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Sustainable Sun Shading – 10 Tips For Eco-Friendly Sun Protection At Home

Sustainable Sun Shading – 10 Tips For Eco-Friendly Sun Protection At Home

What can sustainable sun protection look like? If you want to protect yourself from the sun and provide shade at home, you've come to the right place! Without the warmth and light of the sun, life on earth would not be possible. It would be dark, freezing cold and the air we breathe would become increasingly scarce. Plants need the sun to carry out photosynthesis - and it promotes health, vitality and mental well-being in humans and animals.

But their UV radiation is dangerous because it massively increases the risk of health problems. In addition, solar radiation, driven by the climate changeBut fortunately, there are ways to protect yourself from the sun in everyday life - including in an environmentally friendly way.

In this article, I present the best tips for sustainable sun protection at home. You'll find out how to prevent the dangers and risks of UV rays and how to make sure you have enough shade. Let's go!

You can find a brief overview here in advance:

  1. Protect your skin from the sun
  2. Provide shade with trees, hedges and shrubs
  3. Install pleated blinds and roller blinds on the window
  4. Get sunshades from recycled materials
  5. Install environmentally friendly awnings
  6. Let pergola or arbor overgrown with climbing plants
  7. Install awnings made from ecological materials
  8. Installing shade-providing curtains
  9. Installing blinds and shutters
  10. Reuse old materials for shade
  11. Build gazebo or garden house with lounge

Advantages: Why sustainable sun protection at all?

Before we get straight to the tips, I would like to briefly explain why you should reconcile sun protection and sustainability. The following two main reasons speak in favor of protecting yourself from the sun as ecologically as possible.

Protecting the environment and conserving resources

Sustainable protection from the sun protects the environment (especially coral reefs), for example from chemical ingredients in sunscreens, reduces CO2 emissions for new consumer goods through targeted conservation of resources, minimizes damage to buildings and helps, for example, in terms of "Lawn irrigation" also present, Save water.

Protect health

Whether sustainable or not, sun protection is particularly important because UV radiation can cause, among other things Skin ageing, sunburns, skin cancer, circulatory problems, cataracts and Eye damage can lead to. However, the special sustainable sun shading also protects the environment.

11 tips: How can I protect myself from the sun at home?

Provide shade and protect from the sun at home

Enough theory! Now I would like to show you how you can actively protect yourself from the sun in everyday life in an environmentally friendly way. I have put together the most valuable tips for you. In the end it's a Combination of classic sun protection tips and ways to provide shadehave become. For me, both fall under the umbrella term of sun protection.

Use the following advice to reduce your exposure to the sun, to protect against UV rays and equip your home with sustainable shade solutions.

1. protect skin specifically from the sun

Let's start with the most obvious sun protection! By applying organic, vegetable, mineral. Sunscreen with a high sun protection factor, you protect both your skin and the environment. UV filters and chemical ingredients in conventional creams, for example, are partly responsible for the Coral mortality.

Also wear headgear, sunglasses and clothingwhich protects you from UV rays when out in the sun and also prevents wrinkles. To ensure that your purchases are also sustainable, you should consciously opt for durable fashion and products that are made fairly and from environmentally friendly materials.

It is also advisable to Move outdoor activities to the morning or evening hoursto avoid the strongest sunlight at midday. This is generally a very valuable Tip against the heat in summer.

Tip: What you can do in general against coral dieback I explain how to do this in the linked blog article.

2. provide shade with trees, hedges and shrubs

Now it's time to provide shade in your home to protect both you and buildings from the sun! By planting trees, hedges and shrubs you create a completely natural shadowsupports the local flora and fauna and promotes the hustle and bustle in the sustainable garden.

The plants contribute to air purification and act as CO2 reservoirs. However, make sure you choose native and preferably heat-resistant species to do even more for biodiversity and benefit from the plant shade providers in the long term.

Here are some preferably dense, heat-resistant trees and shrubs that work as sustainable sun protection with plants:

Trees:

  • Cherry tree
  • Sessile Oak
  • Apple Thorn
  • Trumpet tree
  • Bluebell tree
  • Sweet chestnut

Shrubs:

  • Barberry
  • Eucalyptus
  • Lilac
  • Frankline
  • Hawthorn
  • Golden Rain

3. install pleated blinds and roller blinds on the window.

Sun protection films, pleated blinds and roller blinds naturally work wonderfully as internal sun protection for windows. Pleated fabric is folded and is, for example from recycled materials or from Organic cotton available. You can easily find your Pleated blind made to measure so that it is suitable for every window size and shape. The production is of course Also for made-to-measure roller blinds possible. The fabric of roller blinds is simply somewhat firmer and smoother.

Both types of sunscreen can be conveniently pulled so that you are protected from UV rays even at home. In addition reduce the heat transfer and help to Energy consumption for cooling your own four walls. When buying, make sure that they Oekotex Standard 100 certifiedUV-resistant, easy to clean and recyclable.

4. get sunshades from recycled materials.

To get your ecological footprint you should also choose sustainable products for the parasol on your balcony or terrace. For example, there are umbrellas from recycled PET material and natural fibers such as bamboo or jute, which are without plastic waste be sent.

