About Us
The Coalition for Families, Teens, and Students
As a consumer of beach related products and services, you want to know the business in which you decide to purchase your beach umbrella, shaded tent, sunblock, sunglasses, surfboard, boogie board, beach chair, towels, and ultraviolet (UV) certified clothing, sunblock, care about you and your family. The Coalition for Families, Teens, and Students is the first nationwide community in the United States that is leading through allowing you to choose to buy your products from companies, retailers, and innovators that care about you and your family’s health and safety while also providing you with the superior products you want and need when visiting and enjoying the beach!
In April, 2024, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the ASTM issued safety standard for beach umbrellas to prevent injury, impalement, and deaths among beach goers. The ASTM designated F3681-24 standard received industry input, underwent extensive product testing, and public comment prior to issuance and publication.
”Hundreds of thousands of beachgoers have been seriously injured”, Tiffany Bufkin, Attorney for Michael Perrault, whose wife Tammy was killed by a wind blown beach umbrella on Garden Beach, in Horry County, South Carolina, on August 10th, 2022.
These industry leaders and businesses whose beach related products you buy from, are now working with the Coalition for Families, Teens, and Students in our meetings with U.S. Senators, Representatives, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission to enact a mandatory safety standard into federal law which will further safeguard you and your family’s lives from injury, impalement, or even death from wind-blown beach umbrellas.
Repurposing plastic and protecting our environment
On September 19, 2024, U.S Representatives Dr. Larry Bucshon (R-IN-8) and Don Davis (D-NC-1) introduced the bipartisan legislation H.R. 9676, The Accelerating a Circular Economy for Plastics and Recycling Innovation Act of 2024 will modernize the nation’s outdated recycling infrastructure and increase the use of recycled material in new products.
The beach umbrella, shaded tent manufacturers, and affiliated businesses working with the Coalitionfor Families, Teens, and Students support this common sense legislation in The Accelerating a Circular Economy for Plastics and Recycling Innovation Act because it helps our environment and allows you to buy from these companies with integrity, superior public policy leadership, as well as providing you the products you need for your beach vacation and visits.
The Accelerating a Circular Economy for Plastics and Recycling Innovation Act will:
Spur recycled plastic materials by setting a minimum recycled content standard for plastic packaging
Create a single national plastic recycling standard to help increase recycling in the U.S.
Assign the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a lifecycle study comparing the carbon impact and greenhouse gas emissions from comparable product materials that will better inform policymakers.
Establish a legal framework for new recycling technologies to support continued investment and innovation.
Contact us to be involved, or alerted to Calls to Action and telling your U.S. Senator, Representative, Mayor, Council Member. Fill out the information here. Follow us on Social Media.
This community of businesses that care about you, your spouse, partner, children, and family have come together to support your safety and health in working with the Coalition for Families, Teens, and Students in advocating in, and with, U.S. Congressional leaders—U.S. Senators, Representatives, elected municipal Mayors and Council Members–to find common ground and enact sensible public policy solutions which make you and your loved ones’ visit to the beach safer, healthier, and enjoyable!
One such example of our work with industry leaders is enacting a safety standard for beach umbrellas and shaded products to prevent injury, impalement, and deaths among the beach goers who visit beaches every day.