Lunch Time = Time to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle The average school-age child throws away 67 pounds of lunch waste per school year! Multiply that by the number of students in your school and a Waste-Free Lunch Day quickly adds up as a great idea to demonstrate the 3R’s! What is a Waste-Free Lunch? A Waste-Free Lunch reduces or even eliminates packaging waste. Dedicate one day a month to having students pack a lunch from home using all reusable or recyclable containers. Collect leftovers that can be composted into a container (fruit and vegetable scraps, no fats, meats or cheeses). Measure the amount of waste generated on the Waste-Free Lunch Day compared to a typical lunch day. Waste Free Guidelines: Lunch boxes, canvas or nylon lunch sacks Plastic containers (Tupperware like or yogurt and cottage cheese containers). #1 plastics, such as water and juice containers can be used over and over and then recycled. Plastic food bags, especially bread bags are great sandwich bags- use again and again. Coth napkins. Recyclables! No juice boxes or un-recyclable plastic drink containers. Bring home plastic utensils, wash and REUSE. Disposables! Individual Serving Sizes! Ziploc Bags! Lunchables! Promote the Waste-Free Lunch Day Send letters home to get parents involved. Be sure to point out the economic savings. The typical disposable lunch costs $4.02 per day compared to $2.65 for a Waste-Free Lunch Have a poster contest advertising the day Set up a demonstration table with examples of waste-free lunch do’s and don’ts. Announce over the P.A. Have waste-free challenges. Which class generates the least amount of waste? Which class had the most kids participating? Hot Lunch Programs Included Too! Kids on free or reduced lunches that may not be able to bring a lunch from home can participate by avoiding straws, napkins or single-service items. Fruit and vegetable waste can be set aside for composting.

 

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