6:45pm 07/02/2009
These days, with the environment being such a hot topic, many schools are adopting Litterless Lunch programs: children are challenged to help reduce the litter in their lunches and snacks to shrink the amount of waste at their school. It’s a great way for the whole family to get involved with making wise decisions and choices to do their part for a greener earth. Plus, moms and dads can take a cue from these initiatives and start packing their own Litterless Lunches.
Here are some simple guidelines. You can even create a checklist for your kids to help empower them to pack their own snacks and lunches:
| Do: |
Don’t: |
| Drink from a thermos or reusable bottle |
Toss recyclable containers such as aluminum cans in the trash |
| Use a reusable lunch bag or box |
Use paper or throwaway bags |
| Toss organic waste such as banana peels in a school compost bin, or bring it home in a Ziploc® brand Container to compost at home |
Put organic items in the trash where they cannot as efficiently biodegrade into useable soil |
| Assign an inexpensive set of cutlery and a washable cloth napkin to your kids’ lunches |
Pack disposable plastic cutlery and paper napkins |
| Use containers such as Ziploc® brand Snap ‘n Seal Containers and Ziploc® brand Twist ‘n Loc® Containers |
Store sandwiches in more disposable storage such as foil |
Make Going Green Funky!
Find retro lunch bags and boxes for your kids. Maybe dig them out of storage, or hit a vintage store to see what you can find. Anything is cooler than a throwaway bag, but this way, you can help your kids bring a little conversation to the lunch table. Look for insulated bags to help keep lunches colder longer and load them with sandwiches, veggies and snacks in Ziploc® brand Containers to help keep food fresh.
Put a lid on it!
Ziploc® brand Containers are great ways to reduce the garbage generated at lunches away from home. Use a separate container for each part of your child’s meal: sandwiches, veggies, fruit, yogurt and cheese are hearty and healthy additions to your child’s lunch. Buy in bulk or at farmers’ markets to further reduce waste from packaging, and use Ziploc® brand Containers to divide food into lunch-appropriate portions.
Make your own single servings!
Buying single-serve prepackaged food can mean more waste. Why not make your own? Measure individual serving sizes and store them in Ziploc® brand Containers. That way, not only can you buy in bulk to save some money, but also cut waste by preparing ahead of time. For example, buy yogurt in a larger container, then divide it into smaller Ziploc® brand Twist ‘n Loc™ Containers. Now you’ve saved money, and you can reuse the large yogurt container – unlike the smaller, individual-sized portions. Take advantage of the different sizes of Ziploc® brand Containers by using the larger ones to store bulk items and the smaller sizes for individual portions.
Did you know?
On average, a school-age child with a disposable lunch generates approximately 30 kg of waste per school year. With a class of 25 students, that’s about 737 kg of waste each year!* Your family can help make a big difference. Start encouraging your kids to create their own solutions for reducing the waste in their lunches. A family brainstorm before hitting the grocery store can help save space in the school garbage bins. Moms and dads can be great role models with your snacks and meals away from home.
*Source: http://www.greenlivingonline.com/article/lol-litterless-lunches
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