By Sandra Ann Harris

It’s summertime, the season of picnic parties with friends and family. Before you stock up on disposable picnic staples, such as plastic cups, plates, utensils, and napkins, take a minute to tune up your eco-friendly lifestyle and learn how to ditch needless plastics.

As we eat, drink, and be merry, there’s no need to fall back into wasteful habits and trash our planet with needless single-use plastics. Here are a few tips from my book, Say Goodbye to Plastic: A Survival Guide to Plastic-Free Living (Hatherleigh Press, 2023), to help you reboot your picnicking with the Earth in mind.

Step 1: Lose the car. Reduce your carbon footprint and pick a picnic spot you can walk, bike, or boat to, or get to with public transit. If none of these options are possible, carpool with friends.

Step 2: Pack reusables. Bring reusable picnic blankets and decorate tables with washable tablecloths instead of disposables. We love adding a little extra joy to our celebrations with candles, fresh-cut flowers, or found objects from nature in our table arrangements.

Step 3: Shop locally. Shop at a farmers’ market or produce stand to create a local and organically grown menu. Great produce makes the chef’s job super easy! Think simple. Finger foods like cut fruits, nuts, or local honey and peanut butter sandwiches are simple and nourishing for all ages. Also, some cheeses, like Brie and Camembert, are lovely softened in the sun and spread over fresh baked bread.

Bonus tip: Make your own beverage and serve it in a pitcher. That way you don’t have to deal with a bunch of cans and bottles.

Step 4: There’s no excuse for single-use. Too often outdoor celebrations generate excessive waste because organizers are concerned about the hassle of cleaning up as well as using breakable tableware outdoors. One idea is to ask picnickers to bring their own dishes, water bottles or cups, cloth napkins, and utensils. If that is not your style, pack a sturdy cardboard box with reusables to share with your guests. I suggest stainless steel picnic plates, assorted reusable utensils, cotton washable napkins, and mason jars or stainless steel cups.

Step 5: Clean up responsibly. Have bins or boxes for recycling, compost, and waste clearly marked and available for use. If you hiked or walked in, make sure to pack out all your waste. If you are in a park that does not offer recycling or composting, take it home and use your own compost and recycling bins.

Step 6: Make it happen. Celebrate the joy of making a difference and knowing that, as Gandhi said, “Action expresses priorities.” Let’s be green and act green while picnicking! 

Sandra Ann Harris, a San Francisco Bay Area resident, is passionate about protecting the oceans by reducing people’s dependence on plastics. She is the founder and president of ECOlunchbox, a certified B Corporation and California Green Business that sells plastic-free food container solutions. Find out more at ecolunchboxes.com.