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Summer is here. Just about! But being on holiday from our normal routine also means that we might get out of our eco-friendly routine of recycling, composting, and avoiding single-use plastics. But let’s not get so over excited about the summer that we let our good intentions slip!
Is it possible to have an eco friendly summer holiday? I think there are ways to make it more eco friendly, and packing an eco friendly kit is the easiest way to do this! Read on to find out what to pack to make your self-catering summer holiday more eco friendly.
Staying in the UK for Your Summer Holiday is More Eco Friendly
One thing the majority of us will be doing this year is staying relatively close to home. So having a holiday in the UK may not be a choice for most of us right now. But there is a silver lining for those of us who long for sunnier climates. Staying closer to home for our summer holidays will immediately have a huge impact on our carbon footprint. In previous years we’ve been to Kent and stayed in an Air B and B, and had the loveliest week. Camping is another great eco-friendly holiday option. Our favourite campsite is in Suffolk, and they’ve taken all sorts of steps to minimise their impact on the environment.
What Else Can we do to Make our Summer Holidays More Eco Friendly?
So aside from not hopping on to a plane, what else can we do to make our summer holidays more eco friendly? Well, by planning ahead a little bit, we can all carry on our good habits all summer long! I have lots of ideas… use one or use them all – every little change makes a big difference.
What to Pack To Make Your Summer Holiday More Eco Friendly
By planning ahead, and packing well, it’s actually pretty easy to have a more eco friendly summer holiday. Here is my guide to what to pack to make your summer holiday more eco friendly. These work whether you’re in a holiday rental or camping. Some of them will be great if you’re staying in a hotel too.
Pack These Eco Friendly Holiday Must-Haves for Your Holiday Accommodation…
The Cheeky Panda Biodegradable Bamboo Anti-bacterial Multi Surface Wipes
Our holiday rental will be cleaned before we get there, but with Covid, I like to be extra careful. These vegan, bamboo biodegradable wipes are made with 99% purified water. Although they do come in a plastic pouch, it is recyclable. They are easier to take away than a cloth and a bottle of cleaner, and streets ahead of the supermarket wipes that are full of plastic.
Fire Up Sustainable Firelighters
The self catering accommodation we’re going to has a little yard with a BBQ. So we’ll be taking our natural, sustainable firelighters and doing a bit of BBQing if the weather behaves. Even if we only end up toasting marshmallows, the kids will love it.
These firelighters are fossil fuel free, which makes them completely carbon neutral. They are made from a wood mix which is fully FSC certified and therefore completely traceable back to source. Safe for the environment, these firelighters are non-toxic, with no formaldehyde or added chemicals โ therefore they are completely safe to come into contact with plants and aquatic life.
Save Money Cut Carbon
You can get smaller packets too, or just take what you’ll need in an old jar.
Non Plastic Beach Boll**ks To Cling Film
If you’re planning on having a BBQ, pop these stretchy silicone food covers into your case too. They’ll keep any leftovers fresh in the fridge. As they come in a range of sizes from 6.5cm to 21cm, there’ll be one that fits any bowl, plate or cup. They are washable and reusable and help cut down on food waste on holiday, or back at home. I’ll be pairing these with a dish to make containers to store cheese, ham, and salad!
Reusable Beeswax Wraps
These wraps are another eco friendly alternative to clingfilm. We use them for wrapping sandwiches, so they’ll be perfect for holiday picnics. Find out more about why these reusable wraps are so great on my plastic-free kitchen guide.
Eco Toilet Roll
Why do holiday rentals only give you one or two for a whole week? Taking a few rolls of either bamboo toilet roll or recycled plastic-free toilet paper with you will mean you might not have to dash to the shops when you’re trying to relax.
Soap Bars
It’s one of my bug bears that there isn’t always soap in the kitchen and the bathroom in holiday homes. So we always pack a bar or two to make sure we have plenty!
Eco Egg for Laundry
Before we had kids, we rarely used a washing machine in a holiday rental, but no, we always do! I’ll be packing my Eco Egg as it’s light, and there’s no danger of it leaking everywhere.
Dishwasher Tablets
Again, holiday rentals often only leave a couple of tablets and when you self-cater, you produce a lot of washing up as a family! So we take a jar with a handful of Bower dishwasher tablets, which are more eco-friendly than any others I’ve found.
Dish Towels and Cloths
Why do they only give you one or two? Don’t forget to pack a few of your own from home so you don’t have to go and buy more during your holiday. We’re taking a couple of the biodegradable cloths from Save Money Cut Carbon sent us a few months ago.
A Knife, Chopping Board and Grater
I have rarely found a holiday home with sharp knives and graters that actually grate! And often the chopping boards look a little suspect. So we have started taking our own, so we don’t have to buy them when we get there.
Loose Leaf Tea and Infusers
Because most tea bags contain microplastics, I’ll be taking my own supply of loose leaf tea, and an infuser. It tastes much better than tea bags so I’ll enjoy my morning cuppa as much as I do when I’m at home.
Pack These Eco Friendly Holiday Essentials for When You’re Out and About…
Taking your trusty reusables so you can take picnics with you, rather than buying plastic-packaged sandwiches and drinks when you’re out is the easiest eco win. Read on for even more!
Kind Bag Reusable Bags (Preferably Recycled)
My favourite reusable bags are the ones that pack down practically nothing – there’s no excuse for not taking them! This pink reusable bag is made of 6 recycled plastic bottles, and nothing else. It packs into a little pocket, but can fit loads of stuff in. It’s actually great for a beach bag, or for shopping. As this bag is made of plastic it’s water resistant and can be recycled again in future. I love the vibrant monstera leaf pattern too. We also take several bags for life on our holidays as we shop for groceries for self catering.
The Cheeky Panda Bamboo Handy Wipes
These wipes are a beach bag essential, especially when you end up having to use a public toilet with no water. Antibac hand gel is great, but sometimes you need something a bit more wipey! Again these hand wipes are 100% biodegradable with a little antibacterial power that’s gentle enough to be used ‘from head to toe’.
Reusable Water Bottles and Coffee Cups
We always take four bottles and a couple of reusable cups with us. We wash and refill the bottles with tap water every morning. I take a reusable cup in my bag for when I need a tea when I’m out! About four times a day…
The Cheeky Panda Plastic Free Bamboo Kitchen Towel
This is another must-have for holiday home cooking, and for beach days. Bamboo kitchen towel feels just like regular paper towel (but is way stronger and more absorbent). This bamboo roll is also free from chlorine bleach, BPA, and is FSC certified. It comes in a paper wrapper too, which is a breeze to recycle. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world, and this type is not the ones that pandas eat.
Stasher Bags
Stasher Bags make light work of packing lunches, from sandwiches to fruit. They also have tonnes of other uses, like keeping valuables dry and sand-free on the beach, and to take toiletries away – pop over to read more about these brilliant silicone bags.
Library Books
Borrowing books from your local library to enjoy on your holiday is the most eco friendly way to read. Our library also has a great selection of audio books and magazines. Why not download them before you go and enjoy a nice story in the car on the way down? As you can’t guarantee what your wifi signal will be like, don’t forget to download everything before you go. It is so frustrating if you don’t, and have limits when you get there.
So now I’m ahead of the game with my eco summer holiday packing, I can decide what clothes to take. So given that we are staying in the UK, that means winter coats and wellies, as well as sandals, shorts and sunglasses!
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