Earth Day is April 22nd and there’s no better time to start going green. Head to your local park with your nieces and nephews, and pack an Earth-friendly picnic with these tips from Celebrations.com writer, Mindy Kobrin. With the right choices, you can make sure your outdoor picnic and spring celebration as fun, simple and as waste-free as possible.

Green Picnic Tips

-Find the perfect spot in a grassy area and lay down a rug that’s good for the earth and easy to care for, too. Look for sturdy outdoor rugs made from recycled materials.

-No, the words “eco” and “disposable” don’t have to be mutually exclusive from each other! When you can’t use your fine china outdoors, do the next best thing: green disposable plates and bowls.

-Napkins are tossed like tissue at picnics most of the time, so instead of leaving a pile of unfriendly trash, use linen napkins that you can take home, wash and reuse.

-Utensils are a necessity, but oftentimes, they’re the most wasteful. If you’re planning an outdoor party for the whole family, reusing stainless steel utensils and washing them back at home may not be the easiest or cleanest solution. Instead, go green with biodegradable eco-plastics like Cereplast, which is made from starches from potato, wheat, or rice—all renewable and biodegradable materials.

-Finally, make fun green choices to inspire the kids. Plastic drinking straws can take hundreds of years to biodegrade. But we have a more delicious option—Twizzlers! Take Twizzlers candy, snip off the ends, insert into the cup, and drink. It’s that simple. The candy comes in a variety of flavors, so you can try any of these combinations: chocolate Twizzlers with chocolate or regular milk, strawberry Twizzlers with strawberry milk, or licorice-flavored Twizzlers with Sambuca (for the adults).

Visit Celebrations.com for more Spring Party Ideas.

Photo: antpkr
Published: April 16, 2013