In Heal the Bay’s mockumentary, The Majestic Plastic Bag, Jeremy Irons narrates the life of a plastic bag as it migrates to its (un)natural habitat. It’s brilliant, provoking and had me asking if I was doing my part to keep plastics out of the trash. You can check it out at: http://www.youtube.com/user/HealtheBay#p/a
My contribution would be the family lunch. Packing lunchboxes is a task I undertake almost daily, albeit begrudgingly but dutifully, so I would begin here. The components include: finding a durable lunchbox reusable containers, a reusable bottle, silverware, a thermos, and a cloth napkin for each family member. The greenest path is to reuse items you already own but a plethora of websites will sell you items if needed (see the resources below). I decided to use the 3R mantra (reduce, reuse, recycle) to stock the lunchboxes in our house and set about organizing the shelves so I could access the items we already owned. I found some great, under-used handkerchiefs to serve as napkins and old silverware that was the perfect size for small hands.
The simplest part is the actual lunchbox because anyone will do! When picking one, consider if it is easy to open, can it hold the entire lunch, is it easy to clean. It’s mainly an aesthetic exercise but you need to ensure that it works for you and for your kid (if you are buying, look for one that is free of phthalates which have been linked to hormone problems in children). An eco-friendly lunchbox is one that you use for many years so durability is the key when picking.
For containers, there are a plethora to choose from: snapware (found at the supermarket), lunchbots, litter free lunch, planetbox, laptop lunches, kids konserv, goodbyn, or lunchville (see resources below). The same rules apply: are they easy to open, do they hold the food, are they easy to clean (dishwash or handwash preference), do they keep foods hot or cold? (Most containers at the below websites are BPA-free, and there are non-plastic options; again a personal decision). I continued to use the “greenest” option and procured the snapware containers that we already owned. I need to purchase reusable “baggies” for items that don’t fit into the snapware because right now I occasionally resort to the dreaded plastic baggie. An added benefit to this purchase is that it looks like little hands will be able to open the reusable baggies better than the plastic ones.
And finally, a reusable beverage container (kleen kanteen, sigg, tupperware, they even come in the ubiquitous “juice box” square shape) and a thermos for hot foods are essential. I was encouraged to read about someone bringing a thermos to the market and asking them to fill it up with mac ‘n’ cheese. It sounds like a quick and easy lunch on days that you need the respite and one less plastic container used!
With silverware and a cloth napkin, the defining marks of an eco-friendly lunchbox, my job was complete.
To extend the eco theme, you can buy in “bulk”. No more individual servings/plastic wrappings to dispose of, won’t Jeremy and his friends at Heal the Bay be proud! There are many locations with bulk bins but some that come to mind are the Santa Monica Co-Op on Broadway, Whole Foods markets or Rainbow Foods on Washington Blvd.
Now, what am I packing for lunch tomorrow? A topic for another article! Long live mother earth and bon appetite!
Samantha Soule (Ophelia’s Mom, WW)
http://www.reuseit.com//
http://lunchbots.com/
http://www.planetbox.com/
http://www.laptoplunches.com/
http://www.goodbyn.com/goodbyn/default.aspx
http://kidskonserve.com/
http://www.litterfreelunch.com/
http://www.lunchville.com/
http://www.snapware.com/food.html