Be a Better Beachgoer this Summer

June 5th 2018

“No water. No Life.
No blue. No green.” ~ Sylvia Earle

Summer is coming up which means weekends at the beach, nights on the sand with friends, and dips in the ocean enjoying the salty waves. However, while you enjoy your summer beach fun, remember that the ocean is home to tons of living creatures and we should treat their home with respect and kindness. Year after year, beachgoers fill the shores and leave behind trash that is really harmful for sea life. In honor of World Environment Day, here are a few ways you can be a better beachgoer this summer!:

1. Bring your own trash bag- Beach trashcans can be few and far in between at times, especially when the beach is super crowded with very little room to walk around. This often causes people to leave behind trash at the end of their day because they simple do not feel like carrying it, or it is too much to carry. However, bringing your own garbage bag helps keep trash all in one place and makes it easy to pick up and throw out later.
2. Use reusable containers- Avoiding single use plastics is a great way to help the environment so leave the plastic water bottles at home and switch to a reusable one for your beach day! Not only will this create less trash, it will also help lower your contribution to pollution of our oceans. Did you know that turtles all over the world can be found with plastic in their stomachs due to washed away trash?! Replacing plastic bottles and cups with reusable ones can help save their stomachs and our oceans.
3. Cut plastic can rings- Those little rings that hold your six pack together can kill and injure sea creatures! Be sure to cut the rings to avoid them becoming a hazard to marine life. Even if you plan to recycle them, cut them anyway just in case.
4. If you see trash, pick it up- Just because other people don’t do their part, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. If you see trash, even if it isn’t yours, throw it away. Taking one step out of your way to help the environment might influence others to do the same.
5. Be aware of the products you use- Did you know that some sunscreens are actually be harmful to the environment. Certain chemicals in sunscreen have actually been shown to kill coral reefs. “The ingredient oxybenzone leaches the coral of its nutrients and bleaches it white.”(NPR) So read up and wise up!

By following these tips, you can have fun in the sun while saving the environment at the same time!

Jess~