Packing a Waste Free Lunch

We all share the responsibility of caring for our world, for the benefit of future generations. Small actions can lead to big change. What small changes have you made in your home to help with the global issue of landfill? Packing a waste free lunch for your child is one way that you can make a difference. 

It has been estimated that on average a school-age child using a disposable lunch generates three pieces of litter per day, which equates to 30kg of waste per year. This works out to be 15 tonnes of waste produced by a school of 500 students each year from lunch boxes alone! St Paul’s has a current enrolment of 616 students. 

Waste free lunches involves packing items that can be composted or recycled. That means trying to eliminate pre-packaged lunch items, or the use of foil, cling wrap and ziplock bags. This can seem like an impossible task at first. A way to begin, is to replace just one item within your child’s lunch box with a waste free alternative. Begin to collect a selection of containers by purchasing reusable containers/pouches when they are on special at the grocery store. Ensure that all containers and lids are labelled so they don’t get lost at school. 

Benefits of litter-free school lunches include:

• Students eating healthier lunches, as they are being provided with less pre-packaged snack foods and more fresh food in appropriate amounts
• Cheaper lunches, as food items bought in bulk are less expensive than pre-packaged products
• Providing children with a practical example of how a simple behaviour change can easily address a widespread environmental issue
• A cleaner school (research has shown that less litter is dropped in areas free of litter compared to areas where litter is more noticeable)
• Less waste being produced and sent to landfill