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It’s that time of year to start packing school lunches again. Fixing your children’s lunch for school is a necessity if your child doesn’t like to eat the lunch the school provides, but how much waste are you creating while doing so?
It can be easy to throw together a lunch filled with items in single-use packaging and send them on their way.
School lunches can lead to much food waste and plastic packaging waste created by single-use plastics, single-use food items, and more.
So what can be done about this?
Creating total waste-free lunches can be difficult, but reducing plastic waste can be solved!
Related Post: 19 Best Eco-Friendly School Supplies for Back-to-School
How Can I Pack a Sustainable Lunch?
There are several easy ways, tools, and ideas you can consider when packing a sustainable lunch for your kids or yourself.
1. Reusable Water Bottle
A reusable water bottle is a great option for more than just a school lunch, so investing in one is great. Stainless steel and glass are probably not the best ideas for sending your kid to school. A cute, durable plastic water bottle will be perfect for the new school year.
There’s no need to waste a ton of plastic water bottles, juice boxes, or juice pouches!
2. Reusable Containers
Reusable containers are great for packing in lunches. Buying containers small enough to fit into your child’s lunchbox is a great way to keep everything clean and organized.
Instead of using single-use items, you can buy in bulk and pack your kid’s lunch with reusable containers to reduce waste.
3. Reusable Snack Bags
I love these! I use reusable snack bags for many things to replace using plastic bags.
Plastic baggies create a lot of unnecessary waste when you can have the option of reusable bags that work just as well and last a long time!
These will be perfect for your child’s lunch box and work for other activities and occasions!
4. A Lunch Box
Lunch boxes are something you need to pack a lunch. I recommend buying a decent reusable lunch box to last an entire school year.
This is a better option than sending your child’s lunch to school in a plastic bag or in brown paper bags.
These lunch boxes are great because they can hold everything your child needs for a day at school!
Related Post: How Meal Planning Helps to Reduce Food Waste
5. A Bento Box
A silicone Bento Box is the perfect solution for sending an eco-friendly school lunch with your kids.
Bento boxes are a great way to send lunch with your child (or even for you). They have plenty of space for their favorite food and snacks (beat the pre-packaged foods), and reusable utensils will fit perfectly in the box.
If you don’t want to use individual plastic containers, a Bento Box is great because it has compartments.
They are perfect for chicken tenders, veggie sticks, apple slices, desserts, and all your child’s favorite foods!
6. Beeswax Wraps
Beeswax wraps are amazing. They are the best way to beat aluminum foil and plastic wrap (don’t you hate that stuff?).
They are made with sustainable ingredients and are reusable!
Beeswax wraps are a great sustainable alternative for wrapping up leftover food to send for lunches, wrapping sandwiches, and more!
7. Reusable Utensils
Reusable utensils are high on my list of sustainable options. They are great for more than just packing your child’s school lunch.
They can be kept in your car for fast food, used for picnics, and are perfect for packing lunches!
I love them because you don’t have to use plastic utensils anymore! It cuts down on the waste created by throwing away plastic cutlery every day.
8. Cloth Napkins
Cloth napkins may sound like an odd suggestion, but if you are passionate about not creating more waste than necessary, this is a great idea.
In the long run, these will help cut down on the amount of paper napkins being thrown away. Just think about how many paper napkins are used and thrown away daily, just at your child’s school!
If you want to pack the ultimate eco-friendly lunch for your child, adding a cloth napkin is a great idea.
Related Post: The Benefits of Meal Planning + How It Can Simplify Your Life
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The first day of school will be here soon!
If you want to send lunch with your kid to school, try these ways to have a zero waste school lunch.
It’s the small changes in our lives that add up to make a big difference!
Until next time,
Catherine
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