When trying to make your child’s return to school more green, don’t forget about lunch!
There are several fairly easy and inexpensive ways to make lunch more green and even educate your child about saving the earth.
According to the website wastefreelunches.org a child taking a disposable lunch to school creates 67 pounds of waste annually. All of those pre-packaged snacks, meals, plastic baggies, brown bags and disposable drink containers really add up!
How can you pack a waste-free lunch?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends packing your child’s reuseable lunch container with durable utensils, cloth napkins, and refillable drink containers. The items that aren’t reuseable need to be recyclable, such as aluminum cans.
First, let’s talk about the vessel used to get lunch to school. Please don’t use paper lunch bags that are only good for one use. Instead, opt for a reuseable lunch bag or lunch box. There are lots and LOTS of options out there, at several different price points, sizes and styles.
If you plan on using a vinyl lunch bag that’s a couple of years old, check to make sure the lining doesn’t have lead in it. When looking for a new lunch bag, make sure it is lead-free.
For those who would like less hassle in the mornings, bento style lunch boxes sound pretty easy. They have compartments that keep food separate and don’t require extra containers or plastic baggies.
As for the drink containers? Find a reuseable one that’s BPA free. Again, there are lots and lots of options out there. If that’s not an option, go for drinks that are in recyclable containers, like aluminum cans or drink pouches that can be recycled through TerraCycle. The company will recycle your drink pouches for you.
If you opt for a lunch bag or box that’s not a bento, then you will need containers for food. You can use small reuseable containers to keep some foods separate. In February, I wrote about some alternatives to plastic baggies. These include wrapping your sandwich in a cloth napkin, or an item called the Wrap N Mat that can also be used as a placemat. You can also try to make your own plastic wrap.
Don’t forget fruit! Apples, bananas and peaches come with their own edible wrappers.
Cloth napkins are also a must for a waste-free lunch. There are lots and lots of options out there. If your child doesn’t mind retro or kitsch, you can find some really cool ones at thrift stores.
And there are also lots of reuseable utensil options out there as well. I’ve read some great things about bamboo utensils. One recommendation here, make sure it’s ok for your child to have any sort of knife before packing one in his/her lunch.
