Do you own or operate a business on the coast? There is just as much responsibility on businesses to combat plastic pollution as there is on the ordinary consumer. There are many ways for coastal businesses to do their part in the fight against plastic.
Most plastic on the beach is actually from nearby businesses! Plastic bags and tags from retailers and single-use plastic utensils, cups and containers from food-service establishments often get left on the beach by consumers. Removing the source of these items is a highly effective way to cut down on pollution.
Many sources of single-use plastic have paper versions available. In most cases, these are more expensive, but can be offered only upon request, and unlike plastics are fully biodegradable. Replacing single-use plastic products with paper can be an effective way for coastal businesses to cut back on long-lasting environmental garbage.
Paper straws, while seemingly at first a more expensive option, can become cost-effective when only provided with items such as milkshakes and smoothies, to children, and on-request. For those concerned about durability, most paper straws available are coated in wax and last long enough to finish a reasonably-sized drink.
Don't make the mistake of using Styrofoam containers instead of hard plastic, because Styrofoam is still plastic - a kind of plastic called polystyrene which takes even longer to break down than other plastics. Inversely, upon Maryland's ban of Styrofoam, many places began to use hard plastic containers - also not a smart choice. The best choice is, of course, thick cardboard and paperboard containers, which are already commonly used and degrade naturally.
There are so many sources of single-use plastic that do not have paper alternatives, notably drink lids - few paper versions exist - and pizza tables, to name a few. Even here, there are options - only providing lids when necessary (drive-throughs, etc) or requested, or in the case of smaller businesses, getting creative and developing their own paper alternatives. A pizza table, for example, can be created by folding a piece of waxed cardboard into thirds, shaping it into a triangular prism, and pressing the end into the pizza. Local business owners: what's your specific tricky-to-replace plastic item? Go ahead, loosen your inventive side and try thinking of ways to make it out of cardboard! Not only can making changes be more environmentally-friendly, they can save your business money when implemented properly - only providing materials upon request can drastically reduce the demand and cost.
Most garbage found on the beach comes from retailers nearby, with national and state parks consistently being the cleanest beaches on the coast of the Delmarva peninsula. People will make purchases, cut the tags off to use them on the beach, and leave the packaging in the sand. While consumers have a responsibility to dispose of their garbage in the proper receptacles, retailers can also help to keep the beach plastic-free by keeping a trash can behind the register and offering to remove packaging after the customer has paid.