How To: Have a Green Picnic

Whether you’re looking to fill a few hours on a summer afternoon or planning an all day outdoor adventure, a green picnic is a healthy and environmentally friendly meal choice. The ideal green picnic combines healthy food choices and ingredients, a fun location, and a selection of earth-friendly picnic products.

1. It’s all about the bag. Repurpose a reusable grocery store tote bag as a picnic bag or try an old-fashioned picnic basket.
2. Grab the grub. Organic food is better for the earth and the environment, so check out our list of foods that we recommend you always buy organic. Also buy food that’s grown locally to save on gas and support local farmers.
3. Pick your tools. Use recycled or recyclable picnic products. Consider biodegradable dishes and utensils made from natural and renewable resources, such as potato starch or a corn-based plastic. After use, these supplies can be composted. Cloth napkins made from organic cotton are the most environmentally friendly option for wiping your face, but a good second bet is paper napkins made of 100% recyclable paper.
4. Location, location, location. Try picnic sites that you can get to by walking, hiking or taking public transportation. But if you must drive, carpool.
5. Clean it up. Be sure to take your waste with you - the garbage from your picnic is not a natural part of the picnic site. And don’t forget the recyclables.

A few last tips

• Be sure to pack the sunscreen and bug repellent. The best green options will have all natural ingredients.
• Do not disturb the wildlife at your picnic site, or gather flowers and plants.
• Instead of purchasing plastic bottles of water, buy a collapsible water bag that you can fill up at home, keep it cold in a cooler, then fold it up and carry home empty.
• It can take up to 1,000 years for a plastic sandwich bag to biodegrade in a landfill. Instead, bring reusable tins and canisters or wrap the food in aluminum foil that you will recycle.
• Bring back any empty cans and bottles for recycling; crush them down to maximize space.
• Avoid the use of Styrofoam whenever possible, as it endangers wildlife and is not biodegradable.

Sources:

Cool People Care

eHow

Green Living Online

Canada.com

CBS News