If you’re looking to impress a date, or just want to get outside to enjoy nature with family or friends, a picnic is the perfect way to do it. But why compromise on your ethics in the process?
Instead of packing the usual plastic utensils, stick with your convictions and switch out a picnic full of polymers for a more environmentally friendly hamper. Below are some ideas for quick changes you can make for a plastic-free picnic set.
Eco picnic necessities
Rustic picnic plates
The natural aesthetic of Areca palm leaf plates fits seamlessly with any outdoor picnic spot. But they don’t just look natural; palm leaf plates are 100% natural.
Made from dried leaves shed from Areca palm trees, the only processing required to turn them into tableware is washing, drying and hot pressing. No chemicals are used; no contaminants are created.
Palm plates are lightweight and don’t require washing before use. This means you can simply swap out your existing crockery or paper plates and head out the door. Sturdy enough to be wiped clean and reused, they can go back in your set for another time.
When you can no longer use them as plates, you can use them as compost. It takes 2–3 months for them to fully decompose in a home composter.
Convenient compostable cutlery
Cutlery can be the heaviest part of any picnic set. Unfortunately, putting dirty knives and forks back into your basket or trying to wash them clean can make for a stressful end to a relaxing picnic. However, disposable cutlery choices has traditionally meant sacrificing eco-friendly choices for convenience.
Compostable cutlery – like birchwood knives, forks and spoons – changes the need for compromise. Birchwood grows faster than most trees, making it one of the most sustainable forms of wood. Completely compostable at the end of its life, the only footprint you’ll leave is the flattened grass under your picnic blanket.
Compostable multipurpose bowls
For a modern twist on traditional picnic fare, try serving strawberries and cream in deep palm leaf bowls. The untreated aesthetic of palm leaf bowls suits eating outdoors and is a way of informing those sharing your picnic about plastic alternatives.
They are also durable and impermeable, so don’t feel like you need to hold back on the cream.
For more causal picnics, you could use them for serving potato salads, crisps, and snacks. You could even bring smaller dipping bowls if you’re serving different sauces.
Beautifully presented picnic food
Biodegradable serving platters
Perfect for showcasing the spread you brought, biodegradable palm leaf serving platters are useful for your next eco picnic. You can impress with a sumptuous charcuterie board or refresh your dining companions with a colourful fresh fruit platter, pre-laid out and wrapped in beeswax wraps or transported in reusable containers and plated on arrival.
Large compostable bowls
Large salad bowls may seem like a luxury item for ordinary picnic gear, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Despite their size, palm leaf bowls are still lightweight and versatile
You could use them for a vibrant, leafy salad or lush fruit salad that everyone can serve themselves from. If you bring one along for larger gatherings, it could even be put to good use as a punch bowl. That will really get the summery vibe flowing!
Sustainable straws
Biodegradable disposable straws
Effortless and chic, wheat straws can be used when serving any kind of beverage. Once done, they can be fully composted after use.
Repurposed from the by-product of wheat harvests, wheat straws are not ordinary single-use items. They look elegant in picnic glasses and don’t disintegrate like paper straws, making them both sophisticated in appearance and very practical in the moment.
Reusable bamboo straws
Make a delicious smoothie or luxurious milkshake and bring it along in a reusable bottle in your picnic hamper. For a finishing touch, pop a reusable bamboo straw into the cup – they’re wide and durable enough to tackle the thickest of milkshakes. Equipped with a cleaning brush, they can become a staple of your eco picnic supplies.
Bamboo is one of the most sustainable manufacturing materials as it can be replenished quickly, so large areas aren’t cleared for growing. It’s is also naturally anti-microbial, which adds a layer of protection and reusability.
Eco picnic equipment
A deluxe picnic set can be made entirely of sustainable and ethical products – so it is possible to avoid adding to the ‘plastic problem’. In addition, why not choose an eco-friendly picnic blanket made of responsibly sourced cotton or bamboo, instead of plastic-based polymers like polyester and acrylic?
With so many options, it’s becoming easier to live and work in an eco-friendly manner. At FOOGO green, we’ve made it our mission to help environmentally conscious and discerning shoppers find new ways to achieve this.
If you’re thinking about organising a picnic, see our complete range of biodegradable disposable tableware to get started with kitting out your hamper.
Alternatively, our blog serves as an excellent source of advice when planning to cater for others in an ethical, environmentally friendly way. Our posts tackle everything from wedding planning to camping trips.