How to Plan the Perfect Sustainable Picnic
It’s the summer holidays here in the UK, and everyone is looking for fun and affordable family activities to fill the weeks of children being home, and make summer 2025 a memorable one. Nothing beats a picnic as a classic summer holiday activity, either as a part of a big day out in the countryside, or as a cute little lunchtime activity in your local park. However, although eating outside can help us feel connected with nature and wildlife, there is no avoiding the fact that many outdoor adventurers can leave a mess, ruining the scenery and landscape for other visitors, as well as harming local plants and animals. So here are some tips and tricks on how to avoid being that annoying family leaving a dent in the environment everywhere you go.
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Packaging
You may have noticed in your local parks that there are often an abundance of crisp packets and chocolate wrappers littering the grass. Even when your intentions are good, it can often be easy to accidentally leave behind a mess after a picnic, oftentimes bits of rubbish can blow away or fall out of your bag without even realising it.
Especially in the summer holidays, bins in popular public parks can become full quickly, causing a pile up or over-flow of litter. This is why, in planning your outing, you should aim to bring as little disposable packaging with you as possible.
Fruits and vegetables are great for this purpose, as they come in their very own biodegradable packaging! A banana skin left on the floor will quickly be absorbed back into nature, whereas a crisp packet can take up to 80 years to biodegrade! So packing some fruit isn’t just a healthier choice for you, but also for the earth!
However, for when you do want to pack treats, think about the container they come in. Emptying individually wrapped snacks into a re-usable tupperware at home, where you know you have access to a bin, makes it a lot less likely that you will let those wrappers fly away in the wind and you can recycle them properly. The less rubbish you are taking outside the better!
Home-made Food
Making as much food at home from scratch as possible will always be the most environmentally friendly choice. In general, a home kitchen uses a lot less energy than a commercial kitchen or a factory, and cooking at home gives you more choice over where the ingredients come from, and more control over food waste.
If you are wrapping your own sandwich in a cloth napkin or putting it in a glass tupperware, you don’t need any of the single-use plastic that typically comes with shop bought sandwiches.
Use Reusable
There is no reason you can’t bring your own cutlery, cups, etcetera outside with you. Single use and disposable cutlery are marketed as convenient, but can be expensive, wasteful and in general not as nice to use as longer lasting stuff. If you plan your sustainable picnic ahead of time, you can save time and money by bringing along the right equipment.
- A thermos or travel mug of tea or coffee.
- Re-usable drinking straws made from metal, bamboo or silicone.
- Wooden or bio-degradable cutlery, or just bring yours from home
- Bamboo or re-usable plastic plates.
- Washable cloth napkins and wipes
Plan for Leftovers
Leftover and un-eaten food is one of the biggest waste products we produce. So it’s important to think ahead while packing food. Ideally, don’t pack more than you think you will be able to eat. If there are any leftovers, make sure you are able to re-wrap them and bring them home. Think about choosing foods that will survive a journey to your picnic destination and back if not eaten, so anything meltable such as ice lollies or ice cream may not be a good idea.
Investing in a cool bag will help your food stay fresh throughout the day and also reduce your need for plastic bags.
Pick up After Yourself
Although it may seem obvious, the most important thing you can do when spending time in nature is making sure you leave the space as you found it. If you do spot any rubbish in your local park or in your walks in the countryside, it’s considerate to pick it up and carry it to the nearest bin, even if it wasn’t you who left it there, although it is a good idea to use gloves or a litter picker when cleaning up other people’s rubbish as there may be hidden sharp objects.
Use What You Already Have
It is always tempting to buy cute new products when you are planning a day out. However, one of the best ways to stay sustainable is to make the most of things you already own. Instead of buying a new picnic blanket, bring throw blankets and beach towels from home. Use tupperware from takeout, or store food in old jam or sauce jars. If you do want to buy new items, choose made in the UK small and sustainable businesses, as these often are much more energy efficient than ordering items from amazon or larger supermarket chains.
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In Conclusion
There are many ways to make a picnic more sustainable by planning ahead and choosing eco-friendly foods and packaging. So go out and have fun enjoying nature without harming it this summer holiday!