Action Tips: Going to the Beach? Make it an Eco-Friendly Trip

You can have fun in the sun in a way that won’t hurt our lovely Mama Earth.

• Crew it up. Fill your car to the brim with friends, or just take a bus to the nearest beach to save some energy, reduce CO2 emissions and save yourself some money.
• Be a good guest. Remember, you’re a visitor so don’t disturb the wildlife and plants. That means using the walkovers instead of walking across sensitive sand dunes. Dunes protect land against storm waves and harbor specialized plants and animals.
• Don’t be trashy. Dispose of your garbage properly by using public trash containers at the beach. If the garbage cans are too far away, lug your trash home with you. If you want to go the extra mile, pick up the trash a less responsible beach-goer left behind. And, keep in mind that the reduce, reuse, recycle mantra is even more important at the beach. Make it easier by packing an old-school picnic basket complete with reusable cutlery and cups, and cloth napkins.
• Fill it up healthy. Hit up your local farmers market or organic food store for some goodies to take with you in that basket. Then you don’t have to buy overpriced, over-packaged food at the beach. Beach food usually tastes suspiciously ocean-flavored anyway.
• Read Green. When it comes to the beach and literature, we recommend the waterproof and recyclable book Cradle to Cradle (William McDonough and Michael Braugnart) or a magazine like Good Mag.
• Take care of the business. Contrary to popular belief, the beach is not one big bathroom. So help keep beaches clean and safe by using public facilities. And since Spot can’t do that on his own, clean up after him please.
• Lather on sunblock. The last thing you need is for your fun day at the beach to be ruined by a burn. Try to stick to the biodegradable kind. Check www.smartshield.com for smart sun protection.

Sources:

E-Zine

The Daily Green