© photo courtesy of Laptop Lunches.com
Your Garbage Free Lunch Solution
This year, as you prepare, remember that it is getting easier and easier to find and use recycled or recyclable products for your Earth-friendly picnic. Working toward less trash is a great goal for our landfills and our healthy earth. Here's a few tips to help you out:
- Paper plates and bowls are available in compostable paper or recycled paper. You can even buy plates made with a number of Eco-friendly ingredients such as corn starch that are safe for disposal or composting.
- Tin foil for grilling is now more available in totally recycled form; don't miss it at your local grocer.
- Plastic bags for clean up are often a necessary evil when picnicking or having a gang over for a cookout. While there are biodegradable, compostable bags available, they still need a little work on their sturdiness. Until I find something more capable of holding my trash, I'd recommend you purchase the bags with the largest percentage of post-consumer, recycled plastic content.
- When cloth napkins are not an option, go for the next best choice: recycled, unbleached paper ones. Ditto for the paper towels.
- Zip-up sandwich bags may be all the rage, but they generally end up in landfills and are hazardous to our wildlife. Try all-natural waxed paper bags by Natural Value, available at most natural food stores or through Amazon at this link.
- Another option to consider is using the no-trash version--reusable sandwich wraps, called Wrap-n-Mat. They make reusable pouches, as well, that all include a seal, and are completely washable and reusable many times.
- If your plans include a cold picnic, think about using some type of reusable, washable, containers and picnicware for foods. Swearing off the paper and plastic is good for our environment, saves you money in the long run, and won'd end up in the landfill. Try my favorite, the Bento Box from Laptop Lunches. I'll give you a little hint. If you visit this post again next week, you'll find that the Laptop Lunchbox shown at the top, will have a completely different assortment of yummy lunch options in it. I love this company!
- We all know that whenever kids are along, we need to pack a roll of t.p. for the unexpected; this is expected! My local grocer makes a recycled version that is softer than most I have tried through natural food stores--and cheaper. Do some comparisons, and you're sure to find one that will work for your particular tastes.
- No picnic is complete without beverages, but it really is not necessary to buy individually packaged drinks. I like homemade lemonade, served up cold in a dispensing cooler. Or iced tea on a hot day. Then again, you can mix the two for a golfer's favorite, 'The Arnold Palmer.' Here are my recipes for all 3: lemonade, iced tea (southern style) and the Arnie. Bring a stack of reusable, plastic cups, or at the very least buy recycled and recyclable ones. As for water, your best bet is to have everyone bring a reusable water bottle, filled up with chilled water from home.
- Finally, I'll wrap this up with something you need if you're serving potato salad, baked beans or cole slaw--utensils. Stop in your local healthy food store and you'll find some form of Eco-friendly utensils that don't have to be plastic. You can also purchase these at the link. Corn starch based products are the most common, but there are others around also. If it's recycled or biodegradable, you're doing your part.
Before I sign off, I can't resist asking about your dogs. Do you bring them along on picnics? Among my kids favorite memories are the holiday, family picnics that always included our Retriever, Xena, when the kids were young. Don't forget to pack a supply of water for your furry friends, and a bowl for drinking. Now, I have one of these gadgets shown below--a water bottle with attached bowl. With a belt hook, it's great for hiking, and my pups are always well-hydrated. Visit All Things Dog Blog for more tips on helping your dog live a little bit more green.
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