The Ultimate Waste-Free School Lunch
At Home...
Start with a reusable lunch box. Metal ones are
very sturdy, while plastic ones are easy to clean and won't rust. Or, rather than buying
paper lunch sacks, reuse plastic and paper bags you have around the house.
Put sandwiches, cookies, carrots and celery in
reusable containers such as tupperware-type containers or ziplock bags. (Remind students
to put these back in the box or bag, and bring 'em all home to be reused again.)
- Pack fresh fruit, since it doesn't need any additional packaging.
- Buy liquids in concentrated form. (Many juices are now concentrated,
and come in cans or juice box-type containers.) Use a glass or plastic bottle you have on
hand to prepare and store the juice. Pour into a thermos-type container that fits in the
lunch box.
At school...
Have the serving staff practice portion
control, so that less food goes in the trash. Over time, you should be able to save
considerable food from being wasted, and might also be able to reduce your cafeteria
expenditures.
- Look into starting a compost program so that leftovers like fruit and
vegetable scraps can be turned back into something valuable: mulch for the school's lawn
and garden areas. (Paper can be added too.)
- Talk to your local recycling agencies about recycling items like
metal and glass cans, plastic and paper milk cartons, and juice boxes.
- Throw a party! Use some of the financial savings from reduced food
expenditures or trash collections to reward students for their efforts. (We'll leave it to
you to figure out how to create a waste-free celebration.)
Back to
the ULS Day page.
Copyright 1994-1998
Partners for Environmental Progress.