Staying Eco-Friendly at the Beach

Making sure to buy organic foods is important to a lot of people-after all, organic foods may be safer to consume because they have not been exposed to any potentially harmful pesticides. But aside from the health benefits, choosing organic also supports environmentally-friendly farming methods.

The second benefit of organics-the environment-is one that motivates many people. And for the people who are concerned about our environment, trying to find as many eco-friendly products as possible is essential.

Can you stick to your "going green" goals for a beach visit, though? Is it even possible? Are there enough eco-friendly products available? I decided to challenge myself. I wanted to see if I could find the items I would need for a beach visit without having to purchase anything that was made by harming the environment in any way.

Bathing Suit

I found a few options for a suit-more than I would have thought, actually. Traditional cotton production requires a great deal of chemicals-but organic cotton farming uses compost instead of chemicals, which is much more environmentally friendly. Here are the swimsuits I liked most (a girl has to have a few bathing suits, right?):

BarstowBikini $60.00
http://btcelements.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=297
made of 100% organic cotton pointelle with 100% bamboo lining
comes in colors of bone, coral, and navy
comes in sizes of extra small, small, medium, and large

Kelly B One-Piece Swimsuit $120.00
http://www.thegreenloop.com/Kelly_B_One_piece_Swimsuit_p/kb-onepieceswimsuit.htm
made of 90% organic cotton and 10% spandex
comes only in black (but a really funky design)
comes in medium (but you can email them to ask for other sizes)

Swimsuit Bubble Print $35.04
http://www.naturalcollection.com/cpre/product.aspx?subgroup=1555
made of 95% organic cotton and 5% elastane
comes in a cute multi-color bubble print
comes in sizes of small, medium, large, and extra large

Beach Towel

There were quite a few choices here as well. This one is my favorite because it looks really thick, cushiony, and very comfortable. Plus, it is much larger than most of the organic towels available. I would probably buy a couple of these, just to have an extra on hand:

Organic Cotton Beach/Yoga Towel $43.23
http://www.ecoexisting.com/uploads/ProductLayouts/ProductDetailDisplay.asp?ProductID=261
made from 100% ecological organic terry cotton
measures 39.5 inches x 79 inches
just one color available, which is a medium brown shade

Beach Cover-Up

Most of us women like to have some kind of cover-up for when we are walking on the beach. There are a lot of options in this category-skirts, shorts, sarongs, and robes, to name a few. The first one below is from a fair trade site, meaning that the site shows who makes the garments, where they are made, and how the workers are paid. Here are the two cover-ups I would purchase:

Silk and Cotton Sarong - 'Bright Blossoms' $57.95
http://clothing.novica.com/sarongs-and-skirts/silk-and-cotton-sarong-bright-blossoms/117863/
handmade from 50% silk and 50% cotton by an artisan in Thailand
measures 3.3 feet long x 4.7 feet wide
bright orange at the top with a darker red at the bottom; has a pattern of ixora blossoms at around the bottom edge

T-Skirt $70.00
http://www.tinctoriadesigns.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=8
made from 54% hemp, 44% cotton, and 3% lycra
available in sizes small, medium, and large
comes in 18 different colors, all of which are made using only natural dyes

Sunscreen

Is there an eco-friendly sunscreen on the market? I knew there was organic makeup, but sunscreen? You bet there is! I found several, actually. Here are a couple of choices:

Burt's Bees Chemical Free Sunscreen SPF 15 $15.00
http://www.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10751&storeId=10101&productId=36667&langId=-1&categoryId=&showSubCategory=yes

Dr. Hauschka Sunscreen Cream for Children and Sensitive Skin SPF 30 $27.95
http://www.drhauschka.com/holistic-products/sun-care/details.aspx?id=160&product=Sunscreen+Cream+for+Children+and+Sensitive+Skin+SPF+30+-+

Sunglasses

What about sunglasses? Would it be possible to find a pair of sunglasses that would support my "going green?" Absolutely. I found a company that makes several different styles of sunglasses out of sustainable wood-not metal or plastic like most other sunglasses. Granted, I would need to save up for awhile to afford these sunglasses, but I think they are worth it-plus, they look really cool!

Ecodesign iWood Sunglasses - Model 407 $350.00
http://www.iwoodecodesign.com/iWood_content.html

Beach Bag

I didn't think it would be a problem to find an eco-friendly beach bag because I have seen so many different types of hemp and organic cotton bags. So, I just had to narrow it down to a favorite that I would buy:

Bright Sisal Bag $32.00
http://www.agreatergift.org/JewelryAccessories/Bags/JewelryBagShould/45639.aspx
measures 10 inches x 10 inches x 19 inches
variety of horizontal colorful stripes
handcrafted by women in the Machakos District Cooperative Union in Nairobi, Kenya

Sandals

I wasn't so sure about finding completely "green" sandals. I thought I could find some that were partially made of ecologically friendly materials, but not completely-so imagine my surprise when I found these sandals made by Splaff. They are made from a combination of hemp fabric and a recycled bike tube. Think they sound unattractive? Think again-these sandals are really good-looking!

Splaff Hipster Sandals - Womens Natural $42 (scroll down to see these)
https://host.securelook.com/calif/Ord_Splaff.html

So as you can see, I accomplished my goal. I was able to find all of the basic necessities for a beach visit without having to compromise my standards by choosing a product that wasn't environmentally friendly. As I am sure you noticed, many of the items that I located are quite pricey, though-that is a common problem with many organic products, so if you are interested in trying to "go green," make sure that your budget can handle it. Or, make sure that you go slow, making one product change at a time so that your wallet doesn't suffer too badly. (And, you can always hint around to people who might give you gifts that you would like "green" gifts.) As more eco-friendly products become available, though, prices should come down.

Maybe now I will take on a different "green" challenge-there are so many products out on the market, just waiting to be discovered, and I can't wait to go hunting!