Recycling Tips This Summer

With summer comes longer warmer days, picnics, barbecues and ice cream. It is the best time to relax and take a well-deserved break from the stresses of work or school. With all the extra cold drinks and trips out it is also a time where we need to be extra conscious about our impact on the environment. We have collected several tips to bear in mind so that you can minimise your environmental impact.

Go Green with Barbecues

Barbecues have the potential to produce a lot of waste particularly if you buy one of the disposable ones. The best thing to do here is to make sure you recycle everything that was used and buy things with a view to recycling them later. Make sure to keep all paper, card, cardboard, glass and plastic until you can reach a recycling point. Also, try to avoid buying any more than you need and preparing only what you know will be eaten.

Plan Your Picnics

If you want to go for a picnic a little extra planning and forethought can go a long way to helping minimise waste. Use plastic plates that can be taken home instead of paper ones and avoid disposable cutlery. When buying things like fruit, buy fresh fruit that comes loose and do not purchase anything that comes in some form of wrapping. Also, do your best to source your food locally as this will help cut down on carbon emissions caused by transportation. Anything being brought from home can be stored in reusable Tupperware and clingfilm should be avoided entirely.

Grow Your Own Food

The extra sunlight and warmth is good for plants as well as people. It is actually possible to replant several kinds of leftovers and have them grow. Some things that do particularly well are celery, hot peppers, garlic, chives, leafy greens and herbs. Anything that cannot be replanted can be turned into compost and help with the growth of everything else.

Getting Rid of Clothing

Summer is a great time to invest in a new wardrobe of light clothing in a new range of colours especially if you like to keep on top of fashion. Instead of holding on to old things you may never wear again or will only wear infrequently you can give them away to a charitable organisation or a clothing bank. Anything that guarantees that someone will get use out of them instead of letting them rot at the back of a wardrobe.

Keep Batteries in Mind

If you are doing any travelling or camping this summer then it is quite likely that you will be using some kind of battery powered device. If you have access to a solar-powered battery charger this is an ideal way to save on emissions. The next best thing is any kind of rechargeable battery. Finally, if you must use disposable batteries make sure you take them to a dedicated recycling centre for disposal and do not throw them away.

Take Advantage of the Sun to Exercise

Exercising has multiple benefits for physical and mental health as well as the environment. If possible walking, running or cycling somewhere is much better for the environment than driving or even taking public transport. It is also a great way of exploring the local countryside in ways you might not see otherwise. These exercise trips can be fun in of themselves rather than just a means of transportation and are a great group activity with family or friends.