Picnic blanket doubles as a disposable trash bag

CleanPicnic blanket transforms into a sealable, disposable waste bag to keep parks clean in the summer.

There are plenty of innovations that make it easier for consumers to enjoy the warm weather – take the hybrid Speaker Blanket for example. However, public parks suffer the most in summer months due the amount of trash that isn’t cleared away. Aiming to solve this problem, the Netherland’s CleanPicnic blanket transforms into a sealable, disposable waste bag.

The CleanPicnic is a small, square mat made of 100 percent recycled plastic and decorated with traditional picnic blanket patterns. Users can set out their food on the mat while they enjoy their time in the park, and when it’s time to leave they simply place all of their rubbish in the middle, fold in the edges and pull them through the hole in one corner to secure it. It can then be placed in the trash, but even on busy days when the bins are overflowing the CleanPicnic keeps rubbish contained and it can be easily picked up by waste removal agents. The innovation helps keep parks clean for everyone to enjoy, reducing the time and money it costs to maintain them. The following video – in Dutch – shows how the idea went down during a trial at the Sarphatipark in Amsterdam:

CleanPicnic wants to licence the product to parks – who would give them away for free to the public – as well as businesses for corporate trips. Are there other ways to reduce antisocial behavior such as littering?