Sustainable Living Tips to Keep Your Summer Green

Posted on Jun 10, 2012 in Sustainable Living & Sustainable Lifestyle by Matthew Speer 0 Comments

As the weather begins to grow warmer and the days grow longer, we know that summer will soon be upon us. The warmth of summer brings about neighborhood barbeques, pool parties and family vacations, though wasteful practices can lead to high utility bills and increased landfill waste. The good news is that having an eco-conscious summer is simple with the right planning and forethought, especially before embarking on those family fun activities. Many Americans are looking to cut costs and save some money on their home cooling bills, especially with the economy still trying to recover. They also want to have some fun without leaving too large of an environmental impact. While maintaining a sustainable living through the summer months can seem like a daunting task, if you follow these green summer tips you can have a blast and go green at the same time.

Green Summer Tips to Save Money and the Planet

Nearly every task you do or fun activity you enjoy can have some impact on your surrounding environment. Therefore, it is quite important for you to realize this and just become aware of the footprint you leave behind. Keep in mind that any change, even minor ones, that help the planet can go a long way, even more so if you teach your children these positive habits as well. Whether you are a “tree-hugger type” or a “casual greenie” we have the green summer tips here to help you enjoy the summer fun while keeping Mother Earth clean.

Skip the Charcoal: Barbeques and summer is like peanut butter and jelly, they are both a match made in heaven. Though not all barbeques are created equal, charcoal grills are dirty and contribute to poor air quality. Try a cleaner burning propane gas grill or an electric one to help keep the air cleaner and to lower your carbon footprint.
Beat the Heat: Staying cool is expensive and causes additional pollution through increased demand on the coal fired power plants spread across the country. You can help reduce your electric bill by using a programmable thermostat and when done properly it can save you up to $180 per year. If you are in a northern climate, ceiling fans can be a savior. Electric ceiling fans are about 90 percent more energy efficient than central air conditioning.
Safer Sunscreen: For your own personal health and that of your family’s, we always recommend that sunscreen be worn when heading out for a day in the sun. Avoiding that lobster look is important as well, unless skin cancer sounds like a good time to you. The tricky part is to find a sunscreen that is not only effective but good for the environment. Some of the chemicals in traditional sunscreens can bleach corals and pollute our freshwater supplies. According to the Environmental Working group, Badger Sunscreen tops the charts in the all natural sunscreen category.
Reduce Picnic Trash: The old style picnic baskets with reusable cups, tableware, cloth napkins and plates are great when it comes to going green. Keeping all of those plastics plates and paper napkins out of the trash helps the pocket book and the planet. Don’t forget to use those reusable water bottles instead of the toxic plastic bottled water as well, it will keep you healthy and save you some money.

The summer is a time for family fun and excitement and as you can see from tips above it can also be a time to go green. These green summer tips are meant to get you started in the right direction towards a sustainable living. So get out there and have fun in the sun while helping keep the planet healthy.