Which country has the world’s most eco-friendly beaches?

The environmental impact of beaches is becoming more and more critical each year due to increased damage caused by tourism. Dealing with sewage, water pollution, and overcrowding are increasingly significant issues facing many beaches worldwide. Here we will look at some solutions devised in various parts of the world to combat these problems.

Environmental impact 
The environmental impact of beaches is becoming more and more critical each year due to increased damage caused by tourism. Dealing with sewage, water pollution, and overcrowding are increasingly significant issues facing many beaches worldwide. Here we will look at some solutions devised in various parts of the world to combat these problems.

Sewage: Natural swimming pools
One solution used throughout Europe is natural swimming pools. These areas consist of deep, naturally formed basins with no chemicals whatsoever (except chlorine for hygiene purposes). This allows people to swim and relax without worrying about any manufactured additives and pollutants and allows for a more natural environment for other sea creatures. Although this method can be expensive to install and maintain, it does enable people to enjoy the sun and beaches without contributing to water pollution.

Water Pollution: Beachside recycling
Another environmental problem that often plagues beaches (and worldwide) is poor waste management. The solution? Beachside recycling bins. Although not as glamourous as some other solutions, they do work. If visitors are forced to dispose of their rubbish in dedicated areas, they will take more care when using those areas and keep them clean and tidy, which benefits everyone.

Overcrowding: Underwater mapping
Overcrowding is another major problem facing many beaches. The solution? Underwater mapping. This solution has been popularized at Bondi beach in Australia. It allows management to see how crowded the area is and changes through increased/reduced signage or opening other beaches. Accurate and up to date information allows for planning and efficient use of resources, which benefits everyone.

Economic wellbeing: Ecotourism
When deciding upon a course of action for each beach, ecotourism is always one of the primary considerations. Luckily, this is beneficial to the environment, and local economies as visitors are more likely to spend their money locally (and therefore boost the economy) when they experience eco-friendly resorts and tours.

Ecotourism: A solution for all
As you can see, eco-friendly beaches are beneficial to the environment and our pockets. That means that whether you’re looking for a way to save money on your next vacation (and maybe even make some of it back by buying an eco-friendly souvenir or two) or simply looking out for the animals and people in your area, there is something here for everyone. 

Finding eco-friendly beaches is easier than you might imagine. Most hotels, resorts and tour operators will be able to provide you with all of the information you need on their eco-credentials, so be sure to ask about these before making any final booking decisions.

If this isn’t an option for you, simply googling ‘eco beach holiday’ or something similar should do the trick. Websites that offer reviews of resorts are also great to check out if you want your money to stay in the local economy. They can help point out which sites are officially recognized as environmentally friendly.

So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and start looking up some new places to visit now. You won’t regret it.

Is the area certified as environmentally friendly?
Many organizations such as Blue Flag award this certification, so if you want to be sure, ask your hotel/resort/tour operator or check online.

Are recycling bins available on the premises?
If not, find out where they are in the nearest town and take your rubbish with you.

Are there public toilets available on-site that use waterless systems?
This means that water is only used when necessary, reducing waste and helping protect natural reserves.

Is food served from sustainable sources?
Asking for locally sourced foods from ethical producers is always an excellent way to reduce your carbon footprint.

Is the hotel/resort using renewable energy?
Renewable energy is another easy way to reduce waste and protect natural reserves, meaning that you can rest easy knowing that you’re helping to save the planet while keeping yourself nice and comfy.

Does the area have any environmental protection plans in place?
Whether it be conservation projects or initiatives for global change, asking about these will ensure that your holiday money helps support something worthwhile instead of just lining pockets.

There are many reasons why you should consider eco-friendly beaches. These include:

You’ll be doing your part to protect the environment
As well as helping to keep local seas clean for future generations, you’re also making sure that the animals in the area stay healthy and don’t become exposed to any harmful substances or chemicals that pollute their habitats.

A cleaner environment helps improve health and wellbeing
Believe it or not, visiting eco-friendly destinations can help your body and mind feel better. The peace of mind that comes from knowing you’re protecting animals and preventing pollution is enough to boost anyone’s mood, so what do you have to lose?

You’ll know where most of your money is going.
You may have gone on holiday to a non-eco-friendly country and felt like your money isn’t staying in the local economy or helping to protect their environment. Switching things up is a great way to ensure that you feel good about where most of your money is going.

Eco-friendly countries often have lower crime rates
This means that as well as protecting yourself from disease and pollution, you also get to do all of this while reducing the risk that something wrong happens to you during your trip.
There are many reasons why eco-friendly holidays are so great, so go out there and find out for yourself.

Visiting an eco-friendly beach is easy. All you need to do is:

Look into where your money is going.
This means that most of your holiday allowance will stay in the local economy and help support environmental projects, which means you can feel good about what you’re spending at the same time.

Visit an area with lower crime rates.
As well as helping protect yourself from disease, pollution and other dangers, preventing crime also helps keep animals in the area safe so go on, reward their extraordinary efforts with a holiday to remember.

Consider having ethical food.
Food served in ethical locations only uses ingredients that comply with strict standards of sustainability, so eating out not only tastes great but is great for the environment too.

Use renewable energy sources.
Using renewable energy helps reduce the production of harmful greenhouse gasses, which is a great way to keep our planet alive and kicking. It also means you get to save money on your energy bill.

Check up on environmental protection plans.
Visit an area with some plan in place which aims to protect the local environment, and this will help ensure that your holiday money stays in the local economy while helping out a worthy cause at the same time.If you want to do more eco-friendly travel, look into using a tour operator who takes responsibility for their impact on the environment as part of their business ethos or check online for holiday companies specializing in eco-friendly holidays.

Italy has the most eco-friendly beaches, with 11.5% of their beaches fitting all three categories of being clean, well managed and promoting sustainability according to the Blue Flag Programme.

The programme awards flags for cleanliness levels, safety, environmental education programmes and sustainable management strategies.

Croatia follows closely behind at 8.2%, then Greece at 7.8%.
Interestingly, South Africa is one of the worst offenders for keeping their beach environments healthy – more than 3/4s are littered or threatened by pollution. However, some places are making positive changes; Cape Town’s beaches come top in this list (with 2/3s meeting standards).