As we near the end of summer and many of us are thinking about heading back to school it’s a good time to
think about the daily choices we make. It’s estimated that the average North American will produce 600
times their own weight in garbage over their lifetime. Yet by rethinking some of our daily practices such
as how we pack our lunches, we can reduce that number and prevent a great deal of garbage from ending
up in our landfill.
A litterless or waste-free lunch means that there is no packaging to throw away when you’re done. All
that’s left are biodegradable extras such as apple cores and banana peels which can be composted.
This means using reusable food and drink containers instead of disposable plastic packaging, washable
cutlery instead of disposable utensils, and eating homemade instead of prepackaged foods.
The most obvious reason for a litterless lunch is the massive amounts of garbage that packaged lunches
create. It is estimated that a typical Canadian student produces approximately 67 pounds of waste per
school year. When that number is multiplied by 200 students in a school, that’s 13.4 tons which should
be reduced significantly if not eliminated altogether. Aside from reducing large amounts of garbage,
switching to a litterless lunch has other benefits.
One significant benefit of switching to a litterless lunch is that it is much cheaper in the long run. A 2015
study by ecolunch.com estimates that a family of four could save up to $450 a school year by
eliminating prepacked, single use, disposable lunch products. The initial costs of purchasing quality
reusable containers would be offset within the first few weeks.
Another benefit of litterless lunches is that they lead to healthier food choices. Many prepackaged foods
are high in salt, sugar and trans fats in order to give them a longer shelf life. Health experts agree that
current rates of sugar consumption are dangerous yet many juice boxes contain more sugar than
pop and some packaged granola bars actually contain more sugar than a chocolate bar. Plastic packaging
also contains harmful chemicals such as BPA which can cause a variety of negative health effects.
Here are a few suggestions on how to get started with a litterless lunch.
1) Invest in quality dishwasher safe re-usuable containers.
2) Pack lunches in the evening to eliminate the need to pack a lunch quickly in the morning.
3) Put leftovers from dinner directly into your reusable lunch container.s
4) Try baking your own granola bars and cookies which allows you to control the sugar content.
5) When shopping, try not to purchase items in single use packaging to put into your lunch.
While packing a litterless lunch may require a bit more effort, the benefits greatly outweigh the
inconvenience. Thinking about our food choices teaches us and our children to be more conscious about
what we put into our bodies and the waste we create.
Written for ACAN by Joanne Wiebe
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