5 Simple Ways to Be That Responsible Beach Bum

IT’S that time of the year. Heads and headlights turn beach-ward. Everyone looks to the horizon where sea meets sky.

But remember, this summer: nothing should end up in the water but you when you take that dip—certainly not that used paper cup, or that candy wrapper, or the plastic sandwich bag from lunch.

Leave the beach as you’ve found it. Here are five (yes, only five) very, very simple ways to be a responsible bum at the beach.

1. Bring only the necessities. The less you bring, the less bric-a-brac you’re likely to leave lying around, waiting for the turn of the millennia to decompose.

2. Waste-free food. Food is a central part of any getaway. But food is also the source of most waste—candy wrappers, plastic cups; that crumpled-up can of Mountain Dew. Choose your menu wisely. Pick items with less packaging that you’ll end up throwing away. Best yet: pack your food and beverages in Tupperwares, lunchboxes and other reusable containers and throw them all in a picnic basket or cooler. Open those bags of chips or packets of M&Ms and other snacks at home and pour ’em in a Tupperware so you won’t have to deal with the disposable wrapper at the beach. Bring a Coleman, thermos, or other water container instead of bottles (or—God forbid—six-packs) of your drink of choice. (If you DO bring bottles, make sure that you dispose of them [recycle them] properly, after.) Pack your usual dinner utensils instead of plastic spoons and forks. No paper or plastic cups. Use cloth napkins instead of paper ones.

3. Pack it back in. Bring an extra canvas bag, basket, or other container to put any disposables into. Don’t leave them out there lying on the beach—dispose properly at the recycling bins at your beach resort, or bring them home with you for later recycling.

4. Use organic sunscreen. Four common substances in your typical sunscreen kill coral reefs around the world.  The deadly four: parabens, cinnamate or octinoxate, benzophenone or oxybenzone, and 4-methylbenzylidene camphor. The chemicals cause a virus to activate and replicate in corals, turning them dead and white. Millions upon millions of the human populace who take a dip in the sea unwittingly add to the amount of these chemicals in the water due to the sunscreen they use. Opt for organic, eco-friendly brands or make your own at home. The Web has dozens of how-to’s on homemade sunscreen that use only zinc oxide, coconut oil, beeswax, and tea tree oil—things you can find at the nearest drug- or beauty store.

5. Take only pictures. As the saying goes: take nothing but pictures; leave nothing but footprints. Don’t steal that lovely shell or piece of coral from where it belongs. If the sign says “Stay Off the Sand Dune,” then stay off the sand dune, dude. Don’t disturb the local flora et fauna. Remember that you’re the visitor, and the beach is their home.

EXTRA TIP: Smokers should know that cigarette butts are NOT biodegradable—they contain synthetic material that does NOT decompose. If you smoke, bring a portable ashtray or other container which you can dispose the butts into.