Get your green on for Earth Day 2019 on Monday, April 22! Going green means helping keep our world healthy for our children and our grandchildren. Every day, we can reduce-reuse-recycle, and these tips can help bring sustainability to the beach.

1 – #trashtag challenge

This Earth Day, rise to the #trashtag challenge. We are so lucky that our community treats the beach with kindness, but there is always room to make our sanctuary even nicer. Gather a couple friends to keep our beaches beautiful, and make sure to post a before and after photo on social media to inspire others! If you want to take the next step, use recycled trash bags or reusable bins for the cleanup.

2 – Bring a reusable water bottle!

You can make a difference when you reduce your carbon footprint by drinking from a reusable water bottle on Earth Day this year. Ocean Conservancy Inc. found that about eight million tons of new plastics pollute our oceans every year. Folly Beach reusable water bottles are available at our many beach souvenir shops!

3 – Save the earth and your gas bill

Get some sunshine this Earth Day and try biking to the beach instead of driving. Folly Beach is only 11 miles from the heart of Charleston which takes less than an hour by bike. You might even save yourself some time in traffic! Be good to your body and the earth, but don’t forget to wear your helmet!

4 – Respect the dunes

Sand dunes are important for the prevention of beach erosion, and we use sea oats and other native grasses to keep them in place. Dunes also prevent flooding on Folly Beach during king tides and hurricanes. Help us keep the sand and water where they need to be by leaving grasses alone, using walkovers, and only traveling on the flat area of the beaches. You can brush up on other Folly Beach guidelines here.

5 – Use sustainable beach products

We all know that sunscreen is a must for beach trips, and there are many sustainable options available. Look for products that are waste free, cruelty free, and safe for the environment. Instead of jumping for new plastic toys, re-purpose old containers for building sandcastles. You can also make the choice to purchase cloth beach bags and leather sandals instead of plastic.

There are so many options to get going as a sustainable beach-goer, and we hope that these tips help you take action on Earth Day this year!