This article is packed with all the ins and outs about International (World) Beach Cleanup Day which takes place on 16 September 2023! So, get ready to grab your Eco-friendly sunscreen, reusable duffle bag, sustainable apparel, and a friend and set off to your local beach to help! I will also be making product suggestions, with certain ocean-loving companies I trust and love for your big day!
By Jennifer Dyer
This day was started as a way to raise awareness about the growing plastic pollution on beaches worldwide. Unfortunately, for every mile of ocean, there are at least 46,000 pieces of plastic debris floating within that distance. As plastic does not decompose over a long period, and only disintegrates, we are now finding a higher concentration of microplastics, not only in our oceans, but in almost all water sources. World Cleanup Day unites millions of volunteers, governments and organizations in 191 countries to tackle the global waste crisis and build up a more sustainably conscious world.
How to partake in World Cleanup Day!
1- Volunteer your time at a cleanup!
This is a perfect day to go to your local beach and offer your time and services to clean it up. If no cleanups are happening around you, you can either donate to one that you’re passionate about, or even become creative and organize one yourself! I recommend starting marketing early and on multiple platforms so you have as many people as possible get involved!
2- Don’t be afraid to call out litterers!
Keeping yourself and the environment clean is one of the most basic hygiene practices we are taught as young children. Bring back the cleanliness lessons and implement them on yourself and those around you! Do not stand for littering, as it is hurting the environment one piece of trash at a time.
3- Reduce your plastic usage!
Plastic started as a compelling durable unit used to store a variety of things. But it is these very qualities of plastic that have turned it from a shiny, new product, to a curse. Think about this, the plastic toothbrush or spoon you used 10 years ago and discarded, is still out there somewhere.
It hasn’t decomposed and won’t for the next several hundred years. The best way to reduce plastic pollution is to reduce your own usage of the products you’re using, and opt for bio-friendly alternatives!
Eco-Friendly, sustainable options for World Cleanup Day or everyday use!
1- Raw Love Sunscreen @rawlovesunscreen
Check out this Reef Safe, Organic Certified, Cruelty-free mineral sunscreen. Perfect for bringing to cleanup or even applying on your skin every morning.
2- Little Hands Hawaii Sunscreen @littlehandshawaii
Another amazing Reef friendly, Vegan, All Natural Sunscreen with coconut oil, jojoba oil, shea butter, frankincense and other healthy ingredients that provide a comforting, refreshing aroma.
3- Eha Culture @eha.culture
Eha Culture has 100% Organic Turkish cotton towels, blankets, and accessories you’ll love to wear after swimming or use to lay on the beach after your cleanup!
4-4 Ocean @4Ocean
A profound company that removes trash from the ocean every time you purchase one of their eco-friendly goods, like reusable water bottles, Turkish Cotton Towels, Awareness Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic Bracelets etc. 4 Ocean is one of the only companies in the world that directly manages a global ocean cleanup operation and employs professional, full-time captains and crew to recover plastic and other debris from the worlds oceans, rivers, and coastlines seven days a week. Not to mention, they have amazing beach cleanup gear, like mesh bags and gloves for handling debris and trash!
5- Gi’s Bikinis @gisbikinis (which had a section in this past August Edition)
Is a fabulous eco-friendly swimwear brand to rep at your local cleanup! Being PETA-approved (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and biodegradable, Gi’s Bikinis is a pioneer in conservation and sustainability. Not to mention, the cutest prints and styles for any body shape!
6- Berlook @berlookofficial
Berlook is dedicated to bringing innovation to design, so women wearing their swimwear feel free and beautiful while helping clean up the environment. More than 415,185 plastic bottles have been recycled to make Berlook Swimwear. Plastic bottles which had been saved from landfills and kept out of our oceans. All swimwear is sustainably made, eco-friendly green packaged and made in a small batch production being a zero waste business.
