While many people are big re-users and recyclers at home, once they hit the beach (or a park) all thoughts of sustainability go out with the tide. Despite good intentions after a day at the beach, sunstroke hits and items such as hats, sunscreen, socks, shoes, clothing, towels, reusable bottles, unopened food, coolers, BBQ, strollers are left behind.
Unfortunately, not only does beach trash look bad, it contributes to plastic pollution, which we all know is a huge global concern.
We have pulled together some Eco-Beach Tips to help Eco-ize your next beach vacation and visit.
99% of beach trash is preventable with good planning and organization and simplicity. The more you take the more you have to track and the more you have to lose. The key to living the beach life is thinking Zero Waste.
The easiest way to go anywhere is to pack light. If you Uber, Lyft, dockless bike, carpool or bus it, most likely you will be packing light as who wants to carry all that crap! The less you take, the less you will lose ideally. 
The strongest recommendation, especially for families is to make a checklist of each item you are taking to the beach. If with kids, have individual checklists for each kid and their belongings. Make them accountable for their stuff. This is easy to do with smart phone.
- Clothing
- Shoes
- Socks
- Cover ups, Tee’s, sweats, shorts
- Bathing Suits
- Sunscreen (For a list of Eco Friendly sunscreens see Snorkels and Fins )
- Hats
- Sunglasses, Eyeglasses
- Swim Goggles
- Jewelry including watches (leave at home!) The Metal Detector guys love you!
- Purses, totes, reusable bags
- Beach Toys
- Beach Chairs
- Beach Umbrellas
- Beach towels, mats, blankets, sheets, pillows, sleeping bags (yes, these are on the beach)
- Food accessories: Including tongs, containers, coolers, utensils, knives, cups, BBQ’s. Might consider a separate tote with checklist inside to insure that all is taken away.
- Food items: If you take only fruits and veggies, it is much better than the 50+ snack wrappers that I pick up every day.
- Take Reusable Bottles instead of buying plastic water bottles.
- Strollers, cribs, high chairs
- Baby Bottles and Pacifiers
- Diapers and bags to put the soiled diapers in.
- Reading materials
- Electronic devices: including tablets, phones, chargers, earbuds. Why not consider leaving them at home and take a digital holiday?
- Beach Umbrellas
- Tents and Canopy’s
- Reusable Water Bottles
- Bags for taking away trash
If BBQ’s
- BBQ
- Wood
- Lighter Fluid
- Spits
Have a reusable bag to place socks, shoes and clothing upon getting to the beach. Often times, socks and shoes are just kicked off and get covered up by sand. Placing them neatly in a reusable bag, makes them less sandy and less likely to get lost. If one gives each kid a bag and makes them accountable for their stuff… less crying when one gets home.
Take less plastic.
Consider taking a wet hand towel to wipe, rather than wet ones. (About 100/day found on the beach) A hand cleaner is fine too. Nobody needs wet ones.
Leave the lipstick, mascara, lotions, toothpaste, toothbrush, toothpicks, shampoos, hairbrush, combs, hair accessories and any other cosmetics behind or in the car. Small items such as contact lens solutions, medications, contact lenses, place in a separate non-plastic container. The bigger the item is, the less likely it will be buried in the sand.
Take Beach Toys from home. Most people have plastic containers from home, maybe a gardening trowel for digging and other larger toys. Small toys get lost easily. Another tip, take only brightly colored toys, whites, blacks and greys get lost easily at the beach. 
Note the tide times. The tide comes in and when it goes out…. there goes your belongings.
Double check the beach rules: Can you take animals? Dogs leashed or unleashed? Is drinking, smoking and glass allowed? Lifeguards? Where can you swim? Surf?
If you are staying to watch the sunset, pack up before the sun actually sets. That way you are not scrambling in the dark for lost items.
Leave the shells behind.. I know it’s fun, but seriously, they will stink when you get them home and attract flies. (See Beach-combing)
If every person and or family made a checklist and double checked it before they left the beach, the happier the world would be. The beach cleaners would be happier, as they could get their job done in a timely manner, the marine animals would be happier since they would be eating less trash, the other beachgoers would be happier, as who really wants to look at beach trash, the City would be happier, as cleaner beaches mean more tourists and income, the taxpayers would be happier as their taxes would go toward things like police, fire departments, fixing potholes and other services. Beach Clean People would be happier, as less stooping. (At least I would be happier and less sore). The fisherman would be happier as their fish would not encompass as much plastic, the global economy would be happier as the fish would be healthier… the list goes on and on.
Other than that, have a good time, enjoy the sun, enjoy the water, enjoy the beach.