Monday, August 30, 2010

Sustainable Lunches

School is starting again soon and so, like many parents, I'm thinking about lunches.  Three kids and their parents eating a meal outside of the house each day can be a challenge in many ways.  I don't have any new secrets for how to get kids to eat what you put in the lunch-- but I do have some kid-tested ways to pack up the food that will lighten the load on your wallet and  planet earth.

Recently I saw a statistic that every year 20 million plastic sandwich baggies go in to the trash-- I have no idea if that is a true number, but even if it's just a rough estimate it's still a staggering thought.  So what's a busy mom/dad/student to do? Wrap it all up in re-usable, unique gear!

Moms often tell me that their kids always throw out their baggies or plastic containers, so they worry about sending re-usable bags or wraps-- but our products are so colorful, fun and interesting that the kids do not mistake them for a disposable item.  Let them choose their own wrap or baggies and they will reuse them all year long.

Lunch boxes made from recycled drink bags
Why we love them:
Easy open/close zipper for all ages
Easy wipe out cleaning 
Thermal-- keep food cold with a cold pack or cold drink
Colorful and original-- no two exactly alike
Made by a women's cooperative the The Philippines with a local Hood River company
    Wraps
    Why we love them: 
    Wrap the food, secure with velcro, unwrap and use as an instant place mat,  throw in the wash or wipe for easy clean up  
    Keeps food fresh 
    Made in Hood River by a local mom
      Baggies
      Why we love them: 
      Easy to use, easy to wash  
      All different sizes  
      Colorful and unique  
      Made from scrap fabric in Hood River
        Klean Kanteen bottles
        Why we love them:
        Several sizes with different drinking tops for different ages 
        Traditional single-walled stainless steel or thermal wide mouth
        Ethically made for people and the planet

          We've also got stainless steel food carriers, locally made napkins, and a variety of cute bags to carry it all in.  No more worries about what to send the lunch in-- so you can use your creativity on what food to experiment with instead.
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