In 2021, we introduced the first ever sustainability recognition program on Tybee Island: the Certified Turtle-Friendly Restaurant program. Today, 14 restaurants and coffee shops participate in the program by agreeing to eliminate plastic bags, plastic straws, and expanded polystyrene in their stores.

In early 2025, we will be re-launching this program jointly with the City of Tybee Island, and expanding both the restaurant qualifying criteria and making the designation open to all Tybee businesses, including hospitality, retail, coffee shops, bars, and restaurants.

To earn our Certified Turtle-Friendly Business designation, a service establishment must not provide customers with any items in plastic bags, serve plastic straws, or use expanded polystyrene (i.e., styrofoam) products of any kind. These throw-away plastics are among the most frequently littered items we find on beach and marsh clean ups, and cause harm to all marine life, including sea turtles, if leaked into the ocean. Businesses earning this designation must also recycle and promote recycling with their staff, and take specific steps based on their business type to reduce waste and limit the consumption and distribution of single-use plastics. 

We don’t proscribe how businesses choose to be more sustainable to earn the designation, and we offer assistance in determining the best product set to achieve the designation for each business. We provide window decals and significant social media recognition for each establishment meeting the criteria. We may expand the program in future years and include additional turtle-friendly criteria.

For more information, or to schedule a consultation on how to earn the designation for your business (all of our services are always at no cost), please send a note to [email protected].

CURRENT TURTLE-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS: Please join us in visiting these restaurants and thank them for their turtle-friendly efforts!

Back River Brewery

 

 

If you visit a Tybee  business that you believe qualifies as Turtle-Friendly, send us a note and we’ll check it out. We like talking to Island restaurant and business owners about the benefits of joining this program and reducing single-use plastics in their operations!