outer banks child

In the Green

Waste Free Lunches

by Patty McKenna

The easiest way to describe a “waste-free lunch” is to consider its opposite:  a “disposable lunch.” A disposable lunch might consist of a sandwich wrapped in plastic, yogurt served in a single-serving tub and a commercially packed bag of chips. It could also include a juice box, a plastic spoon and a paper napkin. After such a meal, the plastic wrap, yogurt container, plastic spoon, chip bag, juice box, straw — pause, take a breath — straw packaging and napkin get tossed in the trash.  A waste-free lunch, however, is an on-the-go menu that leaves nothing to discard. The sandwich and sides come in washable containers with a cloth napkin, reusable utensils and a drink from a refillable jug — all of which then comes home for washing and reuse.

November 1, 2009  |  Read more...