When buying umbrella be sure to check that the fabrics and metal Durable, water-repellent and UV-resistant to protect you from the sun in a durable and environmentally friendly way. Manufacturers should also be members of the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) that is committed to fairness in the global supply chain.

5. install environmentally friendly awnings

Awnings are directly connected to a building and provide heat, glare, object and sun protection at the same time. For example, there is sustainable sun protection fabric from recycled PET bottles, the "cradle-to-cradle"-certified and can be used for awnings, but also for roller blinds.

When choosing an awning, be sure to make sure that it is Made from durable, recyclable and weather-resistant material so that it will serve as ideal sun protection for your patio for a long time to come.

6. leave pergola or arbor overgrown with climbing plants.

Climbing plants are an ideal and environmentally friendly sunscreen

For shade-providing patio roofs, there is a pergola or arbor made from local timber from sustainable forestry and dense climbing plants such as ivy, vines, creeping spindle or clematisan almost ideal, sustainable shade solution.

The plants provide protection from the sun's rays, cool the air and promote biodiversity. You can use them also on fences, trellises or walls entwine to gain more shaded areas in your garden.

By the way: From the Ivy leaves can be used to make a natural washing-up liquid. You can find out how this works in the linked blog post.

7. install awnings made from ecological materials

The installation of a sun sail made from ecological materials such as recycled polyester or Oeko-Tex Standard 100-certified organic cottonyou can make a real difference. The materials are durable, UV-resistant and environmentally friendly - and protect against sunburn and other health hazards. In addition, fairly produced, ecological awnings also serve as a sustainable garden privacy screen, on the balcony or on the terrace.

8. install shade-providing curtains

On the pergola or the patio roofing, you can create a whole Simple garden or outdoor curtains made of durable synthetic materials (e.g. polyester) or ecological natural materials (e.g. organic linen or organic cotton), which create a pleasant atmosphere when required, blow elegantly in the wind and function as green sun protection.

9. install blinds and shutters

External blinds and shutters provide shade, reduce solar radiation and help to maintain the room temperature. As a result, they are also able to keep the Reduce energy consumption for air conditioning systems. In order to use this sun protection tip sustainably, you should pay attention to quality and weather resistance when buying.

Tip: Sliding and folding shutters made of wood, which are attached to the outside of the façade, also offer a sustainable option for sun protection.

10. reuse old materials

Upcycling allows you to use natural Conserve resourcesreduce waste and create truly unique shade solutions for your outdoor area. With just a little creativity, existing items can be converted into sustainable sun protection. For example, you can make curtains from old Textiles create, old Brick make into small walls or Wooden pallets and dismantled Fences Convert to a terrace privacy screen.

11. build gazebo or garden house with lounge

With a gazebo or a garden house with lounge made of sustainable materials, FSC-certified wood from ecological forestryyou have another option for more shade. This creates a cozy outdoor retreat for you - and also a You can also add vegetation to the garden shed. With the right orientation in the garden, you can even ensure that you have a shady spot at any time of day.

Sustainable sun protection at home, made easy!

Protect from the sun at home environmentally friendly
Environmentally friendly protection from the sun at home | Image source © raumtextilienshop.de

Now you have got to know many ecological sun protection alternativesyou can live out your sunny disposition in the shade and avoid dangerous sunburns at the same time. From dense, sun-resistant trees and shrubs in the garden, overgrown patio scaffolding and upcycling ideas to awnings, roller blinds and pleated blinds.

Especially with the latter, I can advise you from my own experience to use the Advice from the manufacturer:inside the pleated blinds to make use of avoid any errors or incorrect purchases and thus unnecessary waste of resources.

"The one who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life."

Rabindranath Tagore (more at Trees quotes)

In conclusion, it can be said that responsible and sustainable use of sun protection is of great importance for health, the environment and the natural resources of our planet. Moreover, learning is probably the best form of sun protection in the long term, live climate friendly.

I very much hope that I have been able to help you with this blog article. Do you have any questions, suggestions or further tips for effective, sustainable sun protection? Then I look forward to your comment.

Stay sustainable and protected from the sun,

Christoph from CareElite - Plastic-free living

PS: In another blog post, you will next learn about the best Ideas for a sustainable summer know. If you like, you can now also find out about sustainable ice cream inform. Have fun!

References:
₁ Wissen.de: Have the sun's rays become more dangerous over the years?, available at https://www.wissen.de/sind-die-sonnenstrahlen-im-laufe-der-jahre-gefaehrlicher-geworden. [06.05.2023].

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* Links with asterisks are so-called Affiliate linksIf you click on it and buy something, you automatically and actively support my work with CareElite.de, as I receive a small share of the proceeds - and of course nothing changes in the product price. Many thanks for your support and best regards, Christoph!

Christoph Schulz

Christoph Schulz

I'm Christoph, an environmental scientist and author - and here at CareElite I'm campaigning against plastic waste in the environment, climate change and all the other major environmental problems of our time. Together with other environmentally conscious bloggers, I want to give you tips & tricks for a naturally healthy, sustainable life as well as your personal development.

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