Did you know that over 70% of our planet is covered by water? That’s 326 million cubic miles (Bureau of Reclamation, 2020)! Let’s break that stat down a little further.
Despite that water makes up approximately 71% of planet earth’s surface, only 3% of it is fresh water. Don’t get it twisted – that’s still a lot of water! Yet, keep in mind that we only have access to 0.5% of it (Bureau of Reclamation, 2020). So, shouldn’t we take care of it?
Whether you’re in or out of the water, there are always sustainable practices you can adopt to protect our most sacred resource.
The most important thing to remember is that when you’re in the water, you’re in someone else home.
Protect your scaly and slimy friends by choosing your sunscreen protection conscientiously! Reef-safe sunscreens are known to be free from chemicals and nanoparticles that are known as harmful to ocean and coral reef environments. If you’re surfing, you’re likely doing it over a natural reef system – that’s where the best breaks start anyway!
2. Planet-Friendly Wetsuits
Consider alternative wetsuit options that work just as well as your oil-based polymer wetsuits. More specifically, neoprene-free wetsuits are coming into their own as the most eco-friendly option out there for surfers. Basically, these new-ish and totally rad wetsuits are constructed using natural rubber – they’re also stretchier because of it!
3. Alternative Surf Wax
Every surfer knows they need an ample amount of grip and traction to ride that wave all the way to the beach. Consider upping your wax game by choosing more eco-friendly (and frankly, less sticky) options, like organic wax. Most non-organic wax contains paraffin which is simply not sustainable, and they emit dioxins which can be carcinogenic. Not to mention, the waste that comes with the transportation of paraffin bleeds into our oceans and further exacerbates our pollution problem.
Now that you’re out of the water, you’re back in your home!
Beach clean-ups are a great way to address our global water pollution problems in a localized way. In this way, they also help strengthen and rally communities over the rather existential threat that is pollution. Beach clean-ups are a huge way to engage in beach restoration, protect debris from flowing back into the ocean with the tides, and most of all, they protect those scaly and slimy friends of ours that are so integral to our ecosystems.
2. Water Conservation at Home!
You’d be amazed as to what daily water conservation actually does for our environment. Easy tips and tricks like limiting your thinking time in the shower to turning the faucet off while brushing your teeth will not only help decrease your water bill, but will also create a positive impact on your local and, therefore, global environment. Environmentally-friendly changes, no matter how big or small, are still marked forms of progress!
3. Reusable Plastics
Reusable plastics like reusable straws and bottles are trending for all the right reasons: “Using the same containers, in the same form, over and over again ideally eases demand for virgin materials, reduces energy needed to spit out thousands of new plastic bottles or cardboard boxes, and prevents heaps of trash from ending up in landfills or oceans” (Ducharme, 2021). Ms. Ducharme, we think you said it best!
This planet is our home, and it’s time we start treating it as such! Playa Bowls is fully committed to sustainability. From the recycled wood we use to build our stores down to the very spoons and bowls we serve our delectable menu items in – sustainability rests at the core of our business model.
For more information about our take on sustainability, check out our blog on Playa Bowl’s top 7 sustainable practices here!
Sources:
10 Ways to Conserve Water for a Sustainable Living. (2017, June 22). Culligan Nation. https://www.culligannation.com/10-ways-to-conserve-water-sustainable-living
Is Reusable Packaging Actually Better for the Environment? (n.d.). Time. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://time.com/6101846/is-reusable-packaging-sustainable/
Sander, O. (2021, March 7). The Ultimate Guide to Eco Friendly Wetsuits (2022 Update). Surf Atlas. https://thesurfatlas.com/wetsuits/eco-friendly-wetsuits/
The Good Wax Co.: Why it needs an alternative to conventional surf wax. (n.d.). Surfpreneurs Club: A Community of Entrepreneurs with Surf Related Businesses & Brands. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://www.surfpreneurs.club/blog/the-good-wax-co-why-it-needs-an-alternative-to-conventional-surf-wax
Water Facts—Worldwide Water Supply | ARWEC| CCAO | Area Offices | California-Great Basin | Bureau of Reclamation. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://www.usbr.gov/mp/arwec/water-facts-ww-water-sup.html
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