Taking sustainable action during your autumn break

Wondering what to do during your autumn break? Why not take a trip to the great outdoors and become a part of the sustainable travel movement.

By: Mary Deasy

Ways to take sustainability into your autumn break.

Avoid food waste

Many vegetables and fruits can be used in their entirety; however, for ease, we tend to use what we need and compost the remaining. Try saving your scraps this autumn break as you are making your seasonal recipes: Use your carrot, asparagus, onion, and celery scraps to make vegetable stock — Save your potato skins and make delicious crispy potato skins — Roast your pumpkin skins for a delicious snack or use beet peels to make a red/purple natural dye for fabrics.

Insulation

If you are choosing to enjoy the autumn break from the comfort of your home this year, don’t forget to take some measures to properly insulate your home to avoid costs while saving energy. Some tips to increase your insulation would be to use thermal curtains or door draft stoppers, since windows and doorways are considered the draftiest areas in a house.

Buy Local

Across Europe, farmers are opening farm-shops to increase their profits while promoting the local economy. Since autumn is often considered the harvest season, it is the perfect time to visit your local farmer to pick up a festive pumpkin or some potatoes and corn. Not only does the food taste fresher but you are cutting your food miles while supporting your local community.

Sustainable travel

If you want to get outside and enjoy the fall colours this autumn holiday, consider sustainable travel. To reduce your individual footprint, consider booking a stay at a nearby campspace. When we choose to travel sustainably, we are actively cutting the carbon emissions and pollution caused by the transport industry: which make up approximately 10% of all global emissions.

Why opt for sustainable travel?

As conscious travellers we are choosing more eco-friendly transportation methods, gear, accommodations, and activities to help protect nature. The phrase ‘take only memories, leave only footprints’ has been placed on the responsible traveller and refers to treading gently on nature: Therefore, as you begin planning for your autumn or even winter break, consider the choices you are making in every aspect of your trip to reduce your ecological footprint.

Over the past year and a half we have learned the importance of caring for our planet by watching the changes it’s gone through since the Covid pandemic broke out. Making smart choices suchScoutprogramm overview - Google Spreadsheets as eco-conscious travel, staying up to date on your local politics, donating to eco-conscious non-profits, supporting local farmers, participating in sustainable activities, and actively trying to support the sustainable travel movement, is immensely valuable.

When we start thinking about our own, personal choices, we can start changing the world.