Lifestyle
Enjoy a Sustainable Picnic or BBQ This Summer Season
The official first day of summer is June 20th!
Although we are heading into a "new normal" this summer, the good news is that you can still enjoy a summer picnic or barbecue while social distancing.
Rather than grilling meat or packing your picnic basket with food that's packaged in plastic, you can easily reduce your carbon footprint by enjoying homemade snacks and meat alternatives instead. Incorporating more plant-based foods into your diet this summer can have great positive environmental impacts. In fact, the average meat alternatives produce 10 times less greenhouse gas emissions than beef!
Here are some of World Centric Zero Waste Manager Lauren Olson’s tips for keeping your summer picnics and barbecues sustainable this summer:
Sustainable Picnic Tips:
- Walk instead of drive to a local park or picnic spot
- Bring a compostable bag to collect waste
- Pack organic, local food
- Avoid individually packaged products
- Use reusable containers with bulk snacks, cut vegetables/fruit
- Use natural and non-toxic sunscreens and bug repellent
- Use reusables or World Centric compostables
- Upcycle an old sheet or towel into a picnic blanket
Sustainable BBQ Tips:
- Grill veggies and plant-based meat alternatives
- If you grill meat, make sure it’s organic and locally sourced
- Buy less food than you think you’ll need to avoid food waste
- Get bulk beverages rather than individual bottles and cans
- Use reusables or World Centric compostables
- Compost your food scraps
Tips for a socially-distanced picnic with friends:
- Don't go to a crowded public park
- Try a backyard picnic
- Bring a mask, hand sanitizer, gloves
- Setup blankets to be 6+ feet apart
- Bring your own food and supplies, don’t share
- Play a game like charades, rather than frisbee
- Always clean up after yourself
The average meat alternatives produce 10 times less greenhouse gas emissions than beef.
Bonus Tip: You can't have a true picnic without a cheeseboard and some wine!
If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, be sure to check out Anja Lee Catering. Anja creates gorgeous cheeseboards made with local, organic cheeses that are sustainably packaged and available for delivery. You can order organic and sustainably produced wine directly from her as well! If you're not in Northern California, you can have Anja's cheeseboard kits delivered anywhere in the United States.
Plus, they're a sustainably-operated business -- all items ordered from Anja Lee Catering go towards the fight against climate change! 1% of all sales go towards ALC approved nonprofit organizations from 1% for the Planet working to protect the future of our Earth. Plus, they only use 100% compostable packaging.
Written by
World Centric
Read time
3 minutes
Published on
Jun 12, 2020
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