A waste-free lunch means that you have no trash to throw away when you're done (just compostables such as apple cores, banana and orange peels). The best way to reduce trash is to not create it.
Print the EPA's wonderful waste-free lunch flyer to post at your school or office - and here are great tips for launching a waste-free-lunch program at your school.
YES |
NO |
|---|---|
NO throw-away bags |
|
REUSABLE containers |
NO plastic wrap, foil or styrofoam |
THERMOS for drinks |
NO single-use cartons or cans |
CLOTH NAPKIN to wash and re-use |
NO paper napkins |
SILVERWARE to wash and re-use |
NO plastic forks and spoons |
ALUMINUM FOIL |
600,000 tons of aluminum foil is produced every year in America (880,000 tons in Europe). A large amount of electricity is used in manufacturing foil. The EPA reports that in 2013, the US discarded about 2.8 million tons of aluminum. |
ALUMINUM AND TIN CANS |
Half of the 100 billion cans sold in the U.S. last year were landfilled or incinerated. |
SANDWICH BAGS |
Every day, over 20,000,000 sandwich bags from school lunches are thrown away. |
JUICE BOXES |
Inorganic waste may take hundreds of years to decompose, or may not decompose at all. |
PAPER BAGS AND NAPKINS |
Every ton of recycled paper can spare 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, 4,000 kilowatts of energy, 7,000 gallons of water and three cubic yards of space at the landfill (more pasper stats). |
PLASTIC BOTTLES, FORKS, WRAP |
Every year, Americans throw away enough paper and plastic cups, forks, and spoons to circle the equator 300 times. |
STYROFOAM |
Styrofoam is very difficult to recycle. The best way to protect the environment is to stop using it. |
BANANA AND ORANGE PEELS |
As food decomposes in a landfill it generates harmful greenhouse gases such as methane (try composting or vermiculture!) |
