Eco-Friendly Picnicking

With the unofficial beginning of summer almost upon us in the US, many head out for picnics, cookouts, barbeques, and outdoor gatherings galore.  It's a great time of year, for sure. 

However, there is a down side.  Most of those picnics, etc., come with a lot of disposables-- plates, cups, utensils, napkins, etc., that end up in the trash, adding up over time to billions of tons of garbage polluting our planet. 

Creative Uses for Yogurt Cups and Lids

http://plasticrevolution.blogspot.com/2008/09/plastics-de-coded.html

As I finished my yogurt this morning, I cringed as I put it in the garbage can.  I have always been somewhat annoyed that the plastic used for most yogurt cups and containers is not readily recyclable.  I guess there probably is a good reason for it, but most containers I have seen have either #5 or a #7 symbol on the bottom and most recyclers, at least in my area, accept only #1 (PETE) and #2 (HDPE) for recycling.  So what can we do with these things to extend their life and usage before they eventually and unfortunately find their way to the landfill? 

Newspaper Deodorizers & Cereal Bag Placemats

What?  I'll admit up front that I did not come up with these ideas.  But, they are definitely good uses (and nearly free) for things you already have.

New Uses for Old Newspaper:  Did you know that newspaper can be used to neutralize odors in the refrigerator?  It can also be used as a shoe deodorizer!  Simply ball up two sheets of newspaper and insert one into each stinky shoe and overnight it will remove the odor!  It also works for drying out shoes.  When finished deodorizing, toss the paper in your recycle bin.

Reuse Your Cereal Liners:  Don't throw away the waxed liners inside the cereal box.  They are heavy duty and can be used for so many things. (Who'd a thunk it?)

• They make excellent freezer bags when you twist the top of the bag and secure with a twist tie (that you save from your bread bags, right??).
• Use in the microwave over a plate of food to keep it from spattering. 
• Open up the bag (they come apart pretty easily) and spread out to keep your workspace clean. Works really good for children's messes with play-dough or paints.