Eco-Friendly Picnic: Our Tips and Tricks

Honestly, who doesn’t like a picnic? Spreading a blanket under the trees and chatting with family or friends over a good meal… Pure happiness! Besides, when you’re on holiday, it’s common to go on a day trip and plan a picnic.
So why not go for an eco-friendly picnic? After all, zero waste has nothing but advantages. It helps reduce pollution, which is good for your health and the planet’s… So, how about switching to a zero-waste picnic during your stay at an eco-friendly campsite, to enjoy an eco-friendly holiday? Discover our tips!

We’re saying goodbye to disposable tableware

Sturdy, light and affordable, plastic can win plenty of people over. But did you know? Plastic products are a disaster for the environment. With a lifespan of several decades, this material never fully disappears from wherever you throw it away. The problem is its toxic residues, which seep into water and soil and can harm human health.
So, for an eco-friendly picnic, say goodbye to plastic cutlery, plates and cups! Also avoid other single-use containers (cardboard, aluminium…). Instead, use reusable containers made of stainless steel, wood or bamboo… They’re more durable and easy to clean.

We prefer cloth napkins and tablecloths

For your eco-friendly picnic, nothing beats cloth napkins! This avoids paper ones, disposable products that fuel deforestation and the depletion of natural resources. Plus, cloth napkins can also be used to wrap your sandwiches…
Besides napkins, also choose cloth tablecloths. They’ll add style to your zero-waste picnic, especially if you pick patterns that match your napkins!

We prepare homemade food to avoid supermarket produce

The recipe for a successful eco-friendly picnic: a delicious menu! Absolutely! The dishes need to be tasty to make sharing the moment even more enjoyable. And for that, nothing beats a good homemade meal, prepared with local, seasonal organic produce. Besides its exquisite taste, home cooking avoids the industrial packaging of supermarket food.
A little tip: favour dishes that are easy to carry and eat (sandwiches, salads, cakes, tarts, sliced fruit…). Out of ideas? The internet is your best ally for finding recipes suited to an eco-friendly picnic.

We forget bottles and equip ourselves with a water bottle

Reusable containers are the best way to carry your drinks. No more plastic bottles, make way for the reusable water bottle! It’ll be even better if you opt for an insulated model that can keep your drinks at the right temperature, summer and winter alike!

We put our sandwiches in reusable packaging

Preparing a delicious homemade meal for your eco-friendly picnic isn’t enough. You also need to use reusable containers, just like for your drinks. Besides promoting zero waste, they also keep your dishes fresher for longer.
What alternatives to aluminium foil can you choose? Glass and stainless steel lunch boxes are fairly common. That said, beeswax wraps are the best option. These eco-friendly wraps preserve your food optimally while respecting your health and the planet’s.

We pick up our rubbish and leave nothing behind

So, your eco-friendly picnic is coming to an end? Now it’s time to pick up your rubbish, making sure to clean up any trace of your visit. The goal? To leave the picnic spot exactly as you found it. That way, you avoid disturbing the ecosystem and polluting that lovely natural spot where you spread your blanket.

We keep our banana peels and peelings for composting

Not leaving any waste behind during your eco-friendly picnic, yes! It’ll be even better if you have compost facilities on site. Otherwise, take your waste home in reusable bags, sort it, and put everything organic in your compost bin… That way, you reduce the weight of your rubbish while enriching the soil — clever!

We plan an anti-waste meal

For a successful eco-friendly picnic, it’s not just about respecting the environment! Also make sure that no food goes to waste:
Prepare the meal according to the number of participants. To avoid miscalculations and culinary disappointments, go for individual portions.
Find out about your guests’ food preferences and allergies. That makes choosing the recipe to cook easier. And besides, you surely don’t want someone scratching endlessly at your picnic, do you? Any leftovers? Share them among the participants or take them home if you’re sure they won’t spoil on the way…

We picnic in environmentally friendly places

Our very last tip for an eco-friendly picnic: choose an environmentally friendly location! Favour public spaces such as parks or designated areas equipped with waste sorting and composting facilities.
The only downside with picnic areas is that they’re very busy, especially in summer. As a result, some people prefer wilder spots. If that’s your case, find out about restricted areas and respect nature properly…

We hope these few tips will help you switch to an eco-friendly picnic. A practice that Mother Nature will love, as it reduces your carbon footprint, helping to preserve both your health and the planet’s. So, long live zero waste!

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