Here at Sun & Swell, we love outdoor dining. Whether it's grabbing a blanket and heading to the beach with friends or having a picnic in the park - the combination of being outdoors, soaking up the sun, eating good food, and being with friends (including fluffy friends!) is an experience hard to beat.
It's even more fun when you can keep the outdoor spaces clean and free from single-use plastics. We want to share some simple swaps that can help eliminate some of the single-use plastics commonly found at picnics.
1. Switch out your plastic containers
Queue: to-go containers, reusable wraps, reusable utensils & reusable napkins.
It may seem like a lot of effort to bring your own containers and utensils, but in reality you just pay one up front cost and then you have containers for years to come. Additionally, when you have your own containers, you're more likely to pack snacks that are real foods and not processed foods packaged in single-use packaging. Some of our favorite plastic-free containers and wraps are Beeswax Wraps and Reusable 'Ziploc' Bags.
2. Protection from the UV Rays
Sunshine is essential, but during summer we are never caught without our reef safe, water resistant, non-toxic sunscreen. When you're enjoying time with friends a sunburn can sneak up on you! Some of our favorite brands are All Good sunscreen and Raw Elements, which sells plastic-free sunscreen in metal tins.
3. Plastic-free snacks
Finally, our favorite part of a summer day outside are the snacks that fuel us through the day. A great way to avoid plastics that are commonly found in food packaging is to opt for fresh foods that are not processed. Fresh fruits and veggies are a great option that we love to buy from local farmer's markets. However, Nuts, Dried Fruits, and Cookie Bites are also some of our favorite ways to stay energized on-the-go while avoiding the plastic packaging. All of these goods are packaged in compostable packaging that you can compost in your home compost, in an industrial compost, or send back to us to compost for you! They are also vegan, gluten-free and contain no additives or weird ingredients. And some of our new favorite snacks are the Sun & Swell Trail Mixes (both savory & sweet options!) which are sold in compostable packaging and offered in sizes for grab-and-go snacking as well as bulk pantry options.
Try some of our favorite snacks we bring to picnics:
- Energy Bites - Only 5 ingredients in compostable bags! Offered in both large bags and small snack packs.
- West Coast Trail Mix (if you're a sweet trail mix person)
- Roasted & Salted Trail Mix (if you're a savory trail mix person)
- Dried fruits like Pineapple Rings and Dried Mango