How To Keep Beaches Clean

At Green Toys, our commitment to sustainability is part of our DNA and we are always looking to inspire others with our passion. We’ve put together some top tips on how to keep beaches clean this Summer so you can leave nothing but your footprints behind in the sand.

1. Take Your Litter Home

The golden rule of visiting the beach is to take your litter home with you. If you’re bringing a picnic, make sure you bring your own bag to dispose of your rubbish once you’ve eaten and drank everything. If you can take the bag of rubbish home and recycle it, even better. Around 12.7 million tonnes of plastic sadly end up in the sea every year, with 80% of this litter coming from land. 

2. Opt For Reusable Containers & Bottles

Where possible, choose reusable bottles and food containers (the less single-use plastic, the better). Reusable water bottles can be used for a variety of different purposes and Tupperware containers save the need for foil and clingfilm. 

3. Eat Sustainably Caught Seafood

To make sure our seas stay healthy and a sustainable food source, choose to eat your seafood responsibly. A great way to do this is to eat locally caught fish (head to your local fishmongers or seafood shack rather than a supermarket) and check the labels of any fish products that you do buy from the supermarket. The labels can tell you if the product has been caught or farmed sustainably.

4. Avoid Feeding The Animals

Whilst you may be tempted to chuck your leftover crusts to the eager flock of seagulls who have been eyeing up your lunch, feeding seagulls (as well as other seabirds) your food actually negatively affects their health and stops them from eating their natural nutrient-rich diets. It can further disrupt the ecosystem, making the animals unwell.

5. Go To A Litter Pick Or Beach Clean

Teaming up with your local litter pickers or beach clean team is a wonderful way to help make a difference in your community. Teamwork makes the dream work and is a lot of fun along the way. Protect yourself with robust shoes and gloves as you never know what you’ll find. 

6. Be Environmentally Conscious At Home

Keeping beaches clean starts right at home as all waterways lead to the sea (meaning that rubbish and waste products also end up there too). Think twice before flushing, especially if you're guilty of putting wet wipes down the toilet instead of in the bin. 

In 2017, around 5,000 wet wipes were found in a small area of the River Thames - a prime example of a flushed item that doesn’t disintegrate. Other commonly flushed items that don’t degrade include dental floss, cotton balls, oils, medicines and pet litter. 

7. Spread The Word

Sharing is caring so don’t be afraid to get the word out. Spreading positive messages on the importance of beach cleaning and climate action to friends and loved ones can help make a difference.

What Can Plastic Be Turned Into?

Recycled Plastic Toys

Reduce, reuse, recycle! Our toys are made in the USA from 100% recycled plastic milk jugs. 

All the plastic is collected by waste management, cleaned, shredded into flakes, reprocessed into our raw material, and then mixed with food-safe, mineral-based colouring to be turned into a recycled toy. Clever, right?

The milk jugs we use are 100% post-consumer recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Some products have components made from recycled polypropylene (PP) or recycled low-density polyethylene (LDPE). By using recycled plastic, we stop material from going to landfills, save energy, and reduce our carbon footprint.