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 to breathe would be increasingly scarce. Plants need the sun to carry out photosynthesis - and for humans and animals it promotes health, vitality and mental well-being.
But its UV radiation is dangerous because it massively increases the risk of health problems. In addition, solar radiation, driven by the climate change₁ But fortunately there are ways and means to protect yourself from the sun in everyday life - also in an environmentally friendly way.
In diesem Artikel stelle ich dir jetzt die besten Tipps für nachhaltigen Sonnenschutz bei dir zu Hause vor. Du erfährst, wie du den Gefahren und Risiken der UV-Strahlen vorbeugen und wie du für ausreichend Schatten sorgen kannst. Auf geht's!
Here you can find a short overview in advance:
- Protect skin specifically from the sun
- Provide shade with trees, hedges and shrubs
- Install pleated blinds and roller blinds on the window
- Get sunshades from recycled materials
- Install environmentally friendly awnings
- Let pergola or arbor overgrown with climbing plants
- Install awnings from ecological fabrics
- Install shade curtains
- Install blinds and shutters
- Reuse old materials for shade
- Build gazebo or garden house with lounge
Advantages: Why sustainable solar shading in the first place?
Before we get right into the tips, I'd like to start by briefly explaining why you should balance sun protection and sustainability. The following two main reasons speak in favor of protecting yourself from the sun as ecologically as possible.
Protect the environment and conserve 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 resource conservation, minimizes damage to buildings and helps, for example, in terms of "Lawn watering" also present, Save water.
Protect health
Whether sustainable or not, sun protection is especially important because UV radiation, among other things, can lead to skin aging, sunburns, skin cancer, circulatory problems, cataracts and Eye damage can lead to a reduction in energy consumption. However, the specially sustainable sun protection additionally protects the environment.
11 tips: How can I sustainably protect myself from the sun at home?
Enough theory! Now I would like to show you how you can protect yourself actively and environmentally friendly from the sun in everyday life. I have compiled the most valuable tips for you. It is in the end Combination of classic sun protection tips and ways to provide shade, have become. Because both fall for me under the umbrella term sunscreen.
Use the following advice to expose yourself to the sun less often, get yourself protect from 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 of conventional creams are, for example, partly responsible for the Coral mortality.
Also wear headgear, sunglasses and clothingIt protects you from UV rays when you're out in the sun and prevents wrinkles. To make your purchases sustainable, you should consciously choose durable fashion and products that are made fairly and from environmentally friendly materials.
It's also advisable to keep your Move outdoor activities to the morning or evening hours, to avoid the strongest sunlight at midday. This is a generally very valuable Tip against the heat in summer.
Tip: What you can do in general against coral dieback I'll explain how you can do this in the linked blog article.
2. provide shade with trees, hedges and shrubs.
Now it's about providing shade in your home to protect both you and buildings from the sun! By planting trees, hedges and shrubs you create a very natural shadow, supports the local flora and fauna and promotes the bustle in the sustainable garden.
The plants contribute to air purification and act as CO2 storage. But make sure to choose native and preferably heat-resistant species to do even more for biodiversity and benefit from the plant shade providers in the long run.
Here are some preferably dense, heat-resistant trees and shrubs that work as a sustainable sunscreen 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.
As interior sun protection for windows, sun protection films as well as pleated blinds and roller blinds of course work wonderfully. Pleated fabric is folded and is for example from recycled materials or from Organic cotton available. You can easily get your Pleated made to measure have it made so that it is suitable for any size and shape of window. The manufacture is of course also for roller blinds made to measure possible. The fabric is simply a little firmer and smoother in roller blinds.
Both types of sunscreen can be conveniently pulled so that you are protected from UV rays even at home. In addition they reduce the heat transfer and help to Energy consumption for cooling your own four walls. When buying be sure to make sure that they Ökotex Standard 100 certified, UV-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 are to protect you permanently and just environmentally friendly from the sun. Manufacturer:inside should also be a member of the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) that promotes fairness in the global supply chain.
5. install environmentally friendly awnings
Awnings are directly connected to a building and are heat, glare, object and sun protection at the same time. For example, there are sustainable solar 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 of durable, recyclable and weatherproof material so that it will serve you as an ideal sunshade for the terrace for a long time to come.
6. leave pergola or arbor overgrown with climbing plants.
For shady patio roofs, there is a pergola or arbor made of domestic woods from sustainable forestry and dense climbing plants such as ivy, vines, creeping spindle or clematis, an 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 you can make yourself a natural dishwashing liquid. You can find out how this works in the linked blog post.
7. install awnings made of ecological materials.
Also by installing a solar sail made of 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, as well as other health hazards. In addition, fairly produced, ecological sun sails also serve as a sustainable garden privacy screen, on the balcony or on the terrace.
8. install shade curtains
On the pergola or terrace roofing can be completely simple garden or outdoor curtains install made of durable plastics (e.g. polyester) or ecological natural materials (e.g. organic linen or organic cotton), which create a pleasant atmosphere when needed, elegantly blow in the wind and function as a green sunshade.
9. install blinds and shutters
Exterior blinds and shutters provide shade, reduce solar radiation and help maintain room temperature. As a result, when the outside temperature is hot, they are also able to Reduce energy consumption for air conditioning. To use this sun protection tip also sustainable, you should pay attention to quality and weather resistance when buying.
Tip: Also sliding and folding shutters made of wood, which are mounted on the outside of the facade, provides a sustainable option for sun protection.
10. reuse old materials
By upcycling you can use natural Conserve resourcesReduce waste and create truly unique shade solutions for your outdoor space. With just a little creativity, you can turn existing things into sustainable sun shades. For example, you can make curtains out of 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 forestry, you have another option for more shade. This way you create a cozy outdoor retreat - and also a Garden house you can leave additional vegetation. With the right orientation in the garden, you'll even make sure you have a shady spot at any time of day.
Sustainable sun protection at home, made easy!
Now you have got to know many ecological sun protection alternatives, you can live out your sunny disposition in the shade while also avoiding dangerous sunburns. Whether with dense, sun-resistant trees and shrubs in the garden, with overgrown terrace scaffolding and upcycling ideas, to sun sails, 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 mistakes 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, responsible and sustainable use of the respective sun protection is of great importance for the health, the environment and the natural resources of our earth. In addition, it is probably the best sun protection in the long term to learn, live climate friendly.
I really hope that I could 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,
PS: In another blog post, you'll next learn the best Ideas for a sustainable summer know. If you like you can now also talk 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].
