Putting a 'Green' Spin on the Traditional Family Picnic

Family picnics are a great way to get in touch with nature, enjoying all that the earth has to offer - delicious food, a cool breeze, the warmth of the sun and the softness of a carpet of grass. As you enjoy nature in the wild, take care not to harm the environment in the process. Unfortunately, it's all too easy to disturb the ecological balance, pollute the water, and produce a lot of trash by using disposable products when we go on picnics, go camping, have cookouts or go hiking. Luckily, though, it's equally easy to avoid doing these things. Here are a few tips that can help you make conscious choices as you plan your next picnic, helping to make the earth a little more 'green':

Get an eco-friendly picnic basket or picnic pack filled with reusable items. Picnic sets help you reduce the amount of trash you produce with each outing. Cloth napkins, plastic or china plates, acrylic glassware, stainless steel utensils and cute little mini salt and pepper shakers are elegant and easy on the environment. Any picnic set is an environmentally friendly alternative to using disposables, but you can take it a step further with these eco-friendly baskets: The Sebago 2 Person Picnic Basket, the Palm Bay 4 Person Picnic Basket, the Westport 4 Person Picnic Basket and the T-4-Two Picnic Basket (pictured). All of these options are made with renewable resources, and are AZO free. (AZO dyes and pigments are commonly used to color textiles and plastics, and some of the by-products are toxic and may be carcinogenic. AZO dyes also resist biodegradation, so they're difficult to remove from the ecosystem.)

You can also make your picnic more environmentally friendly in the following easy ways:

• Walk, ride a bicycle, rollerblade or ride public transportation to your picnic location rather than driving your vehicle.
• Reduce the amount of processed and packaged food you eat by choosing natural whole foods such as produce and breads, cheeses and meats purchased fresh from your local market. Have the person who takes your order place your purchases directly in a reusable container rather than wrapping them in plastic. To take it even further, tote your purchases home in reusable tote bags such as Envirosax rather than the store's plastic bags.
• Avoid the use of Styrofoam whenever possible. If you're getting take-out, ask for it in aluminum foil or bring your own container. Likewise, bring your own insulated beverage mug to the coffee shop rather than using one of their disposable cups. Styrofoam endangers wildlife and is not biodegradable.
• Do your best not to disturb the living things around you as you enjoy your picnic. Don't pick flowers, remove natural elements such as rocks, or disturb wildlife.
• Re-use your plastic bags from the grocery store for trash or to place your used plates and utensils in after you eat.

These small, simple steps won't take much of your time or energy, but they'll go a long way toward making our earth a better place to live. To learn more about eco-friendly products, check out the Eco-Friendly Buyer's Guide at SpecialtyLiving.com.