Planning a waste-free picnic
Are you planning a “welcome back to freedom” picnic yet? Image via Unsplash
Are isolation restrictions beginning to relax where you live? Even if they’re not yet, one day we’ll be able to roam free in the outdoors again and catch up with friends IRL. So what better place to start than with a waste-free picnic!
Not everyone is on the same page when it comes to picnic must-haves. We’ve all got that mate who shows up to a gathering with a single packet of chips and calls it a day.
These tips are designed to be all-inclusive, with no need to buy new things, and are ways to walk-the-walk with your low-waste values, no matter where your picnicking buddies are at. And who knows, you might inspire others to create new habits too.
Here’s some top tips to help you prepare for a waste-free picnic.
BYO things from home to share.
No picnic set? No worries! Bring plates, cups and cutlery from home - and enough to share too! Image via Unsplash
Start here. Do you have a non-breakable picnic set of plates and cups? Maybe you’ve got light-weight crockery to take camping. Great. No cute set? Just take what you have at home (ideally not heavy, breakable ceramic plates though!) and get creative with things like wooden chopping boards. Don’t forget the silver cutlery! Just wrap them in a tea towel to keep them together and avoid picnic-basket-rummaging-stabs.
The best tip I have here is to bring a whole stack of plates, cups and cutlery so you can share with others who may have forgotten to bring their own, or maybe they threw in the disposables. Offer to pour them a drink into one of your lovely, homey cups, and serve them up a slice on one of your plates. They’ll have a better experience feeling all decadent in the outdoors using real plates, and even better for them, you’re the one doing the washing up after!
contain and wrap
If you’re feeling adventurous, make your own wax wraps to use on your next picnic! Image by Ashleigh Stallard for Shift
Avoid the plastic cling wrap by putting food to share straight into containers you have at home, ideally non-breakable, and throw in a couple of wax wraps and tea towels ready to store leftovers.
Wax wraps are great if you’ve cut into something and want to take the rest home, and tea towels are good for leftover bread, dirty cutlery and anything else you want to keep safe.
The containers can also be rinsed at a nearby tap or with a bottle to store leftovers to take home.
Avoid the plastic cling wrap by putting food to share straight into containers you have at home, ideally non-breakable, and throw in a couple of wax wraps and tea towels ready to store leftovers.
Wax wraps are great if you’ve cut into something and want to take the rest home, and tea towels are good for leftover bread, dirty cutlery and anything else you want to keep safe.
The containers can also be rinsed at a nearby tap or with a bottle to store leftovers to take home.
package-free food ideas
Hit the bulk food store for package-free picnic snacks like veggie chips, or make your own! Image by Ashleigh Stallard for Shift
Here are some great go-to package-free foods that are sharing friendly! Hit the farmers markets for the best way to avoid packaging, or order an extra produce box to stock up on fresh ingredients.
Fruit: chop it all up to make a salad, cut into manageable chunks or bring whole things like grapes and berries (it’s possible to get package-free berries at farmers markets!).
Wizzy dips: Chuck a whole lot of stuff into a blender and voila, a dip! Hummus is super simple with chickpeas, or cook up some beetroots or pumpkin - there are so many simple recipes online. Chop up some carrots and celery as vessels
Pesto: Again, the blender is your friend! Nuts (from the bulk shop), herbs (from your garden!), etc, etc - yummo!
Nuts and yum things: Bulk food stores always stock snacks! Mix nuts together with some chocolate pieces, goji berries, other dried fruit, cacao nibs, coconut flakes - whatever you can find at your local. Bulk stores also usually stock pre-prepared snacks like nut squares, pulse puffs, protein balls and other savoury nibbles.
whip up simple recipes
Simple recipes like two-ingredient banana cookies (literally mashed banana and wizzed oats) and no-bake protein balls are a hit with the sweet-toothed, and they’ve got no added sugar. Recipes like these are so easy to make but are super impressive!
Who doesn’t like home-baked anything?
love your linens
Bring reusable napkins! Don’t have any? Use scraps of cute fabric, or bring extra tea towels for sticky fingers.
And if you don’t have a fancy waterproof-backed picnic rug, bring blankets, beach towels, old sheets, your grandma’s curtains, cushions and chairs, your yoga mat - anything really.
Bring towels and blankets to share - whatever you have around the house. Image via Unsplash
don’t forget drinks
Bring an insulated flask or container with hot drinks like tea and coffee, or make up a batch of iced tea using things like lemon, ginger and honey. If you can, make enough to share around in your BYO cups!
Bring your own water bottle and a spare one too, to help with hand-washing and rinsing containers to take home any leftovers.
Choose cans for alcohol and other drinks, as aluminium is the most recyclable (and isn’t breakable).
What tips do you have for a waste-free picnic? Please share!