From swimwear to toys: how to go plastic-free for a day at the beach

Pre-1950, we just didn’t take plastic to the beach. Now it’s virtually impossible not to, even if it’s just you and your swimmers. “If you’re looking for plastic-free nirvana, you may never find it,” says Anne-Marie Soulsby, aka the Sustainable Lifecoach. Matters are improving – though there’s usually a premium to pay if you want to minus cheap plastic from the mix. So why not borrow the plastic that already exists from friends, family or your local Library of Things. And don’t forget your reusable cutlery and containers for eating and drinking à la plage. If you can’t track down beach essentials from these sources, these are the other best ways to avoid seaside plastic pollution.

Swimwear

“The most sustainable swimwear is what you already own,” says Soulsby. If you’re in need of new togs, they’ll most likely contain plastic. However, some brands are minimising that: Italian label Isole & Vulcani’s swimwear for women and kids uses 93% GOTS-certified organic cotton jersey, with 7% elastane (which is fossil fuel-derived). Designer Natasha Tonić’s swimwear for women is 96% hemp and organic cotton, and just 4% Lycra (yup, plastic), and for men, there’s Industry for All Nations’ 100% organic cotton boardshorts from Venice Beach. If you’re happy with recycled plastic, the greenest option is Econyl swimwear – recycled nylon from ocean and textile waste, from brands such as Deakin & Blue.

Inflatables and bodyboards

“Inflatables are a nightmare,” says Lucy Johnson, founder of the Green Salon consultancy. “There isn’t a solution.” According to one study, UK holidaymakers abandoned around 3 million lilos in 2018. Even the genius Inflatable Amnesty is at capacity and can’t accept any more broken pool toys (though you can still buy its upcycled accessories). So borrow, or look after what you have (you’ll need a specific PVC patch kit as bike puncture glue won’t stick). And avoid polystyrene bodyboards – instead check out Surf Wood For Good, a free rental scheme of Dick Pearce’s birch-plywood bellyboards in 31 UK locations.

Buckets and beach toys

Firstly, ask the internet if your beach of choice has a toy library – more and more British coastal towns do, stocked by those left behind, says Gale. If you do need new toys, she advises silicon: “You can squish it into your bag and it doesn’t go brittle or rust” (Johnson recommends Liewood’s silicon beach set from Kidly). Bioplastic toys are an improvement on regular plastic – for example, Dantoy’s bucket set made from sugarcane – though the ocean won’t thank you if this is lost at sea – it won’t safely biodegrade (ditto recycled plastic toys). And if you’re done with your beach games, pass on to the local toy library.

Suncare

“There is no perfect solution,” says Jen Gale, author of The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide. If you want to be absolutely plastic-free – including those pervasive nano-plastics – then your safest option is a zinc oxide-based formulation. This is water-resistant, but leaves a white veil on the skin (Shade and Sol de Ibiza both come in reusable tins and contain no marine-damaging petrochemicals). As Wendy Graham of the blog Moral Fibres notes: “[Zinc oxide] is OK for the face, but not great for covering your whole body.” The middle ground is complex – there are aluminium-packaged sunscreens claiming to be “reef-safe”, but as an unregulated term, that’s not always the case. Wear that chalky finish like a badge of honour.

Sunglasses

It is actually possible to find plastic-free eyewear, provided that you are one very careful person, because we’re talking glass lenses. The Marylebone-based brand Monc’s sunglasses feature wire and bio-acetate frames (made from wood pulp) and mineral glass lenses. Meanwhile, the Cornish company Waterhaul collects and mechanically recycles abandoned plastic fishing nets to create affordable frames with mineral glass lenses. For those of us who wear our sunnies hard, the B-Corp Bird Eyewear has a lens replacement service (£19.99) for its own frames, which are variously made from wood, bio-acetate and aluminium (though the lenses are plastic). Or for new lenses in your existing frames, try Lensology.

Dryrobes

Although the OG Dryrobe is made from recycled nylon and polyester, most dupes use virgin plastic. Fortunately, the Isle of Wight-based brand Rapanui has developed a plastic-free alternative: except for its metal zips and buttons, the entire water-resistant changing robe is organic cotton.

Wetsuits

If holidaying on British beaches, chances are you’ll appreciate a wetsuit. However, neoprene is derived from fossil fuels and isn’t recyclable or biodegradable. And beware of “eco-friendly”, limestone-based neoprene – although not made from oil, the end result is identical. Patagonia has eliminated all its limestone-based wetsuits and now only uses Yulex, a natural rubber (NB: the formulation still includes 15% synthetic rubber to 85% Yulex). Of course, it’s pricier than neoprene – the Cornish B-Corp Finisterre now offers its Yulex range to rent, as well as buy.

Footwear

Flipflop pollution is real. Hardly surprising, given that about 3 billion are produced annually. According to the charity Ocean Sole, 90 tonnes of flipflops wash up annually on East Africa’s beaches alone. One alternative, suggests Graham, is Waves Flipflops, made from FSC-certified natural rubber. They also take back old Waves flipflops for recycling into, for example, children’s playground matting, and offer a free TerraCycle recycling programme for plastic flipflops from any brand.

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