"As Americans we have come to depend on the many convenience products that are available to us, and nowhere is this more evident than in the school lunch room. Most parents pack lunch items in single-use plastic bags, aluminum foil, or wax paper, or they purchase single-serving items that come in their own disposable package. Admittedly, these products are extremely convenient, but what is the environmental cost to a country that relies so heavily on them? Landfills are full and overflowing. Incinerators pump contaminants into the air. Communities are battling over who will accept the nation's trash. We all enjoy these conveniences, but few of us are willing to allow new landfills and incinerators to be built in our own backyards.
Much of the trash we generate comes from the packaging on the food we buy, and lunch foods are no exception. In fact, it has been estimated that on average a school-age child using a disposable lunch generates 67 pounds of waste per school year. That equates to 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for just one average-size elementary school. (Waste Free Lunches)
4 Simple Ways to a "Waste Free Lunch"
Reusable BPA free Water Bottle:
"Thinksport was created to address the growing concern of harmful chemicals potentially leaching from sports bottles. The bottle is constructed of FDA approved stainless steel and is double-walled to keep contents at the desired temperature for hours. The bottle's sleek design also features an easy to drink from spout and built in mesh filter to stop ice or tea leaves from being consumed.
Built to fit your active lifestyle, thinksport provides safe consumer products free of Bisphenol-A (BPA), lead, phthalates, melamine, nitrosamines, PVC and biologically toxic chemicals. Their products are also designed to be sustainable, eco-friendly, super functional, and elegant." Think Sport
Reusable Sandwich Wrap:
Wrap N Mat are an environmentally-friendly re-usable sandwich bag. The Wrap also serve as a place ma
t providing a clean eating surface anywhere!Simply place the sandwich or other snack foods in the center of the wrap and fold left to right, top to bottom and close the hook and loop fasteners. WRAP-N-MAT Wraps keeps food fresh for hours. When needed, place a cold pack alongside the mat.
* WRAP-N-MAT Wraps are the only RE-USABLE sandwich wrap and placemat in one.
* Easy to clean, just hand wash and air dry.
* Original sized wraps are approx. 13" x 13"
* Grande' sized wraps are approx. 14" x 17"
We carry the "Made in USA" wraps and are made with a lining of LDPE (Low-density polyethylene) #4 Resin Code. The material is manufactured to meet all FDA's guidelines to be in contact with food and is Phthalate free, Lead free and BPA free. (Wrap n Mats) Great for everyone in your family! Even DAD!
Reusable Snack Bags:
Families are going through an average of 10 plastic bags per day between school and work lunches. We all do our best to reuse and recycle in other areas of our lives, but there doesn't seem to be a solution to the plastic sandwich bags until now.
"ReUsies were developed for their waste-free quality, but the primary reason for purchasing the ReUsies for most people is to eliminate plastic from being in direct contact with their family’s food".
"ReUsies™ are a re-usable alternative to sandwich/snack bags, each one has the potential to eliminate hundreds of plastic bags. ReUsies™ are 100% cotton lined with leak-resistant nylon and are secured with Velcro® closures.
Snack: approx. 6” w / 5” h
The snack size holds a half sandwich or whole sandwich with the crust cut off! It is good for smaller quantities of crackers, pretzels, apple slices, etc.
ReUsies can be machine washed and dried, washed in the dishwasher, or for longest life simply wiped clean with a soapy sponge and air dried. To keep the Velcro from snagging on the stitching when washing in the machine we recommend turning the bag inside out, tucking in the flap, and securing one side of the Velcro to the other". ReUsies
Reusable Utensil Sets-Bamboo Cutlery:
"We’ve got our travel mugs and our reusable shopping bags. How about a reusable bamboo utensil set to round out the perfect toolkit for life on the go? A handy carabiner on the back lets you clip and carry a fork, knife, spoon and chopsticks wherever they may roam. Perfect for a busy lifes
tyle
Bamboo reusable utensil sets are a great alternative to plastic! Bamboo is not a tree-it's a grass, and it grows like one. Many species of bamboo can grow two feet or more a day. When it's harvested, it need not be replanted, because it will grow a new shoot from its extensive root system. So bamboo renews itself readily, unlike hardwood trees, which, once cut, are gone forever. Bamboo is an endlessly renewable resource and makes for a great reusable fork! Not to, mention that means no BPA, Lead, phthalates, or PVC to worry about.
The bamboo utensil sets have a colorful "RePEaT" holder, and gives plastic bottles a second shot at a useful life – and an opportunity to stay out of our landfills. Made out of RPET (recycled PET plastic), we like to call it “RePEaT” becau
se it lets plastic reincarnate into something kinder and gentler. The material for RePEaT utensils is made of RPET, recycled plastic bottles. Plastic soda and water bottles that would otherwise end up in the landfills are given a second shot at a useful life by being recycled into this amazingly strong, color-fast and water-resistant utensil holder. An added plus for RePEaT wraps is that the recycled material requires less energy during manufacturing than virgin PET materials. (To Go Ware)
Keep them clipped to your lunch sack, in your glove compartment, or in your camping gear! They work everywhere for everyone! They are even allowed on airplanes!
