Have you seen The Environmental Working Group’s consumer guides? They’re based on current research, and they teach you how to be smart consumers! There are guides that explain ingredients in skin care, cleaning, and sunscreen products, as well as quality of local tap water, healthy seafood choices, and more

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Marketing is an important tool in the fight against climate change. You can fuel this advertising revolution by supporting companies like Patagonia or United by Blue that encourage their consumers to buy their products used whenever possible! This not only helps cut down on consumer waste, but reduces the flow of synthetic textiles (aka microplastics) into the ocean.

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Avoid buying health, cosmetic, and food products that contain shark! Many labels won’t directly list “shark” as one of the ingredients so look out for things like “squalene” or “squalane”, “shagreen” or “chondroiton”. For the complete list of shark products and their aliases, visit Sharkwater Productions.

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From food packaging to solar cells, shrimp and crab shells are ideal candidates for replacing industrial plastics. But, an Alaskan startup called Tidal Vision is going even further. They use crustacean shell waste to make textiles that can be woven into clothing and handbags. When buying new clothing, check the tag for the component “chitosan,” which is what makes up most of crab and shrimp shells. It’s safe, sustainable, and guaranteed to not smell fishy!

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Plastic pollution is a problem for everyone, not just those who live on the coast. The upside is that even if you are landlocked, you can still help have a positive influence on the ocean by reducing your plastic use! Shopping at companies like Package Free Shop is a great way to use less plastic. They sell personal care items, cleaning supplies, food-to-go sets, and more that are all plastic-free and ship in biodegradable cardboard and paper packaging!