Our beaches are getting dirtier and dirtier by the day. Picnicking on the beach is a common summer activity, and the huge rush of people who flock to the beach to enjoy a carefree day usually never bothers to look back on the debris that they leave behind. As a result, our beaches get polluted by trash, containing everything from gum wrappers to soda cans. Most of these items get carried away by sea during high tide, and, since most of these things are made from non-biodegradable materials, they remain floating on the waters for indefinite periods. This causes untold misery and even death to marine life, who either mistakenly ingest or get caught in objects like plastic packets and aluminum cans.
How to keep beaches clean?
Let’s see how we can keep our beaches clean and our waters safe.
Clean up after ourselves
The best thing that we can do to keep our beaches clean is to take care of our belongings ourselves. It is alright to carry out a fully-fledged picnic on a warm summer day at the beach, but it is also our responsibility to clean up after ourselves. One good idea would be to carry a trash bag with us, in which we can drop all the discarded items like crisp packets, soda cans, food wrappers, and even empty lotion bottles. This way, we can carry the discarded items back with us and deposit them in our trash cans back home for recycling, instead of letting them clutter up the beach.
Avoid store-bought, packaged goods
Instead of buying crisps and soda, and water in use-and-throw bottles, it would be a good idea to carry home-cooked food along with us. If we carry some sandwiches and French fries in lunchboxes, and some fruit juices in our regular use water bottles or flasks, that would save us the issue of having to discard the empty packets, cans, and bottles. It is really the healthier option, both for ourselves and for the environment.
Clean up after our pets
Family outings to the beach are not just for humans, but for our four-footed friends as well. While you will of course give them a free rein to enjoy themselves on the sand and in the water, it is also up to you to keep a sharp look out. Carry a BM bag and a pair of rubber gloves with you so you can pick up after your pet so no one has to step on anything but the sand. Do not throw the litter into the sea; it would not be nice if something other than water washes up to you when you are taking a dip.
Avoid glass items
It is best to steer clear of glass items while on the beach. Most of us would be playing and running around on a nice beach outing, and the chances of glass bottles and plates falling and breaking is really high. Picking up pieces of glass from the sand may not be an easy task, and you will likely miss out on some jagged pieces here and there, causing potential danger to yourself and others.
The beach is one of the nicest places to go and relax, either with your family or by yourself. But if we do not take care of these sandy shores, we may well be looking only at dirty, littered beaches that will be far from enjoyable. We live on this planet, and it is our duty to ensure its resources are taken care of.
