How To Have An Eco Friendly Picnic
No British summer is complete without a picnic. But, while alfresco dining is brilliant fun for the family, it can produce a lot of waste. From shop-bought sandwiches to single-use cutlery, many picnic essentials purchased for picnics get thrown away after use.
Looking for ideas on how to make your picnic waste free? Take a look at some of the simple things you can do below. They may only be small changes, but they will make a huge difference.
5 Ideas To Make Your Picnic More Sustainable
1. Make Your Own Picnic Food
Picnics are well known for their mini sausages, pork pies and creamy pots of coleslaw and potato salad. These are delicious picnic treats often come wrapped unnecessarily in plastic, which of course, gets thrown away afterwards.
One great way to save money, reduce waste, and actually make your picnics even more delicious is to cook your food from scratch. Make your sandwiches, create a cold pasta salad or make your own coleslaw and accompaniments
2. Use Reusable Cutlery, Crockery and Cups
The easiest step to make your picnic plastic-free is to pack reusable plates, cutlery sets and glasses. You can either take these from home or, if you have picnics more regularly, invest in a bamboo picnic dining set to reuse over and over again.
Reusable linen napkins are a great swap and can simply be popped in the washing machine once you get home ready for the next time you head out.
Some of our favourite reusable picnic items are:
Green Island Bamboo Cutlery & Straw Set
BeeBee Beeswax Wraps - Pack of 3
3. Buy Loose Fruits and Vegetables
Finger-food is especially popular with young children at picnics, but many of our favourites are wrapped in plastic. Finger foods such as carrot sticks, cucumber or peppers can all be made quickly and easily from loose fruits and vegetables. Simply cut into pieces before you leave and pop them into reusable lunchbox or some wax wraps to take with you.
4. Buy Individual Cheese and Meat
Cheese and Meats are a firm favourite on picnics, even plant based or vegan versions, but do you get your cheese from a plastic packet in the fridge? The answer is probably yes, so if you're opting for cheese or meat on your picnic you may also want to consider plastic-free options.
Local delicatessens and fresh counters in supermarkets will sell packaging free sliced and blocks of cheese and meat. While these may be a little more expensive than pre-packed options, they're a brilliant way to cut back on waste. Plus you're less likely to buy more than you need.
5. DIY Your Dips
From humous to guacamole and even salsa, these popular dips can easily be made at home using ingredients you probably already have. Tomato salsa, for example, is made by blending tomatoes, an onion and garlic together (remember to opt for loose ingredients). As well as being much cheaper to make yourself, you'll also have fun. You can then pop them into airtight pots to keep them fresh and stop spillages until you reach your picnic spot.
Now you have all you need for a waste free picnic this Summer. Hopefully that includes the weather!
Leave a comment