![\"Favorite](\"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/reusablepicnic.jpg\")
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As we come into picnic season, now is the time when people start gathering paper plates, paper napkins, paper towels, and packs of plastic straws and flatware\u00a0for summertime get togethers. Why not minimize waste, save some trees, and save money by not buying products that are immediately thrown in the trash? \u00a0Instead, put together a picnic basket with reusable necessities that you can enjoy\u00a0year after year!<\/p>\n
Reusable Plates & Silverware<\/strong><\/p>\n Instead of buying packs of paper plates and sporks, check your local thrift store before your next gathering. Buy a stack of vintage Melmac or stainless steel plates and inexpensive silverware that can be reused all summer long and for years to come. \u00a0It\u2019s so much easier to eat from sturdy plates without the risk of them blowing away in the breeze, and it\u2019s simpler to pierce that potato salad with a real fork.<\/p>\n Glass water bottles<\/strong><\/p>\n I love the water bottles from Lifefactory<\/a>. They are made of glass, and so the worrisome BPA issue with plastic\u00a0is moot. The rubber casing helps with the hand-grip and keeps the bottles from breaking. Several different tops are available depending on your needs \u2013 including a flip-top sports top and twist off top with handle that\u2019s great for hiking explorations.<\/p>\n Cloth Napkins<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s no reason to save cloth napkins for elegant dinner parties and holidays.\u00a0\u00a0 I use cloth napkins every day. \u00a0My napkin drawer is full of napkins of varying colors and fabrics. Throw a bunch in your picnic basket in different colors for your next outdoor potluck. Family members who aren\u2019t overly messy can remember their color and use the same napkin all day long.<\/p>\n Oftentimes, one can find brand new, never used cloth napkins at thrift stores or garage sales. There are also a variety of handmade artists, like Dot and Army<\/a>,\u00a0who make them in all kinds of adorable patterns. Feel like a project? It\u2019s not hard to make your own<\/a> if you are \u201csew inclined!\u201d<\/p>\n Glass or stainless steel containers<\/strong><\/p>\n To pack up your bowl of baked beans and coleslaw,\u00a0glass or stainless steel containers are tremendously useful. My favorite glass containers are from Pyrex<\/a>. They can neatly stack in a cooler, and if your summer plans include road trips, they\u2019re also handy for use as cereal bowls in a pinch. Pyrex containers can be used in the freezer, microwave, refrigerator, or oven, and they\u2019re made in the USA. Stainless steel containers are also a good option since they are lighter; although, they can\u2019t be used in the microwave.<\/p>\n Glass straws<\/strong><\/p>\n Instead of throwing away plastic straws with every glass of lemonade, a sturdy glass straw can be rinsed and washed by hand or cleaned in\u00a0the dishwasher. \u00a0I’m particularly fond of straws by Strawesome<\/a>, which are handmade\u00a0in varying colors and designs. \u00a0It’s a piece of art that one gets to use everyday. \u00a0Like cloth napkins, each guest can pick a straw and use it\u00a0all day long. \u00a0It’s also a good way to differentiate between glasses if lots of people are drinking the same thing.<\/p>\n What are your favorite reusable products?<\/strong><\/p>\n Image Credit: Photo by Cadry Nelson\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As we come into picnic season, now is the time when people start gathering paper plates, paper napkins, paper towels, and packs of plastic straws and flatware\u00a0for summertime get togethers. Why not minimize waste, save some trees, and save money by not buying products that are immediately thrown in the trash? \u00a0Instead, put together a […] More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":11575,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[166,7987,7988,503,3242,9015,7989],"apple_news_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/reusablepicnic.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11576"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11576"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11576\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}