Summer is here when the days are longer, warmer, and we want to spend more time outdoors. Unfortunately, summer can bring more littering on the beach, more plastic cups at outdoor picnics, and more travel in cars and planes. Still, there is a lot you can do to keep your carbon footprint down and live sustainability this summer.
Here are our top suggestions:
Eat What’s in Season
An easy and sustainable idea you can try this summer is only eating what is in season. Buying locally grown produce fruits and vegetables that are in season helps lower carbon emissions since the produce hasn’t traveled thousands of miles to reach your dinner plate.
Dry Your Laundry on a Line
Looking to reduce your energy usage this summer? Try drying your clothes outside on a line on a sunny day. Your dryer’s power consumption accounts for up to 4% of your household’s total energy use.
Air-drying your clothes also helps prolong their lifespan by minimizing the gradual wear caused by dryers. So you get to save on energy costs and reduce fabric waste, a win-win for everyone.
Use Reusable Food Containers and Water Bottles
Chances are, you’ll likely get caught up in some form of outdoor activity, and summer days can get, well, quite dehydrating.
We recommend you bring along reusable water bottles when going out on your hike or bike ride. Considering a fun picnic with loved ones? Bring along reusable utensils for your outdoor barbecues and picnics.
Using reusable water bottles in place of disposable ones ensures non-degradable plastics do not linger in the environment. This summer, get a BPA-free reusable water bottle and if you’re into alternative choices of beverage, a mason jar would do as well.
Ditch The Car, Get a Bike
There are lots of good reasons why you should get a bike this summer. The abs for one and second, the environment. With relaxed routines, a bike ride in the warm summer sun sounds like something you’ve been looking forward to for a while now, doesn’t it?
Switch to Sustainable Fashion
There are a number of fashion brands that support recycle production methods including Nike, Adidas, Levi’s, thredUP and others.
Embracing sustainable fashion goes beyond showcasing new looks but what goes into the material. In recent years, brands have been tasked with finding ways to create without harming the environment from the materials utilized to the timing it takes.
Using the right materials can help to create items that last longer along with helping to reduce the amount of waste.
When cleaning out your closet this summer, consider recycling your sneakers before throwing them away. At GotSneakers, we have recycled and repurposed over 2.5 million pairs of sneakers (and counting!).
Want to support the cause? Start simple. Send your sneakers to us and we will pay you for each pair that comes in. Request your FREE Clean Out Kit today.