You don’t really need it. However, if you really must use one, carry your own is or use marine biodegradable paper straws.
Note: If you don’t use one, you’d have even less to worry about!
Pro Tip: For your barbeques, opt for reusable cutlery and plates as well.
3) Use Reusable Bottles
Plastic bottles aren’t that durable, and you can’t really reuse it that many times. They end up in landfills or oceans.
Get yourself a sturdy and sufficiently big water bottle to fill up and use hundreds of times. A temperature control thermos would be best for the hot summer days to keep the water refreshingly cool!
4) Eat Local And Seasonal
Skip imported fancy foods and enjoy locally grown goodness like berries, beans, carrots, rhubarb… the list is long and delicious. Cut down on imported foods like avocado and mangoes that take a toll on the environment during their transport and preservation.
Choosing local is not just good for the environment but also aids in empowering the local community and farmers.
Do your bit, learn new recipes and indulge your palate with some lip-smacking summer flavours!
5) Close Your Shades During The Days
The days are getting hotter, so we can’t blame you for turning up the air conditioning.
However, and if you’ve gotten this far in you probably know that it’s not that good. A conscious alternative would be to close the blinds and shades during the day to maintain the room temperature low and let in the cool summer breeze at night by opening the shades.
Not only are you saving on your electricity bill but you’re also lowering your carbon emissions.
6) Wear Ocean-friendly Sunscreen
Lots of sunscreens contain chemicals like oxybenzone that aren’t very good for our coral reefs. Sunscreen runoff into the oceans poses a huge threat to the already depleting coral cover.
Don’t worry! There are a great number of coral-safe sunscreens out there that do the job and help you enjoy the waters guilt-free!
This being said, YOU NEED SUNSCREEN! (Reminder: you also have to re-apply it. Every 2-3 hours if you’re outside)
7) Shop Second-hand
(Yes we know, we’ve mentioned this before.)
Summers call for floral dresses, flip flops, khakis, and stunning swimwear. Shopping for pre-loved pieces of clothing will help you change your style in a pocket-friendly as well as environment-friendly way.
Pro-tip: Even swapping clothes with your friends is a good way to make sure you use your clothing pieces to the fullest and enjoy the summer styles!
