It's definitely picnic weather this weekend, and in many ways there's no greener way to eat. Here are a few tips on how to ensure your al fresco adventures are as green as possible!
• Before the fun starts, make sure your guests are all well versed in appropriate litter disposal: nothing like strewn coke cans and plastic plates to ruin a nice walk in the park.
• Don't forget to bring different bags for a temporary, mobile recycling scheme - labelled if you want to be really organised! Your supermarket bags for life should do the job.
• Some collateral cutlery damage hard to avoid with larger groups, so to ensure minimal impact on the environment, consider buying the biodegradable sort like this set from Ethical Superstore. You might also want to let your friend know in advance that you'll be providing cutlery so they don't bring their own.
Read on for more picnicking tips!
• If you want to splash out on a full pinic kit, there are several made with the enivonment in mind. The 'Life's a picnic' kit from Nigel's Eco Store has plates, cups, glasses, cutlery and napkins that are all fully biodegradable/compostable but can be re-used. It all fits into a jute bag which makes spontaneous summer parties so much easier.
• A comfy rug makes the difference between a stylish picnic and an afternoon bumming around in the park, so if you want to be stylish, Adili's beautiful fairtrade butterfly rug will certainly do the trick.
• Be extra green by sourcing your food and veg from sustainable sources. If there's a farmers' market on in your area, you might want to stock up beforehand on delicious veggies, fruit, bread and cheeses. You can check if there are any farmers' markets taking place near you by checking on this site.
Some of the leaf designed plates are great as they can be reused and then composted.