Are you planning to spend a perfect afternoon with your friends or family? A picnic is a great event where you can go completely plastic-free. Use eco-friendly products and enjoy the sunset while tasting homemade cookies and sauces. Food and beverage taste differently when they are not exposed to plastic. The effect that your actions have on the environment is not small. With fewer plastics in landfills, we increase our chances of breathing fresh air and eating healthy food. This article will show you how to organise a plastic-free picnic in five easy steps. After this, all you need to do is choose your picnic companions. Quick links Pack all of your picnic food in eco-friendly packaging Keep your beverage cold and out of plastic bottles Use eco-friendly utensils instead of plastic ones Forget about plastic bags Choose the seating material carefully Why should our picnic be plastic-free? 1. Pack all of your picnic food in eco-friendly packaging Delicious food is a major part of any picnic. We look forward to tasting fresh sandwiches, seasonal fruits, and nutritious vegetables. Other popular choices for picnics are different spreads such as hummus, tzatziki, guacamole, or homemade mayo. Serving any of these appetizing meals in a piece of plastic is simply a sin. Avoid plastic containers at any cost and opt for an eco-friendly packaging. Here is a list of the best choices. Stainless steel lunch box Stainless steel is the best option when you want to preserve the freshness of your carefully prepared meal and save the environment at the same time. A stainless steel lunch box for kids can serve you for packing nuts, spreads, and different fruits. Don`t worry. It will not retain any flavour; after you wash it, it will be just like new. Empty glass jars Pack the food for a picnic in a glass jar that you don`t use anymore. It is eco-friendly, easy to wash, and endlessly reusable. These jars are perfect for transporting sauces, salads, and chances are you already have a bunch of them at home. Beeswax wrap Beeswax wraps are entirely eco-friendly, plastic-free products. They serve to cover your food bowls after you finish eating. You can wrap leftover fruits and vegetables in them. All of these products are fantastic reusable alternatives to single-use plastics. 2. Keep your beverage cold and out of plastic bottles Nothing is better than taking a sip of cold water or juice when you are outside in the nature. If you decide to bring your beverage in plastic packaging, note that this plastic will end up in the landfill, polluting the Earth for hundreds of years. The healing power of nature can manifest when we decide to stop using plastic products once and for all. Here is a list of eco-friendly alternatives that you can use for your perfect plastic-free picnic. Reusable thermal bottles Reusable bottles are an awesome alternative to plastic bottles. Make lemonade at home, pour tap water, or transport the beverage of your choice in these eco-friendly bottles. Made from stainless steel, they will keep your liquids hot for 48 hours or cold for 24 hours. This means that if you want to refresh and rehydrate at a picnic, you are only one reusable bottle away from that. Reusable water bottles reduce plastic waste, and this is yet another reason for you to use them. Check out the insulated thermal bottle for kids as well, as they will be proud to have their own eco-friendly water bottle. Reusable coffee cups Picnics and coffee are a match made in heaven. Drinking your coffee while chatting with your friends is always a great idea, and nature is the perfect surroundings for that. But this is only beautiful if you are not polluting the environment with single-use coffee cups. Rather use reusable coffee cups, or bring your ceramic mug with you. 3. Use eco-friendly utensils instead of plastic ones Yes, going to the first store and buying plastic utensils, plates, and straws for your picnic is easier. But you are just one decision away from ending the ongoing plastic pollution. Bamboo cutlery Plastic cutlery is made to last only for one use. How many times has it happened to you that the fork broke before you managed to eat anything at all? On the other hand, bamboo cutlery is in perfect harmony with nature. It is made from sustainable materials and will last for many future picnics. They come in two sizes so that you can get a bamboo set for you and for kids as well. After the picnic finishes, throw them into the washing machine, and they will be ready for new use in no time. The best part about bamboo utensils is that they are antibacterial, unlike plastic ones. Bamboo and wheat straws Both kids and adults love using straws. The issue with plastic straws is that they are hardly ever recyclable; they end up in the oceans. Turtles and dolphins mistake them for food and choke on them. Luckily, there is a way for you to enjoy straws that are completely biodegradable, compostable, and reusable. Choose your favourite among bamboo and wheat straws. They are a perfect addition to your plastic-free picnic. Once you are done using them, you can use them as a flower sticks and eventually compost them. 4. Forget about plastic bags Nowadays, we have so many different options for transporting food, beverage, and other necessities. There is no need to use plastic bags, especially when your goal is a plastic-free picnic. Think about obtaining the following bags to carry your items. Tote bags Develop a habit of carrying your groceries in a tote bag. They are perfect for a picnic, as well as for an everyday trip to the grocery store. Place your reusable water bottles, bamboo cutlery and straws in them, and you will have created a plastic-free bag for a picnic. Mesh bags Use mesh bags to carry fruits and vegetables in them. The net-like structure of the bags will allow them to breathe. This is an excellent opportunity to avoid using plastic bags for food. Mesh bags are biodegradable, so they are an eco-friendly alternative that you can use. If you don`t have any, remember to obtain some along with the tote bags. A reusable picnic basket A picnic without a basket just does not feel the same. Do you love organizing picnics and spending time with your friends and family in nature? If you do, then investing in a reusable picnic basket is the right thing. It takes hold of plenty of things that you need for a picnic, and you can reuse it countless times. Cooler bag Another option is to carry a cooler bag with you. This is incredibly convenient if you are going on picnics in the summertime. The food will remain cold for about four hours so that you can plan your time and activities in advance. 5. Choose the seating material carefully Sometimes we are not even aware of the fact that so many items surrounding us are made of plastic. That is how you may get bamboo cutlery and glass jars but bring plastic chairs to your picnic. As always, we suggest you bring eco-friendly items to your plastic-free picnic. Tablecloth - Bring a cotton tablecloth to your picnic instead of a vinyl or polyester one. You will be able to wash your cotton tablecloth in a machine as soon as the picnic finishes. Reusable seat pads - Water-resistant, reusable, and lightweight, these seat pads will make a perfect companion to your picnic thanks to the Polarn O. Pyret and agood company collab. Wooden chairs - As we mentioned already, check whether you are bringing plastic-free chairs for seating. Why should our picnic be plastic-free? There are so many eco-friendly alternatives on the market that do not pose a threat to our environment. Our goal is to stop using plastic products altogether, and the first step towards this is to reduce it. Choose plastic-free items when organizing a picnic for your friends and family. Even if you have to use a plastic item, make sure that it is reusable. Single-use plastics are like a death sentence for marine life and the atmosphere. Finally, when the picnic is over, don`t leave any sign that you were there. Carefully pick up every item you use, and make sure there is no garbage left. Sort the garbage out, with emphasis on the plastic items. Our future depends on every single step that we take today. Final word Living in a plastic-free world is possible. How? By consciously making eco-friendly choices in all areas of our life. Creating a plastic-free picnic is proof that we can enjoy ourselves and have fun without posing a threat to the environment. All the items we mentioned can easily be transformed into eco-friendly road trip essentials. This leads to sustainable travel, and look how fast we`ve come from an eco-friendly home to eco-friendly travel. Remember that we are just a step away from a plastic-free life and future. A plastic-free future is not a distant dream but an achievable goal through our collective efforts. Choose plastic-free products, avoid single-use plastics, and nature will be grateful to you.