Living in or around Tampa means having nearly constant access to some of the most pristine beaches in the country, something we shouldn’t take for granted. With the seasons changing and the warm weather upon us, families will be heading to beaches, looking for a day of fun and the sun. For those looking to maintain a sustainable lifestyle while building sandcastles with the kids or splashing in the waves, a little planning can make all the difference. Here are some eco-friendly tips to make your trip to the beach fun while keeping our planet green and healthy.
Eco-friendly Tips for Tampa Beach Outings
A small amount of planning and a desire to go green is all you need to have an eco-friendly beach outing with your friends and family this year. These small changes go a long way in reducing your carbon footprint, lowering landfill waste and even limiting the amount of toxins you may inadvertently be ingesting today.
Bring Reusable Water Bottles: Americans use 50 billion single use plastic water bottles each year, causing significant landfill waste and consumption of 912 million gallons of oil. In addition, they are often laced with toxic chemicals, such as Bisphenol A(BPA), which can cause obesity and other health issues. The simple way to combat this is to use a reusable steel water bottle, making your water consumption safe and sustainable.
Natural Sunscreen Beats the Heat: When looking for a natural sunscreen, look for mineral based sunscreens, which use titanium oxide or zinc oxide as the active ingredients. Looking for the USDA Organic Seal is also a safe bet that you are on your way to going green and not red. It is also recommended to buy in bulk packaging, to reduce the amount or trash produced.
Reduce Picnic Trash: The old style picnic baskets with washable cups, cloth napkins, flatware, and plates are perfect when trying to have an eco-friendly day at the beach. Keeping all of those plastics plates and paper napkins out of the trash helps the planet and keeps a little green in your pocket.
Be a Good Guest: You are in Mother Nature’s back yard, so being respectful is one of the quickest ways to make sure it is there for future generations. Using the walking paths saves sea oats and sand dunes from your destructive feet. Additionally, looking and not touching sea life will make certain our ocean going friends are happy to see us next time.
Making a Splash Without the Trash
Using these eco-friendly tips will make your trip to the beach fun and fulfilling without trashing the planet at the same time. The Tampa area beaches is what draws many of us to live in our own little paradise, therefore it is in our best interest to keep it beautiful for our children and future generations. So get out there and make a splash on your life, but keep the trash at a minimum.
Matthew Speer is the founder of iFame Media, a Tampa marketing agency providing expert SEO services, he also owns iSustainableEarth.com, a website focused on sustainable living.
Matthew Speer of iSustainableEarth.com is a guest writer for Going Green Tampa.
Going Green Tampa is your one stop resource for all things green in Tampa Bay. Promoting eco-friendly businesses, events and conservation to lead our community to be more sustainable.
Courtesy of Matthew Spear for www.GoingGreenTampa.com
Date: June 2013