1. Bulk up
And by bulk up, we mean buy bigger bags of your kiddo’s favorite snacks to divide and distribute into (reusable) bags and containers. If your little one’s school allows nuts, opt for some trail mix. If not, you can choose pretzels, veggie chips, or dried fruit as your go-to. And if you’re looking to go the extra mile, check out some upcycled snacks that are leading the charge in the zero waste game.
2. Speaking of reusable containers
This is the year of ditching single use plastic, if you ask us. You can opt to fill your small containers or some super cute silicone bags. Either way, dishing those snacks out into containers that won’t end up in a trash can means you’re already getting ahead in the waste reducing game.
3. Do single serve the right way
We know that sometimes individual bags or bars are the best way to be sure your kids are getting a filling and functional lunch. But that doesn’t mean that packaging has to become waste. Encourage your kids to bring home their wrappers. Challenge them to collect those rather than just throw them away. Then, you can use your TerraCycle envelope to keep that stuff out of the landfill (and take a minute to teach your kids about protecting Mother Earth, if you’d like).
4. Upgrade the classic PB&J
Since peanuts (and other nuts) are common allergens, you may end up leaving them out of your lunchboxes. But that doesn’t mean you have to ditch the classic sandwich of your childhood. Instead, you can opt for seed butters and jam. Or if you’re in a nut-okay’d environment, we’ve also got some of the most responsibly and ethically sourced nut butters around.
What else can you do? Keep up your good work! By choosing products with better sourcing, more equitable labor practices, and conscientious sustainability standards you’re setting up great habits for yourself and your family.