Who doesn’t love a picnic in the summer! You can relax in the sun, play games, graze on your favourite food, and hopefully get a bit of a tan. We want to make sure you have an amazing picnic whilst also reducing your plastic waste at the same time, so we’ve written this handy guide full of ideas and swaps to help you have a low waste picnic.
Take reusable cutlery:
Reusable and compostable cutlery has proved to be an excellent alternative to single-use plastic cutlery. It’s developed from sustainable sources such as bamboo or other fast growing materials, and requires less energy to create compared to plastic cutlery.
Taking reusable cutlery doesn’t mean having to go buy that unique bamboo cutlery set, you can simply just bring your cutlery from home. It also means you don’t have to go out and spend more money, so you’ll have some more money to spend on extra googies!
The problem with most disposable cutlery is that it is often made from polypropylene and polystyrene, which are very problematic types of plastic. Plastic cutlery made from these materials will end up in a landfill or the sea, where these plastics will take over 400 years to bio or photodegrade.
Take a plastic free rug
As you can see by now, we’re very against plastic being used unnecessarily.
Choosing a mat for the beach is important as it protects you from the hot sand, and protects your sarnies from becoming an actual sand-wich (pun fully intended!). Most of the beach mats available are actually created from nylon, which presents a number of issues for the environment. Sadly, nylon is not biodegradable, and will persist in the environment indefinitely.
A creative way around this is to use old clothes patterns and sew them together to make your own personalised mat!
Some beach mats use plastic in them to protect you from the hot sand beneath you. A great way to try and have a more environmentally friendly beach visit is to buy a second hand beach mat, or even buy one that was created from recycled plastic.
Pack your food in tupperware
Buying convenience food like sandwiches and fruit from a supermarket can often come with unwanted plastic packaging, so we’re encouraging everyone to use their reusable tupperware boxes instead!
Try going somewhere like a local market so get loose fruit which can then be packed straight into your tupperware.
You can also help save plastic when carrying sandwiches and snacks in tupperware. Instead of wrapping them in clingfilm, pop them in your box and you’re good to go.
Replace cling film with vegan wax wraps
Vegan wax wraps are great for when you’re on the go or travelling. These types of wraps are designed to help you cut down on your plastic and reduce the food waste when you’re out and about!
Convenient and easy to use, they are an amazing eco, plastic free, reusable alternative to cling film and other single-use options.
Make your food at home
I know we’ve mentioned this one a few times through this blog, but honestly, it’s one of the best things you can do for the environment. The reason making food from home is so great for the environment is due to the low plastic consumption and waste compared to buying food from convenience stores.
Convenience stores often pack their sandwiches in plastic packaging, which can be hard to recycle due to the food contamination. Making your food at home means you can use your vegan wax wraps to avoid plastic consumption and have a great eco friendly visit to the beach!
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We understand it can be hard to go 100% plastic free, but the world doesn’t need you to do that. It needs everyone to do a little bit. If everyone does their part, we can save the planet and ensure that wildlife continues to thrive for many generations to come.
If you’d like some hints and tips on how to go plastic free, take a look at our guide for ‘going plastic free on a budget‘.
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