5 tips for a more sustainable summer

summer, sun, garbage? Unfortunately, having fun with friends at the lake, swimming and barbecuing also has its downsides. Quite a lot of rubbish often accumulates. Unfortunately, too many people even leave this rubbish lying around in nature instead of disposing of it properly. And most sunscreens are also harmful to our environment. We give you 5 tips on how to make your summer more sustainable and mindful.

More sustainable swimwear

Unfortunately, finding plastic-free swimwear is far from easy. The worrying thing about this is that microplastics are released from plastic fibers and then get into our waters. Unfortunately, we cannot prevent this unless we justifiably do not want to do without swimwear. But there are still more sustainable alternatives to conventional swimwear. Some sustainable companies make bikinis that are mostly made of cotton. However, they also have a small amount of elastane and are therefore not completely plastic-free. Many other companies rely on recycling instead. Even if the swimwear is made of synthetic fibers (polyester, elastane, nylon), it is more sustainable. The manufacturers pull the material from old fishing nets or PET bottles, for example. Another plus is that most of these companies produce under fair conditions and not in bulk.

Eco-friendly sunscreen

Most sunscreens contain chemical UV filters. Many of these are considered questionable because they are suspected of being hormonally active or even carcinogenic. Look out for ingredients like benzophenone, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, octocrylene, or octyl methoxycinnamate, and avoid sunscreen that contains them. By the way, the ingredients are not only bad for our own health. They also harm the environment and marine life, such as corals. For example, oxybenzone causes coral bleaching. Instead, you should use mineral sunscreens, especially when swimming in seas and lakes. Make sure that they are free of nanoparticles. Mineral UV filters form a protective layer on the skin and do not penetrate deeply into the skin.

If you use an outdoor or garden shower, make sure you only wash with products that are environmentally friendly. Because everything you rinse off under these showers ends up directly in nature. For example, our natural soaps are free of silicones, parabens, microplastics and palm oil. Another thing you should make sure is that, if you use one, your scrub does not contain any microplastics. For example, we use sea salt, sugar or poppy seeds. These have a completely natural peeling effect and are biodegradable.

Avoid plastic products

Almost all of us will love and enjoy a cool drink in summer. Even though reusable plastic ice cube trays are more sustainable than ice cube bags, there is an even better alternative. There are ice cube molds made of stainless steel, i.e. without plastic. The same applies to ice molds. This is how you made popsicles super quickly and sustainably. Recipes for vegan ice cream can be found further down the blog.

Barbecuing is also a big topic in summer. Avoid single-use grills, which create a significant amount of waste. There are many small, compact grills that you can use over and over again. You should also avoid using aluminum foil when grilling. You can use stainless steel grill pans instead.

Delicious vegan ice cream

A super easy way to enjoy homemade vegan ice cream... Freezing fruit juices! What sounds totally simple, and of course it is, simply tastes good and is refreshing. Of course, it also works with your favorite jam, smoothies or vegan yoghurt.

Or how about a homemade ice cream? It's a bit more complicated, but it's definitely worth it! You may need a powerful blender or food processor for this.

sherbet

You need:

- 200g frozen fruit

- 100ml coconut milk

- 1 tsp maple syrup

- Vanilla sugar or pod to taste

And this is how it works: Puree the frozen fruit to a homogeneous mass. While stirring, add the coconut milk and maple syrup and add the vanilla to taste. Already finished!

chocolate ice cream

You need:

- 250g dark chocolate

- 250ml plant-based milk

- 5tbsp vegetable oil

- 250ml soy cream

- Vanilla sugar or pod to taste

And this is how it works: Melt the chocolate in a water bath. Then stir in the soy milk, vegetable oil, soy cream and vanilla to taste. After the mass has cooled, put it in the freezer and enjoy later!

vanilla icecream

You need:

- 200g cashew nuts

- 300ml plant-based milk

- 80g of agave syrup

- 2 vanilla beans

And this is how it works: Soak the cashew nuts in hot water and then puree them together with the plant-based milk, the agave syrup and the pulp of the vanilla pods. Put the whole thing in the ice cream/food processor and then freeze as needed. Already finished!

movement with a difference

Ever heard of plogging ? The principle behind it is that you go jogging but carry a garbage bag with you and collect garbage lying around. This is even doubly exhausting because you have to bend down all the time. But you can also take advantage of the nice weather, especially in summer, and do more on foot, by bike or on inline skates. Maybe you'll try something new and rent a unicycle or a tandem with friends. The possibilities are almost limitless.

 

If you would like to be informed directly about the latest blog posts, please follow us Instagram ! :-)