Take picnic packaging home to avoid litter, and use an eco cooler bag to stop salads wilting in the sun (add dressing before serving). Choose reusable cloth napkins over paper ones, and try not to make more food than you need, to avoid waste. Try these vegan cucumber sandwiches (Full of Plants).
Keep dogs away (they’re near your level!) from cooked bones, crusty bread, chocolate, beer, salt fizzy drinks etc (same for birds and wildfowl – buttered bread can smear on feathers, affecting waterproofing/insulation. Read more on food safety for people & pets.
Use a personal ashtray to safely stub out butts, to prevent wildfires, and Boycott beer brands that wrap in plastic rings (invisible in water, so harm wildlife) and don’t release balloons.
Heima sells enamel picnic cups, plates and kettles (like the old red-rimmed white dishes you find in hardware stores). Take your own reusable cutlery and take broken glass and ring-pulls home.
Marmax Products makes colourful picnic benches made from recycled plastic milk bottles. They are waterproof and won’t rot (just wash with water to last 25 years). In wheelchair-friendly options too.
Karten picnic tables (also for children) are made from sturdy cardboard and biodegrade after use (they also make cardboard tents and chairs!) These tables are strong enough for four people (as long as you don’t jump on them!)
This pretty woven placemats are handmade from recycled newspaper, and roll up for easy storage after dinner at home, or stick a few in your picnic bag for summer. Crafted from junk into something beautiful, designs (including the thread) may vary, but loveliness comes as standard! The price shown is for one placemat only. This company is not local, but items are made by artisans in India, to help reduce the huge waste mountain in a country of a billion or more people.
