Guest Post: Four Easy Steps to a Zero Waste Lunch

These simple steps will help assist you in saving money and also benefit the environment.Try implementing some of these items in your own work lives.

First of all, what does a Zero Waste Lunch mean? Basically, trying to create a lunch that generates no (or very little trash). In a zero waste lunch we want to make sure that every item can be eaten or reused. Our last alternative is that whatever waste is created, it can be recycled. Here are four simple steps for creating a zero waste lunch.

1. Re-usable lunch pail or lunch sack. – Why create the waste of sending a brown paper lunch sack to school? A reusable lunch pail can be used throughout the whole year, and depending upon the child a few years after. You have the availability to hand it down to a sibling if the style outgrows another child. One may also consider a reusable ice pack to keep their perishable foods cold.
2. Reusable sandwich and snack bags – Many of your know that the Snack Taxi is one of my favorite products on the market. We puts a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in my daughter’s reusable sandwich bag every day. We easily wash it out, let it dry on the bag-e-dryer and then pull it off in the morning for that days lunch. Products like the Snack Taxi or the Wrap-N-Mat are so easy to use and NO MORE EXPENSIVE ZIP LOCK BAGS. You may also consider using a reusable plastic container that you already have at home.
3. Reusable water bottles – They are easy and pay for themselves in a short amount of time. By refilling their reusable water bottle in their lunch, you can save $0.50 to $1.00 a day because you don’t have to buy pouch drinks or water bottles!  That savings can be HUGE!
4. Buy in bulk – Now that you have these great products to help store your child’s lunch items during the day, you can buy bulk products to reduce your packaging and expenses. No need for the individually packaged items that create a large amount of waste and are usually much more expensive.

So … it is that easy. Teach your children about why they are using the items that they have and the Environmental benefits.  Usually it becomes a conversation piece at the lunch table and other children become inspired.The more we educate the children, the more we have made a difference. It is in their hands that we leave this planet we are trying so hard to preserve.