Thursday, August 7, 2008

Waste Free Lunches

I got a link to this website in an email update I get regularly. I thought it was a great resource to pass along, especially for those people that bring lunches, make their children lunches, etc. I switched from sandwich bags to a tupperware container for my sandwiches and pretzels, etc that I bring to work for lunch. Check out the website (and ideas) if you get a chance.


WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?


As Americans we have come to depend on the many convenience products that are available to us, and nowhere is this more evident than in the school lunch room. Most parents pack lunch items in single-use plastic bags, aluminum foil, or wax paper, or they purchase single-serving items that come in their own disposable package. Admittedly, these products are extremely convenient, but what is the environmental cost to a country that relies so heavily on them? Landfills are full and overflowing. Incinerators pump contaminants into the air. Communities are battling over who will accept the nation's trash. We all enjoy these conveniences, but few of us are willing to allow new landfills and incinerators to be built in our own backyards.

Much of the trash we generate comes from the packaging on the food we buy, and lunch foods are no exception. In fact, it has been estimated that on average a school-age child using a disposable lunch generates 67 pounds of waste per school year. That equates to 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for just one average-size elementary school.


http://www.wastefreelunches.org/

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