Litter Free School Lunches

After seeing so many articles in the news lately about the troubles with our current recycling systems and recycling culture, it really had me looking at our family's recycling practises and areas we could improve. We have a big family and at times a lot of waste! Ditching single-use plastic was oh so appealing but also felt like a GIANT undertaking. So I decided we needed to start somewhere. It was obvious that our school lunches were a major culprit for single-use plastic and waste... so that's where I began. 

Initially, I was nervous! Our kids love yogurt in their lunches. How would I replace prepackaged granola bars?! Each week I implemented a new substitution and it was easy peasy! For yogurt,  I started buying the larger plain yogurt containers and scooping a portion into the pura containers (stainless steel baby bottles that transition into many containers to last for ages). I added in some frozen fruit, chia seeds, cinnamon or maple syrup :) For granola bars I started making my own! It was actually way less time consuming than I had expected. Here is a nut-free recipe I have been using and having fun making variations of. We've also been using bees wax wraps, silicone muffin liners for separating food items, reusable zipper bags & our long lived goodbyn & lunchbots containers. 

It's been over a month now of littler free lunches and I don't think we'll be going back anytime soon. We've found that we have not only reduced our footprint but also are eating healthier! 

Next month we're working on eliminating plastic freezer ziplock bags and using foam shaving cream. Have you eliminated any single use waste products in your home? What are your alternatives? 


-Kirston