You won’t catch me filling the landfill with by-products from my kids’ school lunches this year…at least most of the time. While it is hard to resist the convenience of the individually wrapped cheese stick or fruit leather, most of the foods that we pack for our lunches this year will be stored in reusable containers.

While most families struggle with an alternative to the plastic sandwich baggie – we have a solution that works well for us. The wrap-n-mat is a PEVA-lined fabric wrapper that seals shut with a strip of velcro. Just put the sandwich inside, wrap it up and voila! It even serves as a place mat when it is open!

The type of lunch bag or lunch box to use often puts parents in a quandry, as well. Some lunch boxes, while adorable and perfectly designed to meet the marketing “needs” of our children, contain lead and other toxic chemicals. Our personal preference is for the Lunchbug, made by Mimi The Sardine. They offer loads of patterns, some suitable for the parents and some for the kids. They are made from special fabric that is certified to be free of over 100 chemicals. You can see some of their styles here. After two years of daily use, regular laundering (in the washer and even the dryer!), we are finally picking new patterns for this school year. My son loves the Jungle pattern and my daughter adores the Fleur bag.

Oh yes, and what about drinks? I usually go against the grain here, too. Instead of buying sugar-laden juice products, all natural juice boxes and capri-suns, I opt for SIGG or Klean Kanteen water bottles. They are durable, washable, reusable and recyclable (when we eventually dispose of them in 10+ years!). I forgot to mention how cute these are, too! Not only do they come in bottles sized and designed for the younger crowd, they also have ones that are hip enough for teens and parents, too.
What about you? What will your family be doing to keep your lunch packaging out of the landfill at lunch time?