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Imbued is not just about offering sustainably made robes. It's about creating a brand that educates and inspires.
Hawaii recently passed a bill banning the sale of chemical sunscreens that motivated me to focus on this topic.
Why? Because chemical sunscreens are a threat to coral reefs. Just one drop of oxybenzone can pollute five swimming pools according to nonprofit research organization Haereticus Environmental Laboratory.
Sunscreens are not the sole cause of coral die off though. Scientists say the bigger issue is global warming.
Not all is doom and gloom though.
“Every piece of climate change action is about improving people’s lives, creating jobs, reducing pollution, greenifying cities. Essentially, it’s all about great transformation that’s already beginning. It’s achievable and inevitable.” - Richard Vevers from the documentary Chasing Coral
There's many ways YOU can easily help.
Start by getting more informed. I recommend –
Watching Reefs At Risk – is your sunscreen killing the reef? on Youtube and Chasing Coral on Netflix.
Know your reef safe sunscreen options. Go to your local health food store and ask about their biodegradable sunscreens or visit websites like www.safesunscreencoucil.org.
Eco-conscious companies like Maaji sell long sleeve swimwear if you want to opt out on sunscreen all together.
Imbued will eventually offer sustainably, made in the US beach cover ups as an option as well.
Small changes make sizable impacts.
In regards to climate change you can -
My favorite is say no to plastic bottles. I don’t go anywhere without my Klean Kanteen. This year for my daughter’s 9th birthday party I told everyone to bring their own water bottle. I had a 5 gallon jug of filtered water for refills.
Visit your local farmer’s market as much as possible to buy locally sourced, unpackaged food items.
Minimize your purchases of heavily packaged products where ever you shop. I make homemade oatmilk every week for the past 3 years to minimize the weekly cartons of waste I was throwing away. Waste that also contributes to burning natural resources.
In general start to pay more attention to the fact that everything we consume comes at a cost higher than the price tag. Weigh out the pros and cons to every purchase.
Fortunately, there are lots of options. Pick which best suits you and start this conversation with whoever you’re next to at the beach this summer. The more we share this information the more interesting our conversations and our futures become.
