5 ways to make sure your beach vacay isn’t trashy 

Sweet summertime! Pack up your bags and get ready to get sand everywhere -- it’s a beach trip.

But there’s just one problem. Our oceans are trash.

“Our oceans have become our toilets. The detritus from our consumer lifestyles inexorably makes its way down into them,” says Iain Kerr, CEO of Ocean Alliance in Massachusetts.

Here are 5 tips to make sure you don’t end up at a trashy beach.

1. Don’t flush that sh*t.

Well, actually, waste and TP are the only things you should flush. Dental floss, “flushable” wipes, feminine hygiene products and cotton swabs should make their way into the trash can and avoid the circling bowl.

2. Keep chemicals away from waterways.

Using non-toxic cleaning and gardening products and biodegradable body washes can help keep waters that end up in the ocean clean of parabens and triclosan that harm sea life. You should also avoid flushing old medications.

3. Say bye to plastic products.

You had to see this one coming. More than 85% of the trash that ends up in the ocean every year is made of plastic and things like straws, plastic bags and water bottles are super easy to avoid by buying reusable items instead of disposable ones.

4. Rely on humanpower.

When you *finally* get to the beach, use your own energy to get around on the water instead of jet skis and speed boats with motors. Stand up paddle-boarding, kayaking and sailing are all super trendy ways to reduce your impact on the water (and get great Insta shots).

5. Use that reef-safe SPF.

Sunscreens have all kinds of scary chemicals that wash off of you and onto delicate sea life like coral, which can end up being detrimentally bleached. Replace oxybenzone with mineral formulas like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to keep you and the coral looking peachy.

Marc Skid is an eco-friendly organic Pima cotton underwear brand dedicated to helping people live healthy and sustainable lives. Find out just how easy it is to make your Marc on the world at marcskid.com.