6 Tips for an Eco-Friendly Picnic

You don’t need to use single use plastic forks and plates to have a picnic. I know that was all picnics when we were growing up. And sure it’s a little easier to grab a bunch of plastic cups and plates that you toss in a large plastic bag at the end of the day. But even if that’s easier we cannot continue to live that way. That’s just reality.

But it is not the only way to do a picnic. There ARE eco-friendly ways. Here are some of my favorites.

1 - Drinks: Fruit Flavored Water:

You don’t need sugary drinks or artificially flavored waters in plastic bottles for fun flavored water. Take a few large empty bottles (repurposed from. bought drinks works.) Fill them with water. I’m a little spoiled because I live in NYC and our tap water is amazing. So I often just use tap. But if you have a filter or fill up these bottles from a water fountain at the gym, your office - anywhere you can.

Buy a variety of fruit and soak the water with the fruit in it overnight in the fridge. You can also soak them for 24 hours two days before in the fridge to get all the flavor, then out them in the freezer so they stay cool during the picnic.

Have fun with flavors - some favorites I just made are strawberry sage, peach and apricot, and a mixed berry.

2 - Fruit with no packaging:

Bring fruit snacks that don’t come in plastic. If you can go to the farmer’s market and put berries in reusable containers go ahead but otherwise there are many fruits you can put in your own bags at any normal grocery store - melons, peaches, apricots, bananas.

Cut them up and make a pretty fruit plate.

3 - Eco-friendly picnic blankets

Plastic is not great for the grass and leaves behind small microplastics over time. Bring towels, repurpose an old sheet. Tell everyone to bring their own towels or something to sit on.

4 - Bees Wax Wrappers / Silicon Bags / Glass (or reusable plastic if needed) food containers.

Don’t wrap the food in single-use. Bees wax wrappers and silicon storage bags are great. They are a little expensive, but it is a one time payment. You can also get glass food boxes. You can easily get those anywhere including the easy to access places such as Target or Walmart.

While plastic is not idea, yes it is cheaper and lighter and we do live in reality. If you have had takeout or to-go in plastic containers save those and put food in it.

5 - Food Left-Overs
There are a few options if people don’t want to take home the leftovers. Compost if there is a compost facility near you.
Donate to a homeless shelter. This is where’s good to have plastic containers left over from take-out that you can give away.

6 - Napkins, Straws, Cutlery. Plates.
None of those need to be single use. Bring cloth napkins.
Bring reusable. You can even buy very affordable sets to share of all of the above.
If you need to do single use, you don’t need plastic. Use bamboo options.
Involve and inspire others. Tell everyone to bring their own cups, cutlery, plates and cloth napkins.