Planning ahead for dining in the great outdoors this June bank holiday weekend will help reduce waste, keep millions of single use cups, bottles and cutlery from ending up in our waste system or as litter, and reduce costs to local businesses - according to My Waste.
My Waste stated: "Each day in Ireland more than half a million single-use coffee cups, and close to a quarter of a million single use plastic bottles, are used - the equivalent of 2.25 million single use cups and bottles over a bank holiday weekend.
"My Waste, Ireland’s official guide to waste management, is appealing to day-trippers and holiday makers to reduce waste and leave no trace when picnicking and bench dining."
My Waste has offered the following simple tips:
(1 ) New is Not Always Best: Exactly how much do you need for a picnic? Picnicking and bench dining are lighthearted and fun events so don’t rush out to buy lots of new items for enjoying the great outdoors – use mis-matched plates and cutlery, old cushions and rugs etc. Lots of school supplies also work well for picnics such as lunch-boxes and water bottles.
(2 ) Reuse: Bring your own cup/water bottle, cutlery & reusable straw etc. Using reusable cups and straws for take-away drinks and self-service not only helps to reduce this waste but also helps to reduce the cost to businesses. Tap water from home and topped up later for free at a refill.ie point will provide great hydration. A knife, fork and spoon wrapped in a cloth napkin fits in even the smallest bag.
(3 ) Portion Size Matters: Be realistic about how much food will be eaten. Packing too much food is exhausting and a struggle to transport, and it is likely that it won’t all be used, leading to food waste. Pack the food you like and know you will eat. Also - remember to leave room for ice-cream.
(4 ) Spice Up Your Life: Have a favourite sauce or condiment? Use a small spice jar to transport a small quantity of your favourite spice or nominate one person on the picnic to bring the condiments and flavourings. If you must use sachets – only take what you need – nobody needs 20 sugars/ketchups – these will be wasted within minutes and they represent a big cost to business and to the environment.
(5 ) Bring it all Back Home: Bring any waste you might have home and dispose of it in your domestic bin, ensuring any food waste goes into the food waste bin and all recyclables are placed clean, dry and loose into the recycling bin.
Most of all - enjoy the Irish great outdoors this summer.
Speaking at the launch of the My Waste campaign, Minister of State, Ossian Smyth, said: "We can keep costs down for local businesses up and down the country this summer by simply bringing our own cups and containers and reducing the amount of single use items we use. Aside from the positive impact for our society and economy as we reopen, this will make a real difference to our local environment – we can prevent litter and plastic waste from single use items from polluting our natural beauty spots."
