The sun is here (in and amongst the clouds and in-between the showers of course – it is England, after all) and with hundreds of picnics, BBQ’s and festivals taking place across the country every week, the environment can really take a nasty hit. So with that in mind, we’ve come up with a few simple ways to be greener this summer.
plastic-free picnics
Switching to reusable cutlery, plates and cups is a simple and waste free solution. In terms of food packaging, try to buy in bulk. Things like crisps and sweet packaging really add up, so opt for share bags to enjoy with your pals…or eat them all to yourself, no judgement here. OR, even better, make your own food and bring it in reusable containers…you can’t beat homemade scotch eggs and finger sandwiches!
leave no trace
Now, as wonderful as festivals are, thousands of people gathering in a field isn’t exactly going to do wonders for the environment (although we are thrilled to see some, including Glasto, have gone plastic-free). So what can you do to help? We suggest packing lightly with only reusable, recyclable or biodegradable things and, most importantly, take all your belongings back with you, not forgetting the little things like tent pegs. This will also save you forking out on more camping essentials for next years’ festival – result.
biodegradable glitter is your new bestie!
Festivals are a fab excuse to glitter up, but did you know glitter classifies as micro-plastic, and will be found lurking in the fields for years to come – not fun. The great news is biodegradable glitter exists, and it’s just as colourful and wonderful as the regular stuff.
dabble in some veggie BBQ alternatives
Did you know, the beloved BBQ may lead to more environmental harm than car pollution? Livestock production releases an equivalent amount of greenhouse gases to all of our transportation combined, plus a BIG part of those emissions is something called CH4 (methane), which scientists say is 28 times more potent than CO2 in terms of its “global warming potential”.
Many of us at teapigs HQ opt for a vegetarian diet, and some of our favourite veggie options to bang on the barbie are veggie/tofu skewers, bean/beet burgers, shroomdogs and anything and everything with halloumi - as teapig Rachel H says: "even as a meat eater, BBQs without halloumi are not worth going to!"
Fun fact: one of the winning sausage rolls in our annual sausage roll contest at teapigs HQ was a vegetarian version filled with butternut squash and goats cheese – cheers teapig Sarah for introducing us to one!
leave the car at home
Ditch the car, and walk or cycle this summer when possible to help reduce greenhouse gases. If you're heading further afield, opt for public transport or simply carpool with friends, rather than all driving separately – simples.
pop to your local ‘pick your own’ or farmers market
Picking your own not only reduces your food packaging waste but it also reduces the miles your food travels to get to you, reducing your carbon footprint drastically. Farmer’s markets are another venue which offer a huge variety of really fresh produce and an awesome shopping experience where you can talk have a chinwag with a farmer if you fancy it, too! If these aren’t options for you, a greengrocer can be a good alternative for local produce with minimal plastic wrapped veg.
start your own vegetable patch
Summer is made for salad, so why not go super local and start your own backyard vegetable patch, or windowsill herb garden. Now we don’t like to brag, but we’ve created our own teapigs allotment, where we’re growing tomatoes, basil, lettuce, courgette and more – delicious fresh green salad we’re coming for you!
reusable water bottles
"Well duh!" we hear you say! Yep, this is a bit of an obvious one, but get yourself a reusable water bottle if you don’t have one already. We get through 3.5 billion plastic bottles every year in the UK and it is a huge issue. Plenty of cafes and restaurants will now top your bottle up with drinking water, so you’ll save yourself a bit of cash, too. We’ve got some fab eva solo water bottles available on our site, head over here to check ‘em out. We also have a fab bottle and cold brew bundle, which makes a perfect pressie for all the summer babies out there!
So, what will you be doing this summer (and beyond) to be more green? Let us know @teapigs!
