Y’all out here selling plastic bottled water when you’re one block from the beach? Knowing that by 2050 there will be more plastic—in weight— in the ocean than fish? And knowing that not even 5% of the world’s plastic actually gets recycled?

We’re facing a biodiversity crisis that is rooted in such flagrant sale and consumption of products we tend to use just once. As a customer who came here after a day at the beach, it saddened me to see plastics being sold like this right next door.

There weren’t even recycling receptacles for the cans.

Luckily, you have options to be a better ocean-front business. You can start by stopping the sale of plastic bottle water, and instead canned water (aluminum can be infinitely recycled). You can also have real receptacles where customers can put their cans to be recycled. You can tell customers to fill their own bottles at the refill stand that you (wonderfully!) already have.

But enough with plastics by the beach! Thank you for considering. We need businesses to help their local ecosystems, and to empower their customers to buy better.

If a food spot is sustainable, I’m spending my money there. Great food, great service, but let’s see if we can limit the plastics.