Protect the Planet One Lunch at a Time

Let it be a multi-subject lesson that crosses generations...learn how to protect the planet, one lunch at a time. Try this experiment...it can be done in 30 minutes or less. More-than-likely, you will find all you need in your kitchen and pantry. Put together 2 lunches for yourself and/or your child. Make one lunch "disposable" and the other lunch "waste-free".

Include in the "disposable" lunch things that will be thrown away because they can not be reused or recycled and/or items that are individually packaged like single-serving convenience products. You could include bottled water, single-serving beverages, single-serving snacks, microwaveable meals, "Lunchables", etc. Single-serving items are designed for convenience and more recently for "portion control" with things like 100-calorie snack packs. In a disposable lunch, you would contain or wrap your food in plastic wrap, aluminum foil and plastic baggies and use plastic or paper disposable lunch bags. Your utensils would be disposable as well as would your napkin.

Now, put together a waste-free lunch. It would include packaging that can be reused over again. You would create your own snack pack from larger, bulk packaging. You would put beverages in a reusable bottle. Food can be contained in a variety of reusable containers...fabric, plastic, insulated, etc. Utensils and napkins would be reusable as well. Packing fresh fruit and vegetables only creates organic waste that can decompose and they are healthier alternatives (cheaper too). Of course, it would be assembled in a reusable lunch box.

Significant things you may have noticed about the disposable lunch:

• It is more expensive.
• It creates a lot of garbage.
• It typically is not as healthy or nutritious

Significant things you may have noticed about the waste-free lunch:

• It is less expensive.
• It creates significantly less garbage.

• It is typically more healthy and nutritious.

The biggest obstacle to packing a waste-free lunch? Getting over our dependency on single-serving, individually-wrapped, disposable and convenience packaging.

We've talked about waste-free lunches on this blog before. But like the saying goes...you have to try it to know if you like it. In this case, you have to pack it to know that it can make a difference. Packing both disposable and waste-free lunches simultaneously is an experiment worth conducting, both economically and environmentally.

Comments

[christy]

Here is a picture that will get you thinking http://www.kidskonserve.com/blog/post/How-to-Prevent-Lunchtime-Trash.aspx

Small things add up to big things.

Here is a great resource that can help you make a difference one lunch at a time http://www.kidskonserve.com