Environmentally-Friendly Picnic: 6 Tips To Ease The Process
What better way to catch up with your family or friends than through an excellent picnic outdoors? You get to snack on tasty food, while basking in the warm sun and fresh air in all that Mother Nature has to offer.
But when I say “picnic”, you might have thought of plastic containers, single-use cutleries or plastic picnic mats. If you’re starting to feel environmentally-conscious, then this article is here to save your day (and the environment)! Here are some environmentally-friendly tips to ensure an exciting day out!
Use appropriate sunscreen
As the saying goes, “Let’s have fun in the sun!”
However, let’s not forget to apply sunscreen every few hours, depending on the SPF level. On top of maintaining an even skin tone, sunscreen protects you more from just a sunburn. It helps minimise the risk of developing skin cancer as well!
Whether you’re picnicking at the beach, or decide to dip into the water elsewhere, it’s essential to keep a lookout for “reef-safe” sunscreens. Reef-safe sunscreens perform the same role that a typical sunscreen is supposed to while keeping the ocean safe from harmful chemicals!
Plan food beforehand
In the outdoors, there’s a slim chance of finding a microwave or sink around the area. So, it’s best to plan what types of food you would want to prepare beforehand.
An example would be finger food. As the name suggests, finger food refers to food that you eat with your hands, which is a great way to avoid the use of plates or cutlery.
Consider snacks like chicken wings or drumsticks, sausage rolls, spring rolls, samosas, and many other tasty, savoury bites! On the other hand, if you’re leaning towards the sweet tooth side but don’t want it to be too sweet - pack some bites like chocolate tarts or pineapple tarts. For easy packaging and carrying, you could pack them into a pineapple tart container so you can bring your snacks around easily!
Just remember to pack some wet wipes or hand sanitiser at the same time, so you’ll always keep yourself clean.
Store your food efficiently
After all the time spent preparing the food, it is vital to make sure that the food can be transported from one place to another without compromising its quality. Rather than storing them in disposable plastic containers, you can consider PET containers.
Its reusability lets you make your money worth, on top of minimising wastage in the environment. The screw-on lid ensures maximum freshness for your food and deters any form of spillage from occurring.
If you’re cooking for a large number of people, you can also consider take out lunch boxes, which ensures that everyone gets an equal amount of food. You can even get creative by adding some decorations on it!
The paper box for food will act as a great conversation starter during your picnic session, as its unique design will pique your guests’ interest. Its compact design means that it’ll ease the packing process.
Incorporate the use of reusable picnicware
Before you head out for your picnic, pack along some reusable cups, plates, and utensils-whichever necessary. It is easier to choose the durable and light ones to ease the transportation process.
Pack your items in a reusable bag
One last step before you’re ready to go: pack everything into a picnic basket or cooler bag. As compared to plastic bags, these carriers are sturdier so you can carry your food from one place to another worry-free. The last thing you want is for all your hard work and effort to go to waste.
Clean up
It’s best to leave the place in a cleaner condition than when you first arrived. If your picnic location has no rubbish or recycling bins on-site, then it’s best to throw your trash into a paper or trash bag before disposing of them in a rubbish bin. As for the reusables, store them back into your carrier.