Trash Trash Trash! Everyone loves a clean beach, but too many people also love to trash the beach when it’s not convenient to find a garbage can. Panama City is famous for Spring Break and summer fun for singles and families — but it’s becoming famous for dirty beaches, leftover party goods, and dangerous sharp objects. Ouch! Don’t let the beach party end because of trash. Here are some tips for keeping it clean while you have a good time on Florida beaches:

• Always bring a bag to the beach to get rid of trash. Cans, candy and chip wrappers, gum, cigarettes, beer bottles, etc. This is a good time to use those plastic bags that just pollute up the ocean when they are thrown away. If you are going to use plastic bags at least use them in a smart way and bring them to the beach to get rid of beach trash. Bring at least two or three, say one per person. And it depends on what your goals on the beach are for the day. Will you be cooking on the beaching, drinking a lot, eating a lot, playing games that may cause trash? There are garbage disposal area on all public beaches, but sometimes it’s not a good time to go to the trash. Hike across those hot sandy beaches in the sun just to throw away some paper? No Way! That’s why it’s important to have somewhere nearby to toss that trash. Always keep some plastic bags with you on the beach.
• Find the nearby public garbage disposal units. All public beaches have some official place to toss the trash. Make sure you know where one or more public garbage cans are when you plant yourself in a spot for the day near the water. It’s great to enjoy Mother Nature and take in the sun and sand and clear blue seas, but don’t be a dirty beach goer, make sure you know where the trash can is and make use of the trash can when you need to. Also make sure your friend take note of the public trash cans. Sometimes we do the right thing, but we don’t call out our friends when they do the wrong thing. Point out the public trash cans to friends and family. Let it be a clean day at the beach for everyone. We pay tax money to have those public trash cans. Let’s use them!
• If you are not near a trash can — or you forget your plastic bag to dispose of personal trash — try to carry it back to your car. Especially when you are on less public or even private or state beaches, you have to be sensitive to the needs of Mother Nature to be clean. If you see some other trash, pick it up. I know that no one wants to pick up someone else’s dirty stuff, but if it’s safe and relatively clean — no dirty tissue or bloody rags! — then pick it up. Be a good soul. There are some spiritual legends that relate how God blesses those who keep His planet clean.
• Get involved in local clean up efforts if you can. Be a good citizen! We CAN keep our beaches clean.