In honor of PARK(ing) Day: GREEN your Picnic

To celebrate World PARK(ing) Day, we are going to be parked (HA! punny!) right in front of Spruce on Magazine Street in the Green Light District. Since the eco-design team at Spruce are creating a lovely picnic area in the parking space directly in front of the eco- studio, we thought we'd contribute to the theme by posting some green picnic tips. If you're in the area tomorrow, stop by and see us! 

1. It’s all about the bag. Repurpose a reusable grocery store tote bag as a picnic bag or try an old-fashioned picnic basket.
2. Grab the grub. Organic food is better for the earth and the environment. Also buy food that’s grown locally to save on gas and support local farmers.
3. Pick your tools. Use reusable containers, dishware and utensils or at the very least use recycled, recyclable or biodegradable ones. After use, these supplies can be recycled or composted. Cloth napkins made from organic cotton are the most environmentally friendly option, but a good second bet is paper napkins made of 100% recyclable paper.
4. Location, location, location. Try picnic sites that you can get to by walking, hiking or taking public transportation. But if you must drive, carpool.
5. Clean it up. Be sure to take your waste with you - the garbage from your picnic is not a natural part of the picnic site. And don’t forget the recyclables. Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints. 

A few last tips

• Be sure to pack the sunscreen and bug repellent. The best green options will have all natural ingredients.
• Do not disturb the wildlife at your picnic site, or gather flowers and plants.
• Instead of purchasing plastic bottles of water, buy a collapsible water bag that you can fill up at home, keep it cold in a cooler, then fold it up and carry home empty.
• It can take up to 1,000 years for a plastic sandwich bag to biodegrade in a landfill. Instead, bring reusable tins and canisters or wrap the food in aluminum foil that you will recycle.
• Bring back any empty cans and bottles for recycling; crush them down to maximize space.
• Avoid the use of Styrofoam & straws whenever possible, as they endanger wildlife and are not biodegradable or recyclable.