User:CorlanMartin1083
Until now, weve relied on convenience to drive decisions about packing our kids school lunches: paper bags, baggies aluminum foil, individual and single-serving packing. All this waste ends up in the garbage when lunchtime ends. What is the environmental cost of this disposable mindset? One estimate suggests that for each school-age child who tosses the lunch bag and its contents, 67 pounds of waste is generated per school year. That equates to 18,760 pounds of lunch waste per average elementary school.
How can you help reduce lunch time waste? A waste-free lunch begins with a reusable lunch bag and reusable food and beverage containers; even cloth napkins and silverware.
Here are some reasons to make the effort to send your children to school with a waste-free lunch:
* By creating less garbage, you will save landfill space. * You'll be saving on electricity by reducing the use of fossil fuels needed to produce the plastic bags, plastic utensils, and other disposables. * You'll save trees by using cloth napkins in place of paper napkins and paper bags * You will pass along the right messages to your children (if they haven't already presented the idea to you!)
What does a waste-free lunch look like?
A Typical American Lunch
(DISPOSABLE)
sandwiches wrapped in aluminum or waxed paper
fruits and vegetables in baggies
prepackaged chips, cookies, fruit bars, granola bars
individually wrapped cheese slices
prepackaged yogurt, applesauce, and pudding
crackers, pretzels, chips, and other snack foods sealed in plastic bags
juice boxes/pouches, water bottles,
plastic forks and spoons
paper napkins
disposable paper lunch bags
A Waste-Free Lunch
(REUSABLE)
sandwiches, pasta, salads, fresh fruit, vegetables in reusable containers
cloth napkins
stainless-steel forks and spoons
reusable drink containers
reusable lunchboxes
- Food items are bought in -size quantities to be used as needed. The packaging gets recycling after use. Waste-free lunches are not only a wise environmental choice, but they are less expensive as well.
What does it cost to pack a lunch?
A Disposable Lunch Costs $4.02/day or $723/year
A Waste-free Lunch Costs: $2.65/day or $477/year
So, You're already sending an Environmentally Sound Lunch?
Why not work with your PTA to plan a Waste Free Lunch Day?