Outdoors

How to have an eco-friendly picnic

Picnic

When you’re packing a picnic to go somewhere special, you want to be sure you leave that place as pure as possible. Here’s how to make your next picnic eco-friendly. 

Don’t use anything that’s disposable

A great way to ensure nothing is left behind is to avoid taking any disposables. Use plastic cups, plates, metal forks, and proper condiment bottles. Take cloth napkins, too. Skip the juice boxes. This way you won’t have napkins blowing all over the place, and you won’t lose your cups and plates in the lake with each gust of wind. It also means there won’t be tons of waste once you finish your picnic. Yes, there will be clean up to do once you’re home, but that’s a price worth paying.

Prepare fresh, local, organic food at home

Showing up in Canada’s pristine wilderness, only to begin opening wrappers and containers full of processed foods from across the globe just seems wrong. Using organic, fresh, and local ingredients whenever possible will lessen your impact on the environment—not to mention it will taste better and be better for you. Preparing your picnic at home will also help make your food as tasty as can be and make serving your friends and family easy.

Use human power

Getting to your picnic location via human power means you haven’t used tons of fossil fuels to enjoy the experience. Ride a bike, paddle a boat, or walk to your picnic destination for the ultimate guilt-free lunchtime. After all, isn’t getting there half the fun?

Go au natural

If you need to wear bug spray at your picnic spot, use a natural option rather than a chemical spray. It’s better for the environment and yourself. Do the same with sunscreen as well. Try to pick an eco-friendly option to ensure your picnic is as environmentally friendly as you can make it.