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I don’t know about you, but I love a picnic! I don’t do them often where I live because most of the year it is either windy, or incredibly hot, or both. But when I go to the mountains or the opera, a picnic is always on the agenda. Picnics can be wasteful, though! So, in this post I’m going to share four easy eco-friendly picnic tips with you.
Reusable Tablecloth
Depending on where you’re picnicking, you might need or want a tablecloth. Instead of getting a flimsy plastic one that can only be used once, try something that can be reused.
You could use a picnic blanket as a tablecloth. Or you could invest in a sturdy plastic one that can be used for years. You could use placemats instead of a tablecloth, or use a couple of beach towels. I’d bet there’s a good chance you already have something at home you can use.
I got a water-resistant blanket that zips up into a rectangle with a strap off Poshmark for my picnics. Since it’s water-resistant, I use it both as a blanket and as a tablecloth. If you don’t have something at home you can use, you can probably find something secondhand.
Make your own picnic set
Picnics can attract single-use plastic and paper products. I get it, they are easy to use and there’s no cleaning involved. It’s so bad for the environment, though! Instead of using single-use products, make your own picnic set.
You could do this with items you already have, or you could look for secondhand items. Find a basket, bag, or backpack that you don’t use and make it your picnic container. Then find plates, utensils, cups/mugs/wine glasses (whichever you prefer), and cloth napkins for however many people you think will be at your picnics. I’d go for dishwasher-safe plates & drink containers to make clean-up easier. Put all that in your picnic container & voila! You made your own picnic set.
You could use mismatched items or you could make them match. If you didn’t have any spares, you could probably find some pretty cheap at a thrift store or garage sale.
I got myself a secondhand picnic backpack with plates, cups, utensils, napkins, etc. after I started travelling more often. That’s another option you could try if you don’t have the extra items to make your own or want a matching set. You could check places like Poshmark & eBay.
The Food
We’ve got the table set, now it’s time for the food! The theme for so much of more sustainable living is REUSABLES. That is the case with food on your picnic, too.
Instead of using ziplocs or other single-use containers, use washable ones. This could be Stashers, if you’ve bought any already or are interested in them. It could be the Tupperware you got from your mom when you were in college (that’s me). Or it could be mason jars and the bowls you made the potato salad and coleslaw in.
Of course, you need to think about how you’re transporting the food for your picnic and what needs to stay cold or hot. Pick the reusable containers that will suit your needs best. I want you to use reusables, but I also don’t want you to get food poisoning. Strike a balance if you need to.
Leave No Trace
The last, but certainly not least, tip is to leave no trace. If you’ve never heard this expression before, it means that there shouldn’t be any evidence you were ever at your picnic site. It’s also used in discussions about hiking, camping, and other activities that take place outdoors in nature.
Essentially, you should take everything home with you that you brought, and not take anything that you didn’t bring with you. That means taking your trash with you, or disposing of it properly at your picnic site. It also means not feeding any animals, and not taking anything natural that you find at the site. You can of course pick up trash others may have left behind.
I am sure that you are not the type of person who litters, but it’s always good to remember that we should take what we bring and leave anything we didn’t bring.
And that’s it for my eco-friendly picnic tips! Be sure to let me know if you have any tips I didn’t include here
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