Over the years we have really begun to lean heavily on plastic for packing lunches. From Baggies to kids’ plastic drink containers, it is an area that is prime for moving in to green mode by reducing the amount of plastic we use and substituting with other things.
There are lots of new products on the market to make this easy for us. You can buy reusable sandwich packs, which need to be washed, but when you realize how many baggies you are saving from the landfill you can’t help but feel good about it.
Instead of sending juice boxes or plastic drink containers in your kids’ lunches you might consider glass. A lot of consumers are choosing glass over plastic and manufacturers are making it more durable than ever before. Many of them come with a silicone sleeve which protects the bottle from chips and cracks, this extends its life. They can be cleaned and sanitized in the dishwasher which certainly helps during cold and flu season.
You can substitute paper lunch sacks with re-usable lunch bags available online and in many super stores. These reduce the paper waste that goes in the trash each day from your lunch and saves a lot of money in the long run.
You can pop a cloth napkin inside which is washed and re-used. This is another cost savings and strain reduction on the earth. There are so many options for substituting the plastic and paper we use and toss each day in our sack lunches. As happens in most attempts to reduce, re-use, and recycle, it only takes a few attempts and it becomes a habit you can feel good about.