How to enjoy a more sustainable summer

We’re all still waiting for a golden summer, but at least we can have a green one, says your bottle of sun cream.

I’ve had busier years. So far this summer I’ve spent my time sat at the bottom of the bag with my cap firmly on. But just because the sun hasn’t shown its face too often yet, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your summer. Only when you do, let’s all keep the waste down, eh? Here are some simple tips for doing just that.

Drink more, waste less

Sooner or later (we hope) the temperatures will rise and we’ll all get to enjoy some long, hot days of summer. Staying hydrated is important, but so is doing it in a way that keeps waste to a minimum and stops bins from overflowing. If you’re heading to the beach, take a cool bag of drinks with you and some freezer packs to keep everything chilled. Then use the bag to collect the empties and take them home with you to be recycled.

Better still, use reusable bottles and tap water to cut waste even more and keep costs right down.

Keep the BBQ for home

I know we’re not all lucky enough to have a garden, but we have a real problem on the Fylde coast with disposable BBQs. Because they stay hot for so long, there’s much less chance that they’ll be cleaned away once the sausages and burgers have been polished off. That means there’s more chance of them being left smouldering, where they can cause grass fires (in parks or on sand dunes) and serious injury (when covered with sand on beaches).

So please, ditch the disposable BBQ when out and about and opt for a cold picnic with all the trimmings instead. Speaking of which…

Choose a greener picnic

No, I’m not talking about packing your picnic with celery and cucumber (although there’s certainly nothing wrong with that). I’m talking about the sort of picnic that keeps waste to a minimum. When you’re prepping, use washable, reusable tubs and flasks so that, once the feast is finished, there’s no film, foil or packets to throw.

If you’re packing for a kids’ away day, use their school lunchbox and fill the trays and compartments with loose, packaging-free items (a sandwich, tomatoes, grapes etc) rather than choosing items that comes packed in single use plastics.

Sit sustainably

It’s usually about now that most people discover that the garden furniture they put away last year probably won’t last the distance this year. But what sort of garden furniture will you choose next time? Price is important, of course, but investing a little more in your garden furniture could mean it’s likely to last longer (which means it will create less waste in the long run). Better still, try to look for garden furniture made from sustainable materials.

To keep costs down, consider buying second hand or, if you can, wait until later in the summer when stores usually try to shift stock cheaper, so you can afford a more sustainably-made garden suite.

Recycle your sun cream bottles

Remember, I’m recyclable. So if the sun does come out and you start getting through bottles of sun lotion, remember to pop me in the recycling once you’re done with me. Thanks. And enjoy your summer.