Eating Outside the Box

Even when lunch is packed in one!

By Lisa Borden

Lunch Waste Facts

• ALUMINUM FOIL: More than 20 million Hershey's kisses are wrapped with 133 square miles of foil every day
• ALUMINUM + TIN CANS: In the time it takes you to read this line, 50,000+ 12-oz. aluminum cans were made
• JUICE BOXES: Most inorganic trash retains its weight, volume, and form for at least four decades
• PAPER BAGS AND NAPKINS: It is estimated that 17 trees are cut down for every ton of non-recycled paper
• PLASTIC BOTTLES, FORKS, WRAP: U.S. citizens discard 2-1/2 million plastic bottles EVERY HOUR
• STYROFOAM: U.S. citizens throw away 25 billion styrofoam cups every year

The stuff in our kids' lunches...

processed or perishable, essential or treat - is conveniently available everywhere 24/7. Don't bother denying you haven't done your family grocery shopping at Shoppers Drug Mart like the rest of us!

Our packaged world comes to us at an undeniable cost. School Lunches contribute significantly to our huge stream of waste. Believe it or not, our precious little ones create an average of 67 pounds of waste just from lunches alone. I could start by preaching about how detrimental the actual packaging is to our environment, about paper depleting our forests, about plastics and pollution. Instead, as a mother, I focus on my kids' health, teaching them the right lessons now, helping them to make their own good decisions and inspire others.

Try the following...

Keep in mind it takes a while to get used to any new routine, but once established, it's very easy. In fact, due to my recent bedrest, my husband was put in charge of packing lunches and he could even do it...wow!

Buy in Bulk...

or in our case, since we have allergies in our family, we just buy in large packages. It's not only healthier, but wait until you add up the savings.

Buy Fresh...

and organic and local if you canImproves the freshness, nutritional quality, and taste of the food. Let your kids shop with you. And the real trick is to shop the outside perimeter of the grocery store...think about what you buy from the middle aisles.

Resist the Marketing...

Virtually all foods marketed to children are low in nutrients and high in calories, salt, saturated fat, and refined sugars. We don't have Dora, Scooby-Doo, pop or sports stars, contests, prizes, surprises and the latest market research tools to help us persuade our kids to eat their fruits and vegetables. We are in charge as parents and we have to undo the messages are children are inundated with. It's a huge job!

Stop Making Garbage...

This is even more important than recycling. A waste-free lunch means you have NO packaging to throw away when you're done -- nothing other than apple cores, banana and orange peels, peach or cherry pits. Use the following to perfect your lunches:

• REUSABLE LEAD-FREE carrier (insulated bag, lunchbox): NO throw-away bags
• REUSABLE containers : NO plastic wrap, foil or styrofoam
• THERMOS or KLEAN KANTEEN for drinks : NO single-use cartons or cans
• CLOTH NAPKIN to wash and re-use : NO paper napkins
• SILVERWARE to wash and re-use : NO plastic forks and spoons

Believe that you are making a difference...

Regardless of your actions, you are currently making an impact whether it's negative or positive...choose positive and watch how others follow...set the trend!

Our Favourite Solutions...

KLEAN KANTEENS

• The stainless steel alternative to plastic.
• Toxin-free and Non-leaching.
• Available in 4 sizes for toddler to adult.

THE LAPTOP LUNCH SYSTEM

Waste Less, Spend Less + Eat Well! Laptop Lunches are American-style bento boxes designed to help families pack nutritious, environment-friendly lunches for school, work, and travel.

These sustainable lunch containers--which come with a book of healthy lunch ideas and lunchmaking recipes--are reusable, recyclable, and dishwasher safe. And all lunchboxes are lead-free.

Klean Kanteen and the Laptop Lunch System can be ordered online (click on titles above) or by calling our office at 416-484-6489

• Joanne | August 22, 2008 at 6:47 am - §

  FYI - the Klean Kanteen products are on sale at www.plasticfreebottles.com as part of a back to school promotion. Klean Kanteens are a great replacement for single use juice boxes or other disposable drinks. If your child is part of a Waste Free Lunch program then this is a great item for their lunch box.Joanne

Thank you for your comment.

Close

1. Your name *
2. Your email *
3. Comments *
4. Just to make sure it's really you, please type the characters you see in the image into the box provided. * Reload
5. Post Posting...