How To Green Your Summer

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For me, it's the best time of year to be green. Many of the best summer pleasures - sipping cider in the sun and long walks that involve dips in wild swimming spots - do very little harm to the planet. Those that might, such as a barbecue or an afternoon picnic, can easily be tweaked to ensure that they have minimal impact on the environment. Make the most of sunny days and go by foot. By typing your journey details into this website, you can find out exactly how long it will take you to get to your destination if you walk, how many calories you'll burn by doing so and the CO2 avoided by not taking the car. Green your picnic. It's the packaging, you've got to watch. A good start is to choose foods that come in their own natural packaging, such as bananas, boiled eggs and avocadoes. And bring what you can from home rather than using disposable crockery. Jam jars are the perfect receptacles for salad dressing and old takeaway boxes can be used as Tupperware. Enjoy a glass of perry cider. Forget its dodgy associations with Babycham, it's the drink of the summer and Britain's best-kept food secret, according to eco food pioneer Arthur Potts, the man behind green restaurants Acorn House and Water House. "It is golden, crisp, and slightly fizzy," he says. Look for labels such as Gregg's Pit Perry, made by small British producers. Skip chemical-laden swimming pools; indulge in some outdoor swimming. Rivers and lakes are nature's swimming pools. To find out good spots near you, as well as how to hook up with others willing to take the plunge, visit www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com Make your own perfume. The eco-friendly have a duty to go around smelling sweet - especially during the summer months. Given that conventional perfumes are full of chemicals such as phthalates, which are potentially harmful to both users and to the environment, try making your own by mixing drops of your favourite essential oils with either almond oil or good quality olive oil. Resist mineral water and bring your own bottle of eau de tap. Rather than succumbing to plastic bottles of overpriced mineral water, invest in a decent water carrier, such as the lightweight Platypus, and fill it up before you leave the house. Make seasonal salads. Reduce your energy bills and keep your home cool, by giving the oven some time off. Beyond the traditional trio of lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes, there is a world of salads involving cold meats, cheeses and unlikely vegetables. For inspiration, go to www.deliaonline.com/salad-recipes Visit Britain. From organic farms where you can visit the milking parlour to Sioux teepees, not forgetting eco spa breaks, there have never been more options for the UK traveller. It makes it easy as pie to resist booking a flight and stay in good old Blighty. For what to do when you get there, go to www.visitbritain.com. Hold an eco-barbecue. No one wants to give up their right to eat blacken sausages in the garden and there's no need to, so long as you choose FSC-certified charcoal from a British company such as BioRegional, which is available at B&Q, Sainsbury's and Tesco, retailing at roughly £6 for a 3kg bag. Avoid firelighters - with proper charcoal, you shouldn't need them anyway - instead using crumpled sheets of newspaper, or dry twigs from the garden. And finally, marinade your own meat rather than buying barbecue packs from supermarkets. They usually contain low quality meat, which is overpackaged. Eat alfresco, not al desko. Whatever the weather, get away from your desk and munch your sarnies in a green spot where you can hear the birds singing. Even in the city, there are parks to explore and small patches of green. To avoid spillages, try the Wrap'n'Mat, a reusable sandwich wrapper, which doubles as a mat for outdoor lunching. Anna Shepard's book How Green Are My Wellies? Small Steps and Giant Leaps to Green Living with Style is out now (Eden Project Books, £14.99)

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