For most of us, summer beach trips help us cool off, relax, connect with nature, and work on our summer tanning. Sunsets and sunrises over the ocean’s horizon illuminate the skies and clouds in colors that both warm and calm us. The beach during summertime is a holiday on its own. While we visit our favorite beaches, please keep in mind that we should always aim to leave the beach as we found it, especially regarding the trash we create while relaxing on the sand. Each year, billions of pounds of trash and other pollutants enter the oceans, with the majority coming from the immediate shoreline. This figure includes 11 million metric tons of plastics that enter our oceans annually.
Trash washed up on beach, Santa Monica, California, USA. Image: Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images Group 
Bottle with shellfish attached in surf Ko Samet Thailand. Image: Andrew Woodley/Universal Images Group 
Nurdles on the Beach. Image: Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images Group 
Trash collects on Ballona Creek after rainfall. Image: Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images Group 
Discarded plastic waste washed up on the beach at trabolgan on the southwest coast of ireland. Image: Kevin Britland/Universal Images Group 
Transparent plastic bags floating underwater in blue ocean sea water. Image: Arterra/Universal Images Group 
Hand holding trash from beach, Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Image: Lindsey Nicholson/Universal Images Group 
Litter strewn all over Southend’s beaches amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Image: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group
Marine debris is a persistent pollution problem for our oceans and most waterways globally. These debris include microplastics, discarded fishing gear and nets, and litter from the seashore. Litter can include cigarette butts, food wrappers, and plastic bottles are frequently seen on the sand at many beaches, waiting for the tide to come in and bring them out to the ocean, or for seabirds and breezes to transfer them from the sand to the sea.
All beach pollution can be harmful to our oceans and waterways. Plastic, trash, litter, sewage, pesticides, and chemicals such as oil on their own can damage underwater ecosystems and negatively affect the health and well-being of underwater creatures, birds and humans alike. Local economies can also be negatively affected by water pollution as chemicals leaking into waterways can contaminate reservoirs.
Rubbish-strewn beach, Sousse, Tunisia. Image: Andy Soloman/Universal Images Group 
A pile of garbage dragging on a beach in Libreville, August 11, 2019. Image: Desirey Minkoh/AfrikImages Agency/Universal Images Group 
Plastic water bottle washed up on beach, Playa Del Rey, Los Angeles, California. Image: Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images Group 
Sea Lion next to trash boom in Ballona Creek, Playa Del Rey, Los Angeles, California, USA. Image: Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images Group 
Wood and plastic waste has washed ashore due to rough seas in the Indian ocean in the outskirts of Colombo. Sri Lanka. Image: Ricky Simms/Majority World/Universal Images Group 
Beach with trash. Image: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group 
Fishing net on the beach. Image: Nano Calvo/VWPics/Universal Images Group
We are all responsible for keeping our waterways clean, and it’s not very difficult for each of us to do our part when spending time at the beach. The Environmental Protection Agency suggests these four easy-to-follow rules for helping to keep our beaches free of trash:
- Dispose of trash properly in waste and recycling receptacles.
- Bring an extra bag with you so that you can bring your trash home if receptacles are not available.
- If your children use diapers, be sure to dispose of them properly in a receptacle.
- If you are fishing at the beach, be sure to collect and dispose of any broken or used fishing line.
Help keep our seas trash free!
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Sources:
NOAA; “Ocean Pollution and Marine Debris”
https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ocean-coasts/ocean-pollution
NRDC; “Beach Pollution 101” by Sheila Hu; May 28, 2020
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/beach-pollution-101
Ocean Conservancy; “Fighting for Trash free Seas”
www.oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/
EPA; “Take Action at the Beach”