The Zero-Waste Lunch Challenge: A guide to waste-free eating According to the EPA, an average student will produce 67 pounds of packaging during lunch in one school year. That is around 20,000 pounds of trash produced in a year for one averaged sized elementary school. Items that are pre-packaged for convenience create the most waste, including Lunchables, juice pouches, granola bars, bags of chips, and other snack wrappers. Disposable packaging like plastic wrap, baggies, and utensils is also an issue. But the good news is, we can easily avoid these items and pack a sustainable, waste-free lunch! Use this guide to learn how!

What is a waste-free lunch? "Waste” is anything that would get thrown away at the end of the lunch period, including yogurt containers, napkins, utensils, bags, and even food scraps. A ‘zero-waste’ lunch is one that avoids these items so that there is nothing to throw away at the end of the day. To pack a waste-free lunch, you need to consider the packaging food comes in when you buy it at the store. In this guide, we will learn how to both shop for food and pack lunches more sustainably! Once you have the right tools, packing a zero-waste lunch is easy! Why pack a waste-free lunch? When you pack a waste-free lunch, both the health of our planet and your family will benefit! By switching to reusable items, you will purchase fewer disposable items and save money. Single-use plastic containers have chemicals that can leach into food, especially when microwaved. Reusable items provide a safer choice as they contain fewer chemicals, especially when made of stainless steel or glass. When you use a reusable item, you reduce the amount of trash that goes to our landfills, saving your school or workplace money, and making the planet healthier. Getting Started: The first thing to do is analyze the food and snacks you usually pack for your family’s lunch. Do you use single-serve food containers like yogurt or fruit cups, bagged chips, cheese sticks, or granola bars? Do you use single-use drink pouches or water bottles? Do you notice any items you could easily replace with a reusable alternative? All of these things can easily swapped with reusable items, and we have included some easy swaps in this guide! Although you may have to buy a few things in the beginning, by buying in bulk you can save hundreds of dollars a year!

Turtle Trash Collectors is funded by NOAA Office of Marine Debris under grant NA18NOS9990031 Reusable Lunchbox Rather than using paper or plastic bags, switch to a reusable lunchbox. You can easily find lunchboxes at most stores, and an insulated lunchbox that will keep your lunch cold until it is time to eat. You can even make your own lunchbox by upcycling old drink pouches, milk jug, or t-shirt (check out page 8 of our 2TC Handbook to learn how!).

Reusable Containers Buying single-serving plastic bags or pre-packaged snacks can be very expensive! Instead, try switching to reusable containers and buying in bulk to save money! You can reuse sturdy plastic take-out containers, make your own containers out of used milk jugs, or purchase reusable containers at most stores. When purchasing containers, stainless steel ,or glass containers are the best choice! Plastic containers can contain chemicals that can get into your food when heated. Reusable Drinking Bottles Single-use water bottles and drink pouches create a lot of waste in our landfills. Instead of buying single-serve plastic bottles, buy larger containers of juice, and switch to reusable water bottles. Or, if you like to take soda or seltzer in your lunch, buy it in an aluminum can instead of a bottle. Aluminum is more sustainable, as it can be recycled into new aluminum each time, whereas plastic degrades each time it is recycled. Reusable Snack Wraps Single-use snack baggies and plastic wrap are convenient, but this thin plastic cannot be recycled. Luckily, there are many alternatives! Try buying a bigger bag of chips or pretzels and put a portion into a reusable container or reusable bags. Try using beeswax wrap instead of plastic wrap, or reuse bread bags and cereal bags to store food. Utensils & Napkins Utensils are the easiest switch to make! Rather than buying and using plastic utensils, use the metal ones you have at home! If you prefer not to pack metal utensils, you can also find bamboo forks, knives, and spoons that are great for on-the-go meals. Replace paper napkins with cloth ones that can get washed with your clothes or towels. Composting If you want to take it a step further for a completely waste-free lunch, you can compost your food scraps! To create an easy composting system at home, check out this guide: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/composting- basics-for-beginners/ . Remember to leave food scraps in the containers when done with lunch so they can be brought home and composted. Transitioning to zero-waste lunches will take some practice, but once you start making changes, it will become natural! Are you ready to challenge yourself to pack a waste-free lunch?