7- Kona Kinis Swimwear @konakinisofficial
Providing eco-friendly, ethically sourced, 50+ UV Protection, sustainable swimwear to you! Designed on the Big Island of Hawaii, and made in Brazil. This butter soft, luxurious fabric you will absolutely fall in love with!
8- Solymar Non Profit Boutique @thesolymarboutique
Eco-friendly, handmade Bohemian chic style coverups, swimwear, accessories, and even household goods. Products made by locals all over the world, like villages from Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand to the Coastline of Santorini and Mykonos. Everything is ethically sourced, with zero waste and environmentally supportive. Donating funds made to Coral Restoration Projects in Riviera Maya, Mexico.
9- Bite Oral Health Brand @bite Effective, Eco-friendly daily essentials made with clean ingredients. Ranging from toothpaste, whitening gel, mouthwash and toothbrushes, everything is biodegradable and reusable. Bite is on a mission to become the world’s most sustainable oral care company by completely revolutionising the industry.
10-If you’re doing a free diving, scuba diving adventure for Beach Cleanup day, make sure to be prepared with everything stated above, and also to stay warm while underwater I would recommend Sea Skin Wet Suites @seaskinwetsuit, they have been my go-to wetsuit brand for years now due to comfortability and reasonable pricing. They have kids, men’s, and women’s sizing, also having surf apparel, and scuba apparel, and accommodating all other watersports like snorkeling, kayaking, canoeing, etc.
What’s to love about World Cleanup Day!
There are many aspects to love about this day. My favorites are, it being a reminder to be more eco-friendly, and sustainable in our own life and in our communities. Keeping clean and becoming more environmentally friendly is a major factor that allows us to lead a more consciously healthy life for ourselves and the planet around us. Science has been proving this hard fact for centuries, thus it’s important to practice cleanliness in all areas of our life, then come together with like-minded people, and spread awareness.
Ultimately, it’s a celebration of the world’s most beautiful beaches and coastlines. When we vacation, somewhere tropical or for our summer getaways with family and friends to the lake house, we are enjoying a day on the water, basking in the sun on a lovely beach, enjoying Earth’s most treasured resources, that are so often taken for granted.
Now, imagine that same beach filled with debris and plastics, you’re swimming through trash just to get to the floating dock ten feet out. Would you continue booking your plane ticket, or going on multiple hour car rides to get there? In some places in the world this is happening, and some people can’t afford to leave where they were born and raised. Despite all the beautiful, lush coastlines and beaches there is as well the contrary, and being a part of World cleanup day, you are able to bring awareness and hope for a brighter future to all reaches of life.
With every action, there is a reaction!
It’s also a great reminder of responsible living! With every action there is a reaction, a frequently stated law in physics we all learn as children. What we do today directly impacts our tomorrow. Therefore choose environmentally friendly products, reduce your single-use plastics, trade plastic for glass, reuse products more frequently, and opt for thrift shopping instead of new clothes, to give you a few examples that are a step in the right direction. Implementing these daily routines in your life is the ultimate goal, which leads to bringing awareness to others to live similarly. This ultimately creates a ripple effect, onward and upward.
Disclaimer – even though I’m really just discussing a particular “day”, every day we should be mindful of our personal consumption, and keep ocean conservation at the forefront of all we do!
A Little about the Author
My name is Jennifer Dyer and I am honored to have now written three articles for Life Lover Magazine. I am very passionate about Ocean Conservation and spreading awareness. I live in Tulum, Mexico and in Detroit, MI, USA, going back and forth often. Being a Master Scuba Diver, and Certified PADI Mermaid, I see first hand how our oceans are being affected.
Over the past 10 years that I’ve been diving, nearly 40% more of the Coral Reef has died, the temperatures of the waters are warming, and trash is more commonly floating in and around our oceans. It’s not enough just to be an ocean lover anymore. It’s about being an Ocean advocate by teaching, expressing our experiences and sharing our knowledge so more hands and hearts can help. Thank you for reading, and if you have any questions or comments feel free to email me direct at Hola.jenniferdyer@gmail.com
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September 2023 | Life Lovers Magazine.
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