Tips to create a plastic free packed lunch
Things are slowly getting back to normal; the schools are open and we’re heading back to the office. This means it’s time to start getting organised.
Five years ago, my lunch at work would always be the same, I’d jump in the car, nip to the supermarket to grab a meal deal and back to my desk within half an hour giving me time to eat the same uninspiring lunch every day. This is possibly the most non-eco-friendly lunch someone could do, *hangs head in shame*. Not only was I using my car to make an unnecessary journey I was buying single use plastic.
What’s changed since then? A couple of kids, educating myself and a global pandemic has helped me to change my ways. Lunchtimes for myself and my family are much more eco-friendly, which I am proud to share with you.
With our sustainable on-the-go range of products we are here help you reduce your plastic waste too.
What is a zero-waste packed lunch?
Essentially, it’s a packed lunch that doesn’t produce any unnecessary waste.
Meal prep
There are many ways to meal prep: preparing different elements of a meal, batch cooking meals or making twice as much for leftovers.
We are big fans of cauliflower curries in our house, great for batch cooking, it will last up to three months in the freezer. I make extra