Ecofriendly Living Tips for the Summer
Posted on by Isabelle Brown
Does the summer heat have you running your car’s air conditioner on full blast or buying more refreshing drinks in single-use plastic bottles?
It can be difficult to find an ecofriendly balance in the summer when all you want to do is stay cool. Keep in mind that we can’t be perfect while trying to minimize our personal carbon footprints.
Our organization is all about the power of small daily changes like the daily commute. We’re here to help with some easy daily tips to stay cool while living green this summer!
Try to use Ecofriendly Packaging
“Paper or plastic?” Try neither!
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Keep reusable shopping bags in your vehicle for groceries, trips to the farmer's market, and other shopping trips. The plastic bag full of plastic bags we all used to keep under our kitchen sink is so five years ago.
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Instead of plastic produce bags, try reusable market bags. They are easy to keep with your other reusable shopping bags, and are nice looking, too! If you’re a crocheter (like me) check out this free market bag pattern that is a perfect quick project on a summer day—and also makes a great gift.
Preserve Water in your Home
Beating the heat while preserving water can be as easy as making small changes.
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Take shorter showers. Even spending 3-5 minutes less in the shower can save roughly 10 gallons of water!
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Reuse water wherever you can. Any waste water from waiting for your sink or shower to heat up can easily be collected to water your plants or lawn. Same with water you would drain
Try an Ecofriendly Clothing Brand
Get in tune with the ethical fashion revolution. People are moving past fast online fashion quickly. We want our clothes to fit well, last long, and be made mindfully.
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Make it a goal to buy your next wardrobe staple from a sustainable brand. We found a great list of ethical brands that are at a lower price point.
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For real ecofriendly shopping on a budget, try your hand at thrifting. Secondhand shopping eliminates waste and reduces consumption. See what treasures you can find for your summer wardrobe!
Keep the Heat out of your Home
You can give your air conditioner a break while still keeping it cool!
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Close your curtains and lower window shades. So much heat comes in through our windows. While natural sunlight is nice, keeping your home dark is a great way to conserve the cool temperature longer. We like to pull open the curtains for sunrise and sunset and keep them closed the rest of the day.
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Try cold meals. Summer is the perfect time to experiment with salads, cold noodle dishes, sandwiches, fresh summer rolls, and so much more! Standing in front of a hot oven or stovetop on summer days can lead you to overheat and adds unnecessary heat to your home.
Seek out Ecofriendly Companies
Companies’ sustainability practices mean a lot to most US consumers.
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Green America has an incredible resource to find sustainable brands in numerous product categories. In this age of information, learning more about the brands we use and buy from is easier than ever. Planning a beach trip? Find green brands for sunscreen, bathing suits, and snacks!
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Taking a couple minutes to research companies before shopping with them can go a long way. Of course everything we buy isn’t going to be 100% sustainable, it’s nice to put a little effort in here and there to make a conscious, responsible choice as a consumer! This only relays to industries that we care about what we buy and how it’s made.
Living our Greenest Lives this Summer
Summer is the best time to connect with nature, travel, and enjoy the beauty of the world around us.
It feels great to know you are doing your part to make sustainable choices when possible. Working with budgets and price points is certainly a challenge for certain products, but there are plenty of times where the sustainable choice is also the cheaper one.
Try growing a windowsill garden, crocheting yourself a summer tank top, or biking instead of driving and see how great it feels to go green and save some money!