Eco-Friendly summer Supplies

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Buying organic cotton beach towels is just as important as choosing organic cotton for bath towels. Cotton grown without pesticides is better for the soil, wildlife and region it's grown in and a lot safer for you because embedded chemicals in the fabric do not wash out quickly. Coyuchi's large beach towels are made of GOTS-certified organic cotton grown in India and they're woven in Portugal. One side is velour and the other is an absorbent loop weave terry.

These fringed boho style beach towels are made from certified organic Turkish cotton, grown without pesticides, additives or GMOs. They also contain no harsh chemicals or dyes. The thin but strong design and large size makes drying off after a swim faster. 

While most sunscreens come in plastic, some of Badger's sunscreens are packaged in handy round tins. Badger uses zinc oxide as its active ingredient and it's safe for marine life, unlike most chemical sunscreens. Its ingredients are all natural and  it's  broad spectrum, meaning it protects against both UVA and UVB rays. It's cruelty-free and made in the U.S. in a solar-powered factory.

Raw Love's coral-safe sunscreen is plastic-free, like others in tins. It uses non-nano zinc oxide, which provides effective broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection without penetrating the skin, making it safe for sensitive skin. It complies with Hawaii's Reef Act, which bans the sale of sunscreens containing coral-harming chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate.

These wide-brimmed summer hats from Wallaroo are made from natural raffia fiber from Madagascar. This one is adjustable via a drawstring around the interior circumference. Wallaroo -- which was inspired by the strong Australia sun and the need for protection from it -- has a huge line of summer hats. 

Sun Hat: This handsome Stetson hat is made from 100 percent organic cotton and has a  UV protection factor of 40+, making it ideal for outside summer activities. Its retro look is attractive and in style all year round. The wide brim helps to keep sun off of Dad's face and neck and the ventilation eyelets on the side help create a cooling air flow inside. It has a cotton lining for extra comfort. 

The 16-oz. Lifefactory reusable water bottle is made of glass and has a silicone sleeve to protect against beaking and provide a secure grip. Its flip cap is BPA-free. Lifefactory’s bottles are made in France and the caps are made in the U.S. The wide mouth makes it easy to add ice cubes, lemon wedges or tea bags.  Lifefactory also has glass baby bottles and attachments to turn them into sippy bottles. 

These glasses from Lifefactory are glass with a non-slip silicone sleeve, both protective and decorative. Great for outdoor parties and picnics. Elegant enough for wine and also great for all kinds of drinks. And eco-friendly - no plastic. They're made in the US. 

Lifefactory's taller beverage glasses offer the same elegant style and protective silicone sleeve as their wine glasses and are also plastic-free. Great for indoor or outdoor use. The non-slip grip is perfect for kids. They are made in the US. 

This bamboo cutlery from EcoRoots is reusable and compostable and perfect for picnics and traveling. Bamboo is naturally antibacterial and biodegradable and an environmental superhero. These come in plastic-free packaging.

These eco-friendly cups and lids are made entirely from sugarcane fiber and are biodegradable, even the lids. They are free of harmful chemicals and are a great alternative to plastic. 

These disposable picnic plates are stronger than paper yet are still biodegradable and plastic-free. They are made from naturally fallen palm leaves so are sustainable and eco-friendly. They're USDA BioPreferred Certified, free from harmful chemicals, BPA, dyes, and toxins. With a natural woody look they are also more attractive then plastic or even paper plates. 

I love these natural cork handbags from Corkor. Sustainably made in Portugal from responsibly grown and harvested cork, a raw material that helps the environment in a variety of ways, including drawing CO2 from the air. Cork is a major carbon sink in fact, sucking up even more of it in as the harvested bark grows back. This bag is stylish and practical, cruelty-free and plastic-free. 

This stylish all-around canvas tote is the best in eco-friendliness. It's made of organic sustainable cotton, is biodegradable, reusable, recyclable, and is GOTS-certified for both ecological integrity and social responsibility. Perfect size for the beach, picnics or shopping. It ships in paper packaging. 

This plastic-free water bottle is made of high quality food-grade double walled stainless steel with a bamboo and stainless steel lid with loop carrier, and silicone ring as a water seal. It's suitable for both hot and cold beverages. Stainless steel is considered sustainable because it is recyclable into the same product. Bamboo is also highly eco-friendly.

