Tips For A Sustainable Beach Trip
At It’s Cactus, sustainability and eco-friendliness has always been a big part of our mission. All of our Haitian metal art is made from recycled oil barrels, which are turned into art, instead of ending up in a landfill. When it is packaged to be shipped to us, it is shipped using recycled boxes and old newspapers. Whenever we can reuse, we do! And we are always looking for ways to be greener!
So when I realized June 21st is National Seashell Day AND the First Day of Summer, it seemed like the perfect time to write a blog about tips and tricks to keep our beach visits as sustainable and eco-friendly as possible. Remember the beach is a home! It’s home for the plants, for animals, and all the fun wildlife we come in contact with. By no means am I saying not to go to the beach, but instead to be a good house guest. So, for all those who love the beach, here’s a few tips on how to make your next beach trip as sustainable as possible!
1. Never collect live shells or pick up starfish.
Since we started talking about National Seashell Day, this seems to be a good one to start with. Sea shells provide homes for a variety of animals: clams, snails, scallops, mussels, crabs. So always make sure your seashell is not being occupied. When in doubt, gently put it back in the water. As far as starfish, remember you should never touch or remove a starfish from the water, as it could lead to suffocating them. It's better to admire from afar!
2. Leave no trace.
It’s so important to leave the beach as you saw it before you visited, better if possible! Before heading back out, look around and make sure all your belongings and trash are with you! If you see trash as your exploring the beach, pick it up! I know, it’s not your trash, but by doing so you are helping keep our beaches clean and our wildlife safe. Plus, a clean beach is a happy beach!
3. Say no to plastic.
Plastic is one of our wildlife’s biggest enemies. Our lovely animal friends confuse plastic with food, ingest it, get tangled in it, and the results are catastrophic. According to World Wildlife, it is estimated that about 52% of sea turtles have ingested plastic! For this reason, when possible, consider bringing a refillable water bottle, don't use straws or atleast use reusable straws, bring snacks in compostable packaging, and choose non-plastic beach toys. Help keep our animals plastic free!
4. Bring your own garbage bag.
Now this one might seem redundant as most beaches have trash cans. But we all know that unless you set your stuff close to a trashcan, the chances of you being close to one, are slim! By bringing your own trash bag, you can collect your trash and dispose of it in the garbage cans more inland or even better yet, take it home and dispose there where beach critters can't find it! Love these Glad compostable bags! Find them here!
5. Enjoy the beach!
I know, it sounds cheesy, but the whole point of going to the beach is to go out have fun, relax, get your toes in the sand. But, also, the more you go out and enjoy the beach, the more you love and appreciate it, and the more the desire grows to care for it for your future trips and for future generations!