How to Green Your Kid's Lunches

Packing lunches is a great way to provide your kids with greater nutrition at a lower cost. Though it may be great for greening their diets, however, the waste associated with bringing a packed lunch may be less-so for the planet. Thankfully, there are a great many ways to make your child's lunch more sustainable for the environment, and keep less junk out of the landfills.

Turning the Brown Bag into a Green Bag

Does your child carry a lunchbox or do you pack his or her lunch in a brown bag? Some parents use a plastic bag. No matter what the bag or box is made of, reusable reigns supreme. There are plenty of fun lunchboxes available, or you could even make fabric lunchbags yourself-which are not only reusable, but can easily be tossed in a washing machine! I made three that are based on a plastic grocery bag for one that has more room with less impact. Your kids will jump at the chance to pick their own fabric. Not sew-savvy? Pick up a fun bag or box at the store that is easily washable.

Taking a Look Inside

Now that we've got the carrying device down, it's time to evaluate what you are putting into the lunch. Sandwiches, cookies, chips, cut up fruit or veggies, a juice perhaps are all elements of your child's lunch. The better question, however, is what packaging is used for all of these items? I know I wouldn't want to wash out a zip-top sandwich bag over and again, so they end up in the trash. Perhaps instead, you can look into finding a reusable plastic container for those sandwiches. The hard plastic will keep sandwiches from getting crushed, and less plastic in the trash. If you're feeling crafty, you could try making these fused plastic sandwich wraps instead. Don't want to mess around with the iron? Use gallon-sized zip-top bags instead. Again, these can be thrown into the washing machine as well. Instead of throwing carrots into baggies, small reusable containers can be used. Plastic utensils can be saved and washed. Packing fresh produce? Try finding it locally grown!

Not So Individually Packaged

Greening lunches can start right from the grocery store. Rather than purchasing already-individually packaged goods (which increase the amount of wrapping that will be thrown away), try to purchase your snacks in bulk and use those reusable containers again and again. Buying in bulk tends to be cheaper as well as more sustainable. Don't forget, too, that many of the foods you purchase already come in containers that could be reused. Lunch-meat containers, I've found, have been particularly handy for leftovers. Small butter bowls are great for apple slices or baby carrots. Reuse and recycle what you can before throwing those containers in the trash.

Incorporating greener packaging into your child's lunch, too, is a great way to demonstrate the importance of being conscious of the environment-everything is a learning opportunity! The most important part: have fun and get the kids involved!