With the start of the new school year, it is the perfect time to go green with children’s lunches. Here are a few tips to create zero-waste lunches while making affordable meals.
Use reusable containers, utensils and napkins. Face cloths, for example, are perfect for wiping off small fingers. Avoid plastic bags, single-use packaging, disposable utensils and paper napkins. Everything in a zero-waste lunch box must come back home at the end of the day so it can be reused.
At the grocery store, purchase bulk goods and family-size packages. For example, buy large containers of juice, yogurt and applesauce, and divide them up into individual portions.
Avoid pre-made foods and non-recyclable or over-packaged products.
When making children’s lunches, try to gauge their needs so as to reduce waste. If some days a child eats less than other days, ask them to bring leftovers home. The leftovers can then be used the following day, put in the compost bin or put a bag for organic waste, whatever is appropriate for the condition and type of food.
Finally, encourage children to aim for zero waste by raising awareness of the importance of reducing the amount of garbage that ends up in landfills every day around the world. The sooner the youngest generation understands the need to be respectful of Mother Earth, the better for all of us.
