Sustainable picnic tips 🍽

The school holidays are around the corner in every state, and for those looking to have some fun without spending so much, a picnic is a great alternative to delight in outdoors. We have prepared 7 simple tips to have a sustainable picnic which also make easier to plan your day trip!

1.- Stay close to home.
Travelling long distances to get to your picnic or barbie isn’t all that environmentally friendly. You can enjoy all the fun of a home-packed feast or some smoky snags or veggie burgers in your back yard, but let’s be honest, we all enjoy a bit of fresh air. So, plan an outdoor food fest that’s not too far from home, if you can, and think about the most efficient way to get there. Is walking, cycling or public transport an option? If you must drive, plan it so that you use the more economical route, helping you and the planet reducing your cost and pollution.

2.- What’s on the menu?
Shop locally and buy foods or ingredients that don’t come with unwanted baggage from all the food miles they have travelled or all the processing required to make them. Before you go shopping, check what you already have in the fridge and pantry and make a list. Remember to take your reusable bags to the shops and for the trip, so you got that -on the spot- shopping covered.

3.- Cut out the waste.
To avoid over-catering, plan what you need and who, if anyone other than you, is bringing what. Plan a menu and snacks, so no one starves, but we don’t waste food either.

4.- Avoid disposable cutlery, cups, and plates.
Because of their shape, even disposable dinnerware made from recyclable materials can’t yet be recycled in Australia. Take the metal cutlery that’s already in your kitchen drawer. Take reusable plates, bowls and cups. Plastic cups and plates that you can use time and again are cheap, easy to find and more sustainable than throwaway paper or plastic dishes.

5.- Clean up after yourself.
Remember, many state and national parks and state forests don’t have bins for waste or recycling. Be prepared to gather up your waste and take it home with you. Thinking that using plastic bags for this isn’t helpful? Well, you can bring some of our Biotuff bin bags and relax knowing that the bag will biodegrade much faster than a plastic bag! Don’t leave food scraps around. Take them home. The adage that the birds might eat those leftovers ignores that human food can affect native animals’ health and wellbeing and disturb the natural balance. Besides, while you’re having a hit of park cricket, there’s nothing worse than falling into someone’s old sangers when you’re diving for a classic catch.

6.- Be careful how you store the leftovers.
If you’re picnicking or barbecuing away from home, think about how you’re going to store the leftovers safely, so they’re still fresh enough to eat later.
Sharing leftovers with your friends and family before they head home will also reduce food waste. If in doubt, do the right thing and follow our final tip.

7.- Compost what you can’t eat.
Even if you eat all the barbie or picnic leftovers, there will still be some unavoidable food waste like eggshells and banana peels. You can set up your compost heap or bin at home to turn these unavoidable scraps into food for your garden.
 
Do you have some other good picnic tips to share with our community? Comment them below to spread the love for sustainable living 💕🌏