Summers are full of fun parties and picnics.
We bring dishes to pash, foods are enjoyed, and leftovers are shared.
These events are also full of trash from single use bowls/serving trays, aluminum pans & foil, waxed paper, saran wrap, and paper towels.
The post below provides some ideas and alternatives that have a lighter impact on the environment.
Bringing Food
Often when we take food to a party, we want to put it in something disposable so that we don’t have to remember or worry about bringing it home. Aluminum pans and inexpensive plastic bowls are popular choices.
An alternative that would cost about the same amount would be to swing by a Goodwill or Salvation Army store to pick up a serving tray or bowl someone else no longer needs.
You could also stock up on these at garage and estate sales over the summer. These interesting finds could be a fun addition to the party and there is no need to stress if we forget to bring the item home with us.
Storing & Saving Food
When storing and saving food, we most often reach for aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and Ziploc bags. Below are a few brands to consider for swapping out these disposable products.
- Stasher – Reusable food storage bags that are oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe. They come in many sizes depending on your use.
- Wrappas – Reusable food storage wraps in cute prints.
- Etee Organic Reusable Food Wraps – Made of beeswax, they are reusable and biodegradable.
- Wegreeco Reusable Bowl Covers – These cloth covers fit snugly around the bowl and protect food for leftovers or taking something to a picnic/party.
- Food Huggers Lids – Stretch to go over bowls you already own. They also have products that help save/protect half of products like onions, lemons, and avocados.
Cleaning Up
Paper towels and napkins are abundant at summer picnics.
The challenge is that they can’t be recycled because of the food waste that is on them. Most of the popular paper towel options are bleached, which also prevents composting.
If you are going to a picnic, the light green options might be the most convenient. For the times when you host a summer party, the medium & dark green options might be great alternatives. Below are brands to consider.
Light Green: These paper towels have removed chlorine, enabling the products to be composted.
- Ever Spring – 100% recycled and chlorine-free (available from popular retailers).
- Seventh Generation – 100% recycled and chlorine free.
- Reel – Chlorine free.
Medium Green: These products can be reused but have a shorter life than dark green alternatives.
- Rakot75 Cloth Towel – These towels are made of bamboo and have a long lifetime. I’ve used them for two years and have only gone through ½ the roll.
- Bambooee – A paper towel/dishcloth hybrid, which is machine washable and can be reused up to 100 times.
- Grove Tree-Free Reusable Paper Towels – 100% bamboo that you can use for up to a week. They also have compostable kitchen wipes.
Dark Green: Able to be reused many times.
- Mioeco Reusable Unpaper Towels – Bleach-free, washable, and made of organic cotton.
- Marley’s Monsters Rolled Unpaper Towels – Cotton cloths that cling together and sit around a roll that provides the convenience of a paper towel roll.
- J Cloths – Once you see them, you will likely recognize them as the blue cloths that have been around for years. For me, my memories of them are from the garage, not the kitchen, but they can be used anywhere and are super absorbent and machine washable.
Taking Out the Trash
The final category on the list are trash bags.
Many more brands are moving to biodegradable and compostable trash bags.
These keep traditional plastic out of landfills, and since the bags break down quicker, they get the trash itself to break down quicker as well.
Three brands to consider are Reli, Green Paper Products, and Primode.
In addition to reducing the volume of trash from our parties and picnics, shifting to one of these options could be a great fit.
Your Turn
Have you used any of these techniques or products to reduce waste?
Which idea would be easiest for you to implement at your next event?
How could you encourage others to do the same?