With restrictions beginning to ease and the weather warming up, we are so grateful we can enjoy a picnic in the great outdoors with friends and family again.
Since being in lockdown our environment has seen less pollution, because there has been less people out and about to litter, less people driving their cars, etc. In saying this, now's not the time to revert back to old habits. We can all try a little bit harder to incorporate more sustainable practices into our life, including our outdoor picnics.
Here is our guide to help you pack and prepare for a sustainable picnic.
Reusable Supplies
Reusable supplies not only minimise the risk of leaving rubbish behind, but they also encourage us to have picnics anytime and anywhere! With our new picnic freedoms we're confident saying that your weekend plans are filling up pretty quickly. So let's make sure we are sustainable picnic ready!
Our absolute fave plastic free alternatives that we never leave the house without, are our Green + Kind Reusable Straws and Bamboo Cutlery Sets. Both our straws and cutlery sets come in handy pouches, that you can keep in your bag and grab as you need. They are a great on-hand addition for your picnic.
Let's not forget a Reusable Drink Bottle. Our Stainless Steel Water Bottles in particular are great for keeping your water cold all day long. With summer quickly approaching, these water bottles will become your new best friend - keeping you nice and hydrated, so ditch the plastic!
Vegan Food
Nothing screams picnic more, than a whole lot of yummy food!
Sandwiches are such an easy picnic preperation snack that requires no cooking. However if you're up for the challenge, try making your own bread using Mt. Elephant's Savoury Bread Mix. There's nothing quite like freshly baked bread. Pack your lunch in Ever Eco's Stainless Steel Bento Lunch Box. It's super inviting and a durable alternative to plastic cling wrap and throwaway containers.
Now that lunch is sorted, what about snacks? Banana Joe and Native Snacks have that chip crunch factor. Simply pour out the packets into some Coconut Bowls and spread them around your picnic blanket. These bowls are the perfect sustainable alternative to plastic and are super aesthetic too! You can't pass on Melinda's Gluten-Free Goodies either.
Sun Safety
Whilst you're out having a good time, you don't want to wake up the next morning with a nasty red, sunburnt surprise. Thank goodness we have some sustainable sun safe supplies!
Pela's eco-friendly and bioderadable sunglasses are super durable and have UVA/UVB protection. They come in a variety of beautiful colours and suit many face shapes. These sunglasses are an easy way to look good, feel good and help the planet.
You can also beat prevent sunburn, with you guessed it - sunscreen. We have a wide range of Natural Sunscreen's to choose from. If you're out picnicing till late, you're going to want to come prepared with some Bug-grrr Off natural insect repellent spray. Nothing will drive you crazy more than an itchy arm or leg, so prevent it all from the get go.
It goes without saying, but we're saying it anyway...make sure you leave your picnic area better than you found it. With all your sustainable supplies, there should be no need for rubbish, as everything can be reused again. You can always take some Compostable Bin Liners with you just in case. You might even show some initiative and pick up some rubbish that isn't yours, to help the environment.
You're now sustainable picnic ready! We hope you enjoyed this blog and picked up a lot of great tips that you can implement on your next picnic.
Check out the blogs below, for more ways you can incoporate sustainable practices when you're out and about.
10 Eco Friendly Beach Day Essentials