(BIVN) – Kahaluʻu Bay beachgoers with sunscreens containing ingredients known to be harmful to corals will have the chance to swap out for a more environmentally-friendly product this weekend.



According to The Kohala Center:

Representatives from The Kohala Center’s Kahalu‘u Bay Education Center will be canvassing Kahalu‘u Bay and Beach Park to educate visitors about mineral-based sunscreens that minimize damage to coral and marine ecosystems while providing safe and effective sun protection. Patrons with sunscreens containing oxybenzone and other active ingredients known or suspected to adversely affect coral health will have the opportunity to exchange their products for full-size samples of mineral-based sunscreens donated by Goddess Garden. The sunscreen swap represents a more proactive step in The Center’s ongoing efforts to empower residents and visitors to keep Hawai‘i’s marine ecosystems healthy.

The exchange will be held on Saturday, June 1st at 9 a.m. and will continue until samples run out, organizers say.

The Kohala Center says water samples taken in Kahalu‘u Bay in April 2018 revealed “extremely high concentrations of oxybenzone, an active ingredient commonly found in chemical-based sunscreens.”



Hawai‘i Governor David Ige last year signed into law a bill that will prohibit the sale, offer of sale, and distribution of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate effective January 1, 2021.