Earth Day events try to focus our attention on the environment, while the coming of spring may have started us thinking about picnics. You can celebrate both with a zero waste picnic. It takes a little more work and planning than a spur-of-the-moment picnic, but it’s guilt-free (at least environmentally – your diet is your lookout).
Cabrillo National Monument in California has some guidelines for visitors who want their lunch to generate zero waste. Planning a picnic like this can be a learning activity for a class or group outing.
Possibly the best way to plan is to work backward from your goal. Get three “large buckets, cans, boxes, or trash bags”, the guidelines say, and mark them “containers”, “compost” (this one should be sealable), and “other”. After the meal, the first will be used for recyclables, the second for food scraps, and the third should be as close to empty as you can get it. (Reusable utensils can just be taken home, of course.)
Some suggestions that come from my own experience:
· Use regular flatware instead of disposables, or better yet, pack just finger food.
· Instead of one-use sandwich bags, put sandwiches in reusable plastic containers (the square kind with lids, or even just takeout dishes).
· Take cloth napkins – paper is not good for compost if it’s stained with fat, protein, or cooked food.
· Speaking of compost, keep the bread and other processed food out of that, too. The best way to keep your “other” container empty is for everyone to eat all their lunches, even the crusts.
· If you have no composter at home, think about getting one (our city sells them for just $35). Meanwhile, put your scraps in the “other” container.
Above all, enjoy your lunch and enjoy the earth you’re helping to preserve.
