8 Tips to Green Your Beach Trip

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7. Shop locally

The best souvenirs to take home from a beach vacation are fun-filled memories with family and friends. But if you’re shopping around for mementos of a slightly more material variety, choose items produced locally to shrink your travel footprint and support artisans from your vacation destination.

For low-impact shopping, avoid buying mass-produced trinkets with the destination’s name emblazened on the front (think: that endless stream of identical T-Shirts, beverage coozies and shot glasses). Such products are typically produced thousands of miles from your vacation spot and often bring mere pennies of revenue to the local economy.

Instead, opt for locally-produced souvenirs that directly benefit vendors in the community, such as jewelry, clothing and decor pieces made by local artisans.

Get Informed: INFOGRAPHIC: Buying Fair Trade vs. Local