This lip balm in a tin is infused with a hint of rose extract, which is said to calm skin irritation and condition skin. Lanolin, cotton seed and jojoba oil  hydrate and heal chapped lips and dry skin on the face, hands and body. It's cruelty-free and made in the US. 

Earthling's shampoo and conditioner bars are packaged in cardboard and their light weight makes them easy to bring along when traveling. They are made with natural plant oils and other non-toxic ingredients and contain no parabens, phthalates, sulfates, silicones or artificial fragrances or dyes. 

Cork yoga mats are naturally anti-microbial since cork from tree bark is anti-microbial. So grime and odors don't build up them. This mat from Ananday is made of renewable cork and natural tree rubber. No plastic. No harsh chemicals. No toxins. 100% biodegradable. Cork is one of the most earth-friendly materials available. The bark is stripped by hand every nine years and regenerates itself. A harvested cork tree absorbs up to five times more CO2 than one that isn’t cultivated.

This travel yoga mat from Ananday, a maker of eco-friendly yoga products, is made of renewable interwoven jute and tree rubber. Non-toxic, biodegradable and plastic-free. Like cork, jute is also an eco-friendly and versatile material. It returns nutrients to the soil and doesn't require any chemical fertilizers/pesticides to grow. Rubber trees are a renewable resource that capture, store, and reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Hemp is one of the most eco-responsible materials available for making a wide variety of non-toxic products, including fabrics. This organic hemp and cotton hippy style backpack is handwoven, sustainable and, eventually, compostable. It supports fair trade practices by empowering local women in Nepal, who make the bags and other crafts.

Handmade in Vietnam from real coconuts, these bowls are great for summer entertaining. They also make nice gifts. They're organic, biodegradable and completely natural. Each is made from coconuts grown without pesticides or other chemicals and the spoons are made from reclaimed wood. 

Breathable, washable and biodegradable, hemp bowl covers help to keep your leftovers fresh and protected with using toxic plastic film. An elastic band enables them to fit snugly. Comes as a set of five. Machine-washable. 

Board games with family and friends are a summer pastime for many of us. This  Star Checkers game (also known as Chinese Checkers) is handmade in India by artists working with the Asha Handicrafts Association, which works to support thousands of individual artists and craftspeople throughout India. The game is made of mango wood and marbles. 

Cedar Birdhouse: A bird house is a wonderful gift for just about anyone as long as they have a spot to hang it. Watching birds come and go is relaxing, fun and even educational. This birdhouse has a traditional simple design and is made entirely of cedar and stainless steel rust-free hardware. It’s plastic-free. Cedar is naturally pest and rot resistant so it’s an ideal wood for outdoor use and avoids the need for chemical treatments. 

This basket is handwoven in Uganda from banana fiber and raffia palm. It is made thought Uganda Crafts, the oldest and largest craft shop in the country. The organization brings a sustainable and fair income to their artisans, most of whom are either people with disabilities, widowed, or others often excluded from the global economy.  Brought to the US by Ten Thousand Villages.

This travel Berkey water filter system is a great size for camping or taking on vacation. It's also ideal for apartments or the office. Berkey is one of the best water filter brands and there's very little plastic. The outer cylinder is stainless steel. The charcoal filter elements remove or greatly reduce more than 200 contaminants that might be in fresh water sources. No electricity needed.  

If you're planning a painting project this summer eco-friendly Ecos Paints is a great choice. The non-toxic line of paint is water-based and made without the harsh chemicals found in conventional paints, including zero VOCs. Made in South Carolina. They also have an EMF-shielding primer great for reducing your exposure to radiation at home in at work.

8000 KIcks has a large line of casual shoes made from hemp for both men and women. Hemp has been used for textiles and other products since 8000 BC, and its benefits include being anti-bacterial, needing no fertilizers or pesticides and almost no water to grow, it cleans and restores the nutrients in the soil, and it's strong. It also draws CO2 from the air and sequesters it. Hemp cultivation was long banned in the U. S. until it was legalized in 2018. Since then its use has grown as manufacturers and consumers discover its benefits as a versatile material and environmental powerhouse.

