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Green Goes Simple: The Green Scoop

Perfecting the (Green) Picnic

By Marisa Belger for Green Goes Simple

As soon as the frost fades, I itch to dine alfresco, preferably in the grass, preferably with bare toes.

And as dining outside becomes an increasingly common event for my family, I’m always looking for ways to green our picnic.

My first commitment to a planet-friendly picnic is to travel to my destination via two wheels or two feet. A roomy backpack or sturdy basket will hold the supplies, and the exercise will balance out my picnic essentials of cheese, bread and cookies. (I try to up my eco ante by patronizing local purveyors and farmers markets.)

But no picnic would be truly green without cloth napkins and reusable plates, cups and utensils. Check out Preserve’s (PreserveProducts.com) line of lightweight, dishwasher safe plates and cups made from recycled plastic. If you’re looking for disposables, Branch (BranchHome.com) makes biodegradable plates and bowls from sugarcane fiber. For beverages, single-use bottles and cans are out, and reusable thermoses are in.

Marisa Belger’s work has appeared in Travel + Leisure Family, Natural Health, Prevention and TODAYShow.com, where she wrote a column about eco-friendly living. She was an editor at Lime.com and collaborated with author Josh Dorfman on his bestselling books, The Lazy Environmentalist and The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget. She is the managing editor of and frequent contributor to Green Goes Simple.

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	<h2>Green Goes Simple: The Green Scoop</h2>
<h1>Perfecting the (Green) Picnic</h1>

<p>By Marisa Belger  for <em><a href="http://www.greengoessimple.com">Green Goes Simple</a></em></p>

<img src="http://www.greengoessimple.com/partner/content/ecochicmommyftp/archive/2011-09-19/feature/green_picnic/images/large.jpg" width="202" height="138" alt=""/>	<p>As soon as the frost fades, I itch to dine alfresco, preferably in the grass, preferably with bare toes.</p>

<p>And as dining outside becomes an increasingly common event for my family, I’m always looking for ways to green our picnic.</p>

<p>My first commitment to a planet-friendly picnic is to travel to my
destination via two wheels or two feet. A roomy backpack or sturdy
basket will hold the supplies, and the exercise will balance out my
picnic essentials of cheese, bread and cookies. (I try to up my eco ante
 by patronizing local purveyors and farmers markets.)</p>

<p>But no picnic would be truly green without cloth napkins and reusable
 plates, cups and utensils. Check out Preserve’s (PreserveProducts.com)
line of lightweight, dishwasher safe plates and cups made from recycled
plastic. If you’re looking for disposables, Branch (BranchHome.com)
makes biodegradable plates and bowls from sugarcane fiber. For
beverages, single-use bottles and cans are out, and reusable thermoses
are in.</p>
				<p><em><strong>Marisa Belger</strong><em>’s work has appeared in</em> Travel + Leisure Family, Natural Health, Prevention <em>and TODAYShow.com, where she wrote a column about eco-friendly living. She was an editor at Lime.com and collaborated with author Josh Dorfman on his bestselling books,</em> The Lazy Environmentalist <em>and</em> The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget. She is the managing editor of and frequent contributor to <a href="http://www.greengoessimple.com">Green Goes Simple</a>.</em></em></p>
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