What is an eco-friendly beach? Thanks for asking!

For many people, beaches are synonymous with the summer holiday season. Beach holidays have been popular since the second half of the 19th century, and are the archetypal form of mass tourism. With millions of people indulging in such getaways each year, it goes without saying that there’s a significant environmental impact. We regularly get riled when seeing pictures of beaches covered in plastic bottles, or turtles choking on straws. Around 10 million tonnes of waste end up in the ocean each year, with tourism hotspots creating 26% more than other cities. Plastic from bags, packaging and straws are a nuisance and threat to sea animals. Even our swimsuits are made from plastic-based materials like nylon, polyester and spandex. and shed microfibres into the ocean, which can be swallowed by sea animals. Cigarette butts also contain plastic, as well as highly toxic chemical components like nicotine, acetone and benzopyrene. A single butt can contaminate 500 litres of water and can take up to 10 years to decompose. They have long been the most collected waste item on the world’s beaches. Some regions use large sand-cleaning machines to clear waste, but these also have a detrimental effect on certain types of flora and fauna on the beach.

Are you saying my new eco-friendly lifestyle isn’t compatible with a beach holiday?

A beach holiday can still be compatible with a beach holiday, but only if you pay close attention to a few factors. To simplify things, you can see whether the beach carries the Blue Flag eco-label, which rewards resorts for meeting certain criteria. For example, a beach must have good quality water, be accessible and offer waste sorting. There should also be educational material on display for visitors to learn about environmental issues. There are over 4,000 Blue Flag beaches and marinas across the world. But even choosing a Blue Flag beach doesn’t guarantee you won’t damage the environment. Something as simple as using sunscreen can have a harmful effect. When swimming in the sea, part of the cream washes off. Its chemical constituents can damage corals and prevent other marine life, such as phytoplanktons, from growing.

Wait a minute, should we stop using sunscreen then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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