What to Take to the Beach as an Eco Friendly Traveler

You wiggle your toes deeper into the sand, the granules slowly trickle on top of your feet. The midday sun heats the top layer of sand and as your hallux digs deeper, stopping when you find the sticky cool sediment you’re looking for. The tide pushes a wave of cool salty water over the growing mound, hardening the sand around your feet. You squirm beneath the weight of the wet sand, cracking until it eventually crumbles and you start the process all over again. Even imagining something so simple can bring a feeling of pure relaxation. It’s one of the reasons we seek out beach vacations. The calmness you feel being by the sea, with just the repetitious action of pressing your toes into sand. 

To continue to be able to enjoy clean sea waters lapping over our toes onto pristine beaches we need to learn how to better protect our oceans & marine wildlife. We need to be more mindful about what to take to the beach as responsible travelers to ensure it will be there for us and for future vacationers. 

What to Take to the Beach 

Many of us have spent summer after summer dragging the same types of beach bags, chairs and toys down to the waters edge. We had the same type of vacation year after year which makes us to be self proclaimed beach bums. 

While we all think we have a handle on the best things to take to the beach for our convenience, thinking of what you pack as a more eco friendly traveler makes this job different than just packing your childhood pool bag. 

What’s in Your Beach Bag? 

The best bag to take to the beach is one you already have! We often forget that reusing and repurposing what we already own is a form of zero waste. Over consumerism is a culprit in the plastic pollution cycle. If you don’t need it, don’t buy it. When I need to purchase a new bag, I look to buy something second hand if possible. 

If I want to treat myself and buy new, I’m looking for brands like BAGGU that use recycled materials and have non leather options. They are committed to ethical working conditions and minimal packaging. 

Sticking with a beach theme, there are companies that craft bags out of used boat sail cloth. New England Trading Co., or ReSails take old sails and up cycle them into bags and accessories. 

You can get a new beach bag and feel guilt free when you take your gently used items to places like the American Textile Recycling Service. They have donation bins nationwide. 

Stay Hydrated 

There are SO MANY options for reusable water bottles on the market. You can find a single use plastic alternative just about anywhere now. That means you can choose what you’d prefer to carry around. Glass, recycled plastic, stainless steel, there are endless possibilities for picking an environmentally friendly water bottle. 

How did I choose? I ultimately go with Hydroflask. They have bottles in multiple sizes and they are made of stainless steel. I chose them because: 

• It’s easy to carry around but heavy enough to be memorable (ie I don’t leave them around as much as a lighter bottle) 
• They clean well and are durable 
• There are color choices I like (my theory is if I’m going to lug something around all day, it better look nice) 

Choosing Reef Safe Sunscreens

Until recently, many of us have been slathering up at the shore unknowingly damaging the marine life. There are over 82,000 different chemicals that originate from personal care products and make its way into our oceans. Places like Hawaii are catching on and banning any non reef safe sunscreens to their beaches. 

Why are Sunscreens so Harmful?

Sunscreens have chemicals like oxybenzone. The job for these chemicals are to absorb the UV rays from the sun. Lotion that isn’t completely absorbed into your skin leeches into the water and eventually coats coral on the ocean floor. Over time it acts as an endocrine disrupter and causes damage like coral bleaching. Coral is part of a delicate eco system that effects the rest of the marine life.  

My go to reef safe sunscreen that is also plastic free is Raw Elements. 

Unfortunately, tube packaging has mixed materials that can’t be recycled, so when you choose a reef safe sunscreen pick a plastic or metal spray bottle so that it can be recycled. The downside is as of now, “reef safe” is not regulated, so do your research and don’t fall for a greenwashing company. 

Product Tip: if you see a little bunny icon on the bottle or tin, that means it has not been tested on animals. 

Snack Attack

You need sustenance if you’re going to be out at the beach all day. Snacks are key for a good beach day. Finding good quality reusable containers is key to packing ocean friendly snacks. What we choose to use can look different for everyone.

One thing I will remind us all as don’t throw away what is already working for you! For example, we have a lot of reusable plastic containers in our house. I’m not going to ditch them to go out and buy pretty new glass containers. The purpose of going plastic free or waste free is use what you have already and lessen our consumption. If I did have to choose, I really love tiffins. I started using them when I spent time in Southeast Asia and I’ve seen them more and more. 

This way you can be prepared when you’re hungry and you won’t reach for a bag of chips or a plastic wrapped sandwich. As a conscious traveler, being prepared is best when deciding what to take to the beach. 

Environmentally Friendly Beach Toys 

I thankfully don’t have to worry about lugging bags of toys to and from the beach. It’s one of the bonuses of being kid-less beach goer. BUT I do have a niece and I know if you have kids, this is something that is a must for your beach trip. 

There are plastic free toys you can find online:

There are plastic alternatives, like bamboo shovels that you can buy. They are safe to use in the water, ocean friendly and biodegradable. There are companies like Green Toys who make toys that are from 100% recycled plastics. 

How to Recycle Old Pool & Beach Toys 

Beach toys are problematic because most are completely plastic and once they are broken or old, many can’t be recycled. For example, Inflatable pool toys can not be recycled. Most are made of a type of plastic, PVC, which is the hardest to repurpose. Try fixing these by patching the holes. If the inflatable toy is unrepairable, these are unfortunately ones that will just be thrown away. 

Pool noodles are another culprit. They are made of foam that is also not recyclable. Trying to repurpose them is the best way to continue using them. A trick I liked was cutting them and placing them in tall boots to help them keep their shape. 

Life jackets are yet another difficult thing to get rid of. Notice a pattern here? Beach gear can be very wasteful! While a life jacket can’t be recycled, you can find places that will take used water sports gear. The Boat US Foundation has a program where you can donate life vests and they loan them out to those who need them. In turn, you can also borrow one instead of buying.

Hang Ten 

Sustainable Surf is a California based non profit organization who are working on projects to help protect our oceans. That includes an ECOBOARD project promoting the purchase of sustainable and ocean friendly surf boards. 

Eco Friendly Beach Chairs 

This was one of the things I had the most trouble with, finding a chair that was made with limited plastic and ethical components. The best choice I found isn’t available for purchase… yet! These Low Tides Chairs are made of recycled plastics and look perfect for the beach. 

Walking back up to the beach house, you often see a pile of dead beach chairs and umbrellas next to the trash cans by the dune access. Is there a better way to dispose of broken beach equipment? Many local recycling organizations will accept the metal parts of chairs or umbrellas. If your stuff breaks at the beach, throw it in the trunk not the trash. Take it back so you can remove the fabric and recycle the parts that can be reused. 

If the chair can be salvaged, you may be able to replace things like the fabric to extend its usage for another summer. 

Even choosing just one of these things at a time, making small changes can make a big difference. The average person (in North America or Europe) uses around 200 POUNDS (about 100kg) in plastic in just one year. Taking a step to reduce your usage in a few categories can significantly reduce waste over time. 

Disclosure: I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website. While this is of no cost increase to you, your purchase helps support my work.