Greening Your Red, White and Blue Day: Green 4th of July Picnics
Filed Under: Do It Yourself, Susatainable Living on July 1, 2009
It’s summer time and now it’s nearly Independence Day. On the Fourth of July, Americans will all flock to parks, fields, campsites, and more to have family get-togethers, maybe BBQ, and socialize. It’s the biggest picnic day in the nation.
In honor of the occasion, I thought it would be appropriate to give you a few ideas on how you can green it up a little. Throw a little green into the red, white and blue of Independence Day. So put up the flag, remember those who fought to give us freedom, and get ready for a picnic.
Garbage – Leave Nothing Behind
The first step towards adding green to your picnic is to minimize the garbage and make sure that you take everything with you when you leave. One thing that all large gatherings of people have in common is garbage. You brought the stuff with you, take it home with you too.
The key is to minimize it as much as possible. Cut down on the waste, use re-usables or recyclables as much as possible, and don’t leave any kids or grand kids behind either.
Dishes and Utensils – Paper or Plastic?
The question of paper or plastic is legitimate and actually requires a little thought. The cheap paper plates you can get in the store aren’t just cheap, but they’re imminently recyclable as they have no additives to the paper itself (usually, check to be sure of your brand).
This means they can be composted, burned, shredded, or sent to the recyclers. Inkless paper, especially with foodstuffs caked to it, makes for awesome compost additive. Shredding it makes it spread more evenly and break down faster too. Don’t bother with a paper shredder, you’ll just ruin it. Just tear them up by hand and toss them on the heap. When you’ve got a bunch on there, make sure to turn it into the heap ASAP so they don’t just blow away.
Plastic, on the other hand, has the ability to be re-used again. Especially if you get the good kind that are sturdy. They’re expensive, but it’s worth it. They can be washed and used again. They can also be used as waterproof layers for plant containers, large pot coasters, under pet dishes, and more. I even saw one creative girl make a mogul out of plates of four different colors to hang from the ceiling.
So the question here isn’t whether one is better than the other, but whether paper or plastic better meets your needs and abilities after the picnic is done. Both can be equally green.
The Basket – “Hey, Boo-Boo…”
For smaller or more intimate picnic ventures, the basket is ubiquitous. I wish I could find ours to take a photo, but my wife “put it away” in one of her cleaning frenzies, so only a drunken midget would ever locate the thing now. Of course, it will magically appear out of hiding on July 3, right before we need it. That’s some kind of woman thing.
Anyway, the point here is that the basket can be a very simple and even home-made/recycled affair. Ours is made up of two baskets: one was a yard sale find and the other a partially-unraveled hanging pot holder. The garage sale basket was a picnic basket, but the lid and handle were missing. I don’t remember what it cost, but it wasn’t more than a dollar.
Using feminine ingenuity and creative use of brown butcher’s string, she created a lid for the basket out of the woven bamboo hanging pot holder. Using some rough tie-off rope, she made a great handle for the rig and now we have a crafty and often-complimented picnic basket.
Other options include whatever your imagination can come up with, though. Harvest baskets, backpacks, bicycle baskets, and more can all become picnic baskets. Anything can be decorated to make it appear more traditional if you’d like too.
The Food – It’s All About the Grub
The entire point of a picnic with family is to eat. Well, socializing too, but mostly it’s about eating. All family gatherings boil down to this. It’s human nature. The food you bring and the way it’s prepared can have an effect on the whole affair’s “greenness.”
Just like you would at any other time, pay attention to where your food came from. Bring more fruits and vegetables too. Bust open the watermelon, cook shish-kabobs of peppers and onions, and generally make the whole event a little healthier.
Make sure your BBQ is quality and, if possible, locally-grown and pastured meat. Skip the cheap hot dogs and go for the better-quality sausages and bratworst too. Not only will your waistline thank you for this, but so will your digestive system. Avoid all of the factory-farmed meats you can!
Outdoorsy Essentials – The Final Touches
Last, but not least, read up on my DIY suggestions for sunblock and sunburn care. Use natural bug repellents if you have bug problems.
Finally, make sure to have a great time and an awesome Fourth of July weekend!
