A typical bagged school lunch contains a sandwich (in a plastic baggie or wrapped in plastic wrap),  and usually, two or more store bought, individual serving, pre-packaged items like a yogurt, a bag of apple slices and a package of crackers or cookies. Also included is a juice box (with a plastic wrapped straw) or a bottle of water, a spoon that is thrown away, and a paper napkin. At the end of the lunch, nothing is left for the student to take home- everything goes into the trash, EVERY DAY!  Multiply this by the number of students who bring their lunch to school and that is A LOT of garbage… garbage that can be eliminated and replaced with American-made products. Follow these four steps for an Eco-friendly lunch that leaves less waste. 

Pack an Eco-friendly lunch with these Four Tips

Don't miss our made in USA lunch gear source list that includes American made lunch bags, and all the containers, reusable bottles, and utensil you'll need for an Eco friendly school lunch!

Tips on packing an Eco friendly lunch

1. Replace those paper bags that are tossed after each use with an Eco-friendly, reusable lunch bag. It is getting harder every year to find lunch bags made in the USA, but there are some out there! Check our list here.

2. Use reusable lunch containers or bags instead of plastic baggies, plastic wrap or aluminum foil.  Also, you can save money AND make less trash by purchasing the regular package size of snack items instead of individual pre-packaged snack sizes.

3. Instead of purchasing water or juice boxes (by the case) that will just get thrown away,  pack that drink in a reusable bottle.  The use of just one re-useable bottle can save so much waste!

4. Stop purchasing paper napkins and disposable utensils and invest in cloth napkins and reusable forks/spoons.  You could also pick up silverware cheap at yard sales or use old odd and end pieces.  Etsy offers a great selection of handmade cloth napkins in patterns that kids will love. Support small American business!

For more Eco-friendly living tips, don't miss the following USA Love List articles