Here’s How You Can Be More Environmentally Friendly in Florida

Garnier x Her Campus

With so many people visiting Florida year-round for warm getaways and beach vacations, as a Florida resident, it’s important to make sure you’re doing everything you can to protect its natural beauty. You can do things like volunteer at beach clean-ups, donate to coral reef efforts, and make sure you’re recycling properly! You can also use products that are environmentally friendly, like the cruelty-free and vegan products from Garnier, the beauty brand that has committed to using 100% recycled plastic by 2025.

Read below to learn more about being environmentally friendly in Florida!

Spread the word about Florida’s recycling programs

With a goal of recycling 75% of solid waste that enters landfills each year, Floridians value recycling and have established recycling programs around different parts of the state. The goal of these programs is to educate Floridians about food waste, yard waste, plastic alternatives, and school food waste. By simply knowing that there are recycling programs in place, you can spread the word and encourage fellow Floridians to become a part of the programs and educate themselves on how they can help reach the state’s recycling goal. Doing so doesn’t require a ton of effort, and it will make a huge difference!

Get involved in the coral reef protection efforts 

Efforts have been in place for years now to save the coral reefs, restore their natural beauty, and reduce the main threats to them, like garbage and pollution. If this is something you’re interested in protecting, as well, then ask around your community and see how you can help! Whether that’s something like donating money to relief programs, reporting problems you see and come across while on the beach or in the ocean, or petitioning for stronger rules to be enforced to help reduce the levels of pollution, you can help to save the beautiful coral reef, which benefits millions of residents in Florida. 

Participate in (and plan!) beach clean-ups

The beaches in South Florida are the main attraction for thousands of tourists each year. Due to this reason, it’s of the utmost importance to keep our beaches clean – not only for the purpose of making them look nicer – but for the environment as well. Just by swimming in the ocean, you can tell that plastic and other waste find their way into the Floridian shore, which can affect marine life. So, grab a group of your friends on campus who care about the beaches as you do, and organize a beach cleanup. Not only will you be making a difference, but it’ll be a great way to get off-campus and enjoy some fresh, sea air. 

Buy reusable items

Even though it might be easier to buy plastic water bottles to bring with you to class, or paper plates and plastic cups to keep in your dorm, the truth is that it’s super wasteful and affects the environment. So, instead, buy items that are reusable, like cutlery, grocery bags, and even makeup wipes! The Reusable Micellar Cleansing Eco Pads from Garnier is a great swap for your current wipes, because they’re affordable, easy to wash (you can hand wash them with soap and water after each use!) – and of course – are eco-friendly. Pair them with the Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1, which is Garnier’s Original + Waterproof Makeup Remover that’s gentle and gets off all of your makeup without harsh scrubbing.

Get your campus involved in an eco-friendly activity

Just like many other students on campus, the Her Campus at Lynn chapter cares a ton about protecting Florida and being eco-friendly. So, we’re hosting a beach clean up on April 21st at 9 am, and would love for you to join. We hope to see you there!

The natural resources Florida offers to its residents and visitors are beautiful, and we must protect them. So, making these small changes and putting forth the effort to do so creates big outcomes. We can do it! 

This is a sponsored article. All opinions are 100% our own.