How to Be More Eco-Friendly This Summer at Home

There are some seasons where it feels a little harder to be eco-friendly, right? Usually, the seasons where there are extreme temperatures, such as summer and winter, just make it more challenging to want to help contribute to a better environment. Now, most people are like this, and it’s entirely understandable.

You want to be physically comfortable, you want to be safe, too, and extreme temperatures can be dangerous to you and your home, too. So don’t worry; you can still be eco-friendly at home, even in difficult circumstances. Actually, even in the summertime it’s possible too. But how exactly? Well, here’s everything you need to know!

Embrace Natural Cooling

This might not be the easiest thing to do, but it’s helpful to try this until you get way too uncomfortable or even sick. So, instead of relying heavily on air conditioning, use natural cooling methods to keep your home comfortable. Open windows during the cooler parts of the day to create a cross-breeze and use ceiling fans to circulate air.

This also includes closing curtains or blinds during the hottest part of the day to block out the sun's heat- just make sure you’re using black-out curtains and shutters, or else it’s not going to be as efficient. You can also plant trees or install awnings to provide shade around your home, which can significantly reduce indoor temperatures.

Now, these all will help. Even changing out your bedding to summer quilts can help, but sometimes, it still might be impossible. You have to keep in mind that heatwaves are getting worse; they’re getting stronger and lasting longer. In cases like these, you can validate yourself by using the AC but try to use natural cooling wherever you can outside of extreme temperatures.

Look into Sustainable Water Use

It’s tempting to use the sprinkler to cool off, right? It’s tempered to take a few cold showers everyday to cool off too, right? Well, you need to keep in mind that water usage tends to spike in the summer due to gardening, cooling, and other activities.

Now, if you’re drinking more water (which you should), then that’s totally valid, and you need to keep doing that! But with the exception of hydration, you have to be mindful of your water consumption. It’s not just that either; are there leaks? Leaky faucets? How about considering going low-flow with your fixtures? How about smart devices that track the water use?

If you have a garden, consider using a rainwater harvesting system to collect and reuse rainwater for irrigation, or just swap to drought resistant plants like rosemary, olive trees, and lavender in your garden instead. But is that it? Well, if you live in a rural area you could consider using bore pumps, as these can help you access groundwater sustainably, reducing reliance on municipal water supplies. Just remember to water your plants early in the morning or late in the evening to minimise evaporation.

Reduce Plastic where you can

Even when summer hits, you can still have fun. You don’t have to be wasteful, so never restrict yourself because you can truly have the best of both worlds! While yes, it’s true that summer activities often lead to an increase in plastic waste from bottled water, picnic supplies, and other single-use items, you just don’t have to be wasteful. Instead, you can combat this by switching to reusable alternatives, such as reusable picnicware.

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