When you are conscious about the environment, it is likely that you want your children to bring waste free lunches to school. However, this can be difficult because of all the singing serving products targeted to kids. It is easy to fall into the trap of buying single use products since they are easy to grab and throw into a lunch box as you send your children to school. Follow these tips to help create waste free lunches.
Use Laptop Lunches or Bento Boxes
Bento boxes are from Japanese culture. They are boxes for food that are small and are made to hold only the food, but not any wrapping. This means that no trash is thrown away when these boxes are used. The cafeteria should have flatware that your children can use to eat the lunches. Laptop Lunches are the same type of idea, but are an American invention.
Avoid Single Use Products
Even though they can be tempting, avoid single use products. Try not to bring your children grocery shopping, as they will be likely to beg for these products as they are advertised on television during children’s shows and other children may bring them to school.
Buy in Bulk
Buy food in bulk, as long as bulk doesn’t mean a ton of extra packaging and the same amount of food. More food in bigger containers will reduce the amount of trash your family uses.
Use Reusable Containers
If you cannot use a Bento box or a Laptop Lunch, at least use reusable containers. Don’t package lunches in brown bags and sandwich bags. Instead, put lunches in containers that can be washed. If needed, but these containers in lunch boxes and material lunch bags.
Wash Used Sandwich Bags
If you don’t have reusable containers, have your children keep the plastic sandwich bags that you use to pack their lunches. Wash them in the sink when your children get home.