Make Your Summer Break Even Greener!

Summer is upon us – enjoy the warm weather! HAGIS has pulled together some tips to help make your summer break even greener!

What to Pack!

Sunscreen – We all need protection from the sun but is your sun lotion damaging the environment? Try looking for sunscreens that are environment friendly, such as:

· The Green People;

· Big Green Smile;

· Natural is better.

Soap - Shunning all shower gels and liquid hand soap dispensers is an easy place to start. By comparison bars of soap are often cheaper to buy, require minimal (or no) packaging and more often than not, contain fewer environmentally damaging substances. Additionally, because you can’t be squirt happy with soap, soaps tend to last longer.

Shampoo - The same principle applies to shampoos and conditioners as to shower gels – the amount of plastic used to make the bottles, the often extortionate prices and the fuel consumption for transportation does not make them particularly environmentally friendly products. Shampoo bars are the perfect alternative; they last for the equivalent of approximately three bottles of shampoo, they require absolutely no packaging and their smaller size and weight make them more commercially portable. Here is one form Lush - Seanik.

Toothbrushes – Have you tried Bamboo toothbrushes? The key feature is that once exhausted the brush is fully biodegradable (although in our house they tend to get used for kindling). You can get the humble brush from Ethical Superstore.

Tooth paste- Think about using brands that have recyclable packaging, here is an article on some of the brands that are available.

Deodorant – Lush produce a roll-on deodorant without the plastic also great for hand luggage!

Clean Beaches - take only photos, leave only footprints

You may have seen in the news over the bank holiday weekend that a lot of beaches were left strewn with litter. When you visit a beach or another destination aim to leave it not only as good but better than when you arrived to do this take your rubbish home with you and some of the other rubbish on the beach, take some gloves and bags to collect the rubbish in.

If you are holidaying in the UK you could also volunteer to do a beach clean! To volunteer at a beach clean, all you need to do is find an event and sign up to attend!

Also think about any souvenirs you may take from the beach, pebbles and rocks may form part of the erosion defences for the beach and shells maybe a home for hermit crab.

Think about souvenirs you buy too, the following may not have been collected or used in an environmentally friendly way:

· Live animals in bags as key chains;

· Anything made from coral or shells;

· Sea creatures such as star fish, sea horses and puffer fish;

· Sponges and loofahs;

· Turtle shell products.

Travel - Most airlines and other public transport have a sustainable travel policy which is great but there is something you can still do. You can offset some of the carbon footprint you create during travel by sponsoring a tree. There are several organisations that will plant a tree for you.

· Trees for life;

· Carbon Foot Print;

· Trees for cities - some interesting tree facts.

Tree walk

If you are not on holiday on the 12 July, why not join us for a Green Impact Tree Walk on 12 July (next Thursday at 12pm). Laura Dobson is leading the walk so it will be great to meet up again, see the trees on campus and get some exercise.

If you have any tips to make the summer a bit greener (apart from wishing for rain!) please send them through or talk to one of the members of HAGIS (Tracy, Anusarin, Karen, Craig, Ian, Sarah H, Marianne and Lynda).

Enjoy the gorgeous weather!

Best wishes,

HAGIS (Humanities Administration Green Impact Stewards)