Zero Waste Picnic Tips

As summer finally sets itself upon us, we’re drawn outdoors in serene celebration, but sometimes in our giddiness we forget to consider the very thing we’re celebrating. We buy throw away items to consume outdoors and chuck them in bins, or even worse, leave them to the birds.

It is not all that difficult, in truth, to avoid the waste all together. You just need a few simple tools: a carry bag for your food, reusable utensils, cups and plates, reusable food wrap, beverages made at home and a cosy blanket to sit upon.

We did a little waste-free picnic in the park across the street from our house with some of our favorite things to eat, a few friends and the sun.

I gathered up the recipes and how we packed and ported it, below.

REUSABLE FOOD WRAP

This French Tart is one of the easiest and most delicious treats around. Our friend Julien’s mum gave us her recipe and it became a fast favorite without a doubt. You can find the full recipe on my blog HERE. It’s easy to carry by just topping your tart plate with reusable Abeego wrap and putting a reusable elastic band around it.

EAT IN SEASON

We try to eat food that is in season in France and this tabbouleh inspired recipe is cheap and easy to make from what we found at the farmer’s market and super tasty as well. You’ll find the full recipe on my blog HERE. We topped our bowl with reusable Abeego wrap as well and a reusable elastic band.

WRAP IT YOURSELF

I love shortbread all year round and these shortbread cookies have an added twist to them by infusing Rooibos Chai into them. It’s an easy and delicious recipe to throw together. We tried to make them vegan by using a butter alternative but it kind of made them crumbly. You can find the recipe on the Tea Garden blog HERE. We took them to the park in a traditional Catalonian scarf faux Furoshiki wrapped.

REPURPOSE FOOD PACKAGING

French people freak out if you don’t bring bread. I went to our local Boulangerie and had the bread put in my reusable bread bag (instead of the traditional paper one) to bring to the park.

REUSE BOTTLES

We made a blueberry wine spritzer infused with Numi’s Aged Earl Grey tea. It’s a super refreshing and tasty drink and only has a few ingredients, so it is easy to make. You’ll find the recipe HERE. We brought it to the park in a reusable water bottle / wine bottle that we use often.

CHOOSE ZERO WASTE CONTAINERS

Just for snacking purposes, we brought a bag of peanuts which we purchased using our reusable produce bags from the bulk bins at our local market and filled up our Klean Kanteen® food canisters with cashews, dried super fruits, cucumbers, hummus and carrots.

Reducing your waste, or even going zero waste, can be easy with a little bit of planning. Try one, two or all of these tips during your next picnic, as you’re grocery shopping, or even to pack your lunch.