Flip-flops that are good for the planet

You know the summer sun can give you cancer (and the wrong sunscreen can kill marine life). Over-chlorinated swimming pools can give you asthma. What's next on the summer hit list?

Flip-flops.

That's right. Those noisy little sandals — once only seen in slimy camp showers but now creeping into casual Friday workplaces across the nation — turn out to be made of nasty PVC.

This vinyl is chock full of phthalates, a distressingly common chemical compound that's been linked to developmental and reproductive problems in children. Plus, manufacturing PVC produces dioxins, which causes cancer.

Kind of makes you want to wear socks, huh?

Despair not! Plenty Magazine has a list of clean, green PVC-free flip-flops. And they're not weird, granola styles either — you'll find sporty models from Adidas and Nike for women, men, and kids.

When you're looking for thongs that won't out-gas evil chemicals, choose materials like rubber, EVA, and polyurethane. While not perfect, these components are still less damaging than PVC is to the environment and to you.