Rothy's stylish vegan summer sandals are made of natural rubber soles and upper fabric made from recycled plastic bottles. They're manufactured in Rothy's LEED and TRUE Zero Waste factory. Rothy's has a wide variety of eco-friendly shoes for men and women made from reclaimed consumer plastic and natural materials like hemp and organic cotton. Rothy's estimates each pair of shoes made with discarded plastic removes about six plastic bottles from the waste stream and likely from the ocean too as Rothy's sources their plastic bottles from coastal communities without recycling programs.  

Rothy’s are made mainly from recycled plastic bottles — they estimate on their website how many bottles were kept from the waste stream for each style — And some styles also have hemp, rubber and organic cotton. They’re made in Rothy’s zero waste factory that earned TRUE Platinum Certification in 2023. The designation certifies that facilities are environmentally responsible and reduce greenhouse gases, litter and pollution. The factory is also LEED Gold, a designation issued by the US Green Building Council that recognizes a commitment to sustainable practices. 

This summer tote from Rothy's is made of hemp, organic cotton and recycled plastic bottles that were likely headed for the ocean. Rothy's sources its used plastic bottles from coastal regions to help keep them from going in the ocean. Hemp is one of the oldest textiles and now has modern importance due to its ability to remove carbon from the atmosphere.

This roomy hemp bag is large and strong enough to be used as a beach tote, a picnic bag, a shopping bag or anything else. Hemp is one of the most environmentally-friendly and non-toxic materials available for textiles. It's also naturally anti-microbial so it stays cleaner than other totes. 

Sunski’s contemporary sunglasses are made from recycled post-industrial scrap plastic. And they are mailed in a cardboard box cleverly folded inside to cushion the glasses and avoid the need for additional cushioning or a protective plastic bag. The lenses are 100 percent UV protected and polarized. Sunski is a member of One Percent for the Planet, donating one percent of profits to environmental causes.

This garden shed from Eartheasy is made of western red cedar and an SPF (spruce-pine-fir) blend. Inside there are two storage shelves on one side and open space on the other for rakes and other larger tools. The cedar is rot-resistant and the shed even has a quaint cedar roof. The wood is not pressure-treated and there are no toxic preservatives used in the shed's construction. 

Garden Helper tools have been made by hand in Japan since 1960, using traditional Japanese craftsmanship and metalworking technology. This three-piece set is made of stainless steel and beechwood. It includes two trowels and a claw-style hand rake. Each piece has a hole in the handle for easy hanging in a shed or storage area. Plastic-free means the tools are better for the environment and will last a lot longer than tools that include plastic features. They are made in Sanjo City, a hub for Japanese cutlery and hardware.  

Eartheasy has a nice selection of raised garden beds like these pictured here. They are made in the US from kiln-dried cedar, which is naturally rot-resistant so it's a great choice for garden beds. The bed's open bottom allows roots to grow into the soil beneath to access nutrients.

No reason to get a plastic yard rake. It's harmful to the environment at every stage -- from manufacture to disposal. And in between it sheds microplastics into the ground. This handsome rake from Craftsman is just wood and metal. All natural and stronger than plastic too. 

Push mowers are lighter than they used to be ut still a work-out and pollution-free option. This one from American Lawn Mowing Co. mower  is compatible with this sharpening kit. The grass clippings provide moisture and nutrients and will benefit the lawn before biodegrading naturally. The downside to the reel mower is the cut is not as close or as even as with a power mower. If you want more of a golf course look, this may not be the best choice. 

Eartheasy’s stainless steel hose hanger is stronger than plastic and better for the environment. A lot more attractive too. It’s suitable for residential, commercial and marine uses and can be used inside or out. This one holds up to 200 lbs. and is best for lighter hoses and extension cords. The larger “saddle” model is better for heavier hoses. Check the specs on the two descriptions to be sure which is best. These hanger are made in the U.S. and will not rust. 

Grampa’s Weeder makes it easy to pull weeds from the lawn while still standing up. This tool’s long handle avoids the need to get down on your hands and knees. It’s made of bamboo and a four-claw steel head design. This was invented in 1913 in Seattle, Washington and was widely used until 1941 when production stopped so the metal could be used for the war effort. But in 1999, the founder of Grampa’s Weeder happened upon the tool one day in a family shed and was so impressed with the weeder he started Grampa’s Gardenware Co.