How to Choose Eco-Friendly Kids' Lunch and Drink Storage
When you pack up your child's lunch box, make sure you're not also packing in toxins, chemicals and pollutants that could be bad for both your child and the environment. Every day you give your child lunch is a day you can make a difference. Beginning with the drink container and lunch box you choose to use, your decisions can help reduce your family's impact on the environment while keeping your children healthy, safe and happily fed.
Instructions
Check where your kid's drink container or lunch box was manufactured. Ideally, only use containers that were made close to home. If the containers were made abroad, your purchase contributes to the fuel and related greenhouse gas emissions required to transport the lunch and drink containers to your area. Inspect the material used for the lunch box. For the safest and most environmentally conscious choice, opt for something made of either cloth or metal. Plastic containers often have toxins like BPA or phthalates, which can leach into your child's food or into the environment. Review the material used to make your child's drinking cup or other containers. While almost anything is better than single-portion disposable drink containers that simply end up in the landfill, reusable plastic drink containers often have dangerous chemicals. Look for a child's beverage container made from stainless steel or aluminum. If you must choose a single-use packaged drink, look for a beverage that comes in a glass container, as glass is 100 percent recyclable. Review the size of the lunch box to ensure it can hold various reusable food containers. This minimizes the environmental impact of what's inside the lunch box. Avoid the temptation to use plastic bags for your child's food, as an estimated one million plastic bags get thrown away every minute, according to the Office of Sustainability at the University of Alberta.