With people heading back to the beaches and travelling around BC this summer, we think it’s going to be a summer full of celebrating, relaxation and joy. And while that’s already a pretty amazing way to spend the warmer months, we think it can be even better by incorporating a few key eco-friendly swaps of summer essentials like eco-friendly sunglasses, kids’ toys and beach towels.
To make things super easy for you, we rounded up our top five eco-friendly summer essentials – keep reading to learn more and drop by the shop or visit us online to get yours!
Kids’ Beach Toys
Eco-friendly beach toys for kids are super cute and help avoid polluting the beaches and sandboxes with plastics and microplastics. And because they’re made from wood and metal, these eco-friendly beach toys will last year after year, reducing the number of toys you need to buy!
Drop by the shop to get your shovels, sieves, buckets and even brooms to sweep up the sand after your littles are done playing!
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Turkish Towels
Turkish towels are a perfect addition to any beach or travel packing list. They are super soft, thin and lightweight and have amazing absorbency. And because they’re so thin, Turkish towels air-dry quickly and easily. What’s more, Turkish towels become fluffier and more absorbent over time thanks to the long cotton fibres used to create them. And as if that wasn’t enough, they look amazing!
But what is eco-friendly about Turkish towels? The 100% cotton fabric used to make Turkish towels is will eventually biodegrade, and the lightweight nature of the towels reduces the need for tumble-drying, helping to save energy with each wash if they are air-dried.
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Sunglasses
Sunglasses are an obvious must for the summer months, so why not make them eco-friendly? We love Pela Vision’s sunglasses because they are both stylish and environmentally friendly! Pela’s sunglasses are the world’s first 100% biodegradable sunglasses – even the lenses break down without harming the earth. Protect your eyes and our beautiful BC landscape with these sunnies!
![](https://pickeco.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Sulu-Lavender-Kait_676x676@2x-1024x1024.jpg)
Snacks in Eco-Friendly Packaging
Whether you’re lounging at White Rock beach, taking on Cheam or kayaking at Cultus, you’re going to get hungry! We recommend making sure you have yummy, nutritious snacks that are either zero-waste/package-free (make some ahead of time at home or drop by the PickEco shop to grab some zero-waste snacks to go) or that come in eco-friendly packaging.
Stylish and Sturdy Reusable Water Bottle
No matter what you’re doing in the summer, it’s extremely important to stay hydrated! Make sure you have a tough yet beautiful water bottle handy at all times so you don’t need to pick up a single-use water bottle on your travels (or staycation!).
If you’re lounging or travelling with kids, grab a water bottle for them, too! There are plenty of kid-friendly water bottle options that have fun designs and straws that make it easier for the littles to sip their drinks.
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No matter what your plans are this summer, there are some key summer essentials that can easily be made more eco-friendly by picking up biodegradable, no-plastic versions of these must-have items. Drop by the PickEco Refills store in downtown Chilliwack or shop our selections online to stock up for summer!
Images courtesy of our partners Lualoha, Pela and Stasher and Houston Max from Unsplash.