4 Tips For a Zero-Waste Picnic

Hot sunny days are made for wandering around and just enjoying the weather. Picnics are an essential part of summer as they combine two guilty pleasures: good food and basking in the sun. However, some ideas are better than others. The concept of zero waste can be a challenge, so here are four tips for a successful zero-waste picnic!

1. Choose Reusable Tableware

Choose rigid, resealable plastic containers that you can use again on your next picnic. Personally, I much prefer to buy one sandwich box than dozens of disposable plastic bags. For utensils, you could bring your usual ones from home or consider some novel items such as sporks, which can be very handy.

If reusable containers are not an option, you may opt for tableware that is recyclable or compostable. In either case, make sure that it is certified as such. You may be surprised to learn that some places recycle polystyrene, so ask around.

2. Be Creative

• Set yourself a challenge to try out new recipes—who knows, you might find your new favorite dish!
• Take a flask rather than a bottle of water. I like to bring a big jug of cool fruit-flavored water. It’s incredibly easy: just fill your jug up with water, then add your favorite frozen berries.
• Buy loose or in bulk! Have a sweet tooth? Buy dark chocolate loose and bring it along for dessert. Prefer savory? Popcorn is a simple, delicious snack that is perfect for summer outings.

3. Communicate and Get Informed

For your zero-waste picnic to be a success, you need everyone’s cooperation. Don’t be shy about assigning tasks—one person can be responsible for bringing all the recyclables home while someone else can take care of the compostables. By combining everyone’s strengths, your meal will be a sustainable, collaborative effort.

Next, find out more about where you will be eating. By being aware of the services available, you can make more informed choices. For example, if the park you are going to doesn’t have facilities for compost, favor reusable or recyclable utensils instead.

4. Leave Nothing Behind

Think about what you are going to do with the leftovers—bring a small pail, which you can empty at home, or a compostable bag. Bring recyclables back in a bag and put them in your bin!

Finally, ask yourself the ultimate question: have you left any visible traces of your day out behind? If the answer is no, your zero-waste picnic has been a success!

[source]

Bee's Wrap: Eco Alternative to Plastic Wrap

We are often asked for alternatives to using plastic, especially when it comes to food storage. So, we were thrilled to find a wonderful and viable alternative with Bee's Wrap!

Sarah, the owner of Bee's Wrap lives in Vermont with her family and grows her own food in addition to raising sheep, goats, pigs, chickens and three kids! With growing concerns about the environment and the health safety of plastic,  she looked for alternatives to using plastic in her kitchen. Through this goal and the lack of options (plus her own creative thinking) Bee's Wrap was realized.

Made from organic cotton muslin, beeswax, jojoba oil and tree resin - the combination of ingredients and the infused fabric create a malleable food wrap that can be used again and again. The simple warmth of your hands (+ a little forming) naturally creates a seal and as the beeswax cools, the material stiffens and holds the seal intact.

Bee's wrap is recommended for cheese, vegetables, baked goods, bread, etc. but it's not recommended for wrapping meats.

This all sounds really wonderful but how do you care for Bee's wrap?

It's simple. Wash the wrap in cool water with a mild dish soap and allow to air dry before folding into squares and storing in a drawer (like you would with your kitchen towels) or if you prefer, roll and store vertically in a container of choice. One thing that you want to keep in mind is to avoid subjecting to heat!

Another natural perk: beeswax and jojoba oil have antibacterial qualities that help to keep food fresh and keep the wrap functional again and again.

Bee's Wrap is conveniently packaged in sets of 3 which includes one of each: small (7"x8"), medium (10"x11") and large (13"x14") wraps.

What are you looking to wrap without the use of plastic wrap?

[via Mighty Nest]

All-Natural Air Fresheners

A fun, DIY recipe for making all natural air fresheners that look as great as they smell has been making it's way around the internet today. If you're a fan of natural fragrances we highly recommend you take a look at the post.

While some manufacturers have published data concerning the environmental impact of their products, most commercial air fresheners are met with skepticism in regards to their effect on personal health as well as the environment. One article by the Washington Post speculates that one ordinary plug-in air freshener uses 18.4 kilowatt-hours of electricity…the equivalent of 1 barrel of oil. Aside from any potential health risks, air fresheners can be expensive and let's be honest, they don't always smell so great. 

So why not turn an expensive, mundane chore into a domestic adventure?! But how?! Good question. We did some digging and with the help of some of our favorite resources such as Rodale News, were able to find a few whacky, yet effective ways of cleaning the air around your house. 

#1: Vodka
Ethyl alcohol, found in vodka and other spirits, is a main ingredient in most commercial air fresheners. But cleaning your air with vodka allows you to get rid of musty odors without saturating the air (or your lungs) with added chemicals, like petroleum-derived propellants and harmful synthetic fragrances. Vodka leaves no odor as it dries, so you can spray it straight into your air as is, or add 20 to 30 drops of your favorite essential oils for a pleasant scent.

#2: Kitty Litter

Have a smelly closet or musty basement? Set out a tray of cat litter, specifically, Jonny Cat Litter brand, recommends Joey Green of Joey Green's Cleaning Magic (Rodale, 2010). One primary reason that brand works so well has to do with the fact that the main ingredient is diatomaceous earth, a naturally occurring mineral that, among its many wonders, absorbs odors (it also absorbs moisture in the air, and kills pests that come in contact with it). So if you can't find any Jonny Cat Litter, buy a box of diatomaceous earth and set a few bowls out in the corners of smelly rooms. You can find it online from garden supply stores, such as Planet Natural.

#3: Coffee Grounds

Who doesn't love the smell of coffee? According to Green, it's another weird odor remover that helps cut the smell of winter mustiness. You can use fresh or used grounds, but if going with used, let them dry out a bit first. Place them in a bowl as is wherever you need an odor removed, or wrap them up in a coffee filter or old stocking and hang them in a closet or from a shelf. If you're not a coffee drinker, you can still benefit. Some Starbucks (and many small locally owned cafes) give their used coffee grounds away for free.

#4: A Palm Tree.
We're not talking about palm trees at the beach (though a beach vacation is a good way to get away from dirty indoor air). Palm trees used as houseplants are very effective air purifiers, known to remove formaldehyde, which lurks in paints, furniture finishes, and the glues used to hold pressed wood and particle board together. You'll get similar benefits from a variety of other houseplants, but palm trees are among the easiest to care for. Look for Dwarf date, bamboo, areca, lady, or parlor palm varieties.

#5: Your Skin.
Thanks to all the oils in your skin, dead skin flakes act like natural air purifiers, say researchers from Denmark. According to their study, published in the most recent issue of Environmental Science & Technology, one of the most common oils in skin, squalene, reduces levels of the indoor air pollutant ozone, a respiratory irritant that can trigger asthma attacks. After comparing levels of ozone in a day-care center's indoor air with the amount of squalene from skin flakes in its dust, the researchers determined that dead skin flakes can reduce ozone levels anywhere from 2 to 15 percent. Even we aren't sure how to best make use of this information, so please don't go around leaving skin flakes everywhere. But isn't it nice to know your very presence can make the air fresher? Also, ewwwww.

#6: Elbow Grease.
Ultimately, the best way to deal with smelly or chemical-laden indoor air is to go straight to the source. It's easier to eliminate an odor's cause than to try to cover it up with coffee grinds or cat litter. And indoor air pollutants that collect in dust can be trapped by a good vacuum and weekly dusting with a damp cloth. To prevent further polluting your indoor air, make your own green cleaning kit with white vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, and borax, all of which are also natural odor removers. For cleaning recipes, see How to Make Green Cleaning Recipes That Really Work.