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GOODBYE, SANDWICH BAGS; HELLO, BENTO BOXES
Just when I thought that I was running out of eco-ideas for
greening my home, along comes a note from my daughter’s preschool.
Time to say goodbye to the individual sandwich bags and juice
boxes—the preschool has officially “gone green.” The note encouraged us to buy lunch containers to hold sandwiches and indicated that the school would provide each child with a glass with their name on it for snack and juice time. I guess even my non-plastic wax bags would be banned*.
And thus with this gentle nudge from the teachers, I was introduced to the new must-have hot eco-product: The handy-dandy bento box. It has changed our lives.
There are tons of choices out there, from plastic to stainless steel—endless options. Given all the hoopla around plastic water bottles, I focused on finding a stainless steel model, but there are plastic options that claim they are BPA-free. It is the perfect way to say goodbye to the extra waste of the packed school lunch. Plus, it has instilled in me a whole host of new creative ideas about what to send for lunch. Many boxes come with small containers that can fit applesauce, yogurt, soups, pasta or dips for veggies. Ah—a break from the boring turkey sandwich. Who knew that going green could inspire such creativity?
And even more exciting, the experiment is working. Our preschool teacher proudly reported that they used to fill two garbage bags a day with the lunch waste and now there is only a small amount of garbage a day. Yay. Victory for the landfills!
So join in with the fun and check out a few of my favorite options for eliminating the plastic sandwich bags.
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1. LunchBots: We love this stainless steel food container, as it is small enough to fit into my daughter’s favorite lunch box. We pack all kinds of lunch items in here, including fruit, sandwiches, cheese and crackers |
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2. To-Go Ware Stainless Steel Lunch Box: This one works as the whole lunch box. It is great for hot or cold foods and contains a mini tin that is perfect for sauces or dips. All the pieces stack neatly on top of each other. |
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3. WasteNot Saks Snack Bag: Perfect for fruits and snacks—I just found these today. They look great and I might have to order a few. They also have sandwich bags, so if you are a creature of habit and can’t give up the concept of a sandwich bag, this might be an option for you. |
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4. Laptop Lunches: Bento-ware for everywhere. I haven’t tried these boxes, but I have seen a lot of people using them, and people swear by them. Their products contain no phthalates, Bisphenol A (BPA) or lead. |
Try one of these waste-free lunch options and you will never go back to plastic baggies or juice boxes. And think of the smiles on your children’s faces with the new lunch ideas, not to mention the relief for the landfills.
Happy eco-eating!
* As a side note, I still think wax bags are a good alternative to plastic if you are not ready to say goodbye to individual baggies. They’re great for the super-organized, eco-warrior mama to have a small supply around for those occasional field trips when you have to throw the lunch wrappers away. However, be warned, the wax bags don’t do well with anything wet—like melon pieces. I learned that the hard way unpacking a soggy mess at the bottom of my daughter’s backpack one day. But that is a whole other story.
In 2006, Francesca Olivieri co-founded the company sage baby, an online eco-friendly baby store offering everything from organic clothes and skincare to furniture. She also writes a monthly blog for Scenic Hudson as well as contributes articles to Daily Candy Kids, CitiScoop and NRDC’s Simple Steps. She continues to watch her green business grow while seeking to apply her values to her own home and family. Francesca lives in New York City with her husband and three kids, 9, 7 and 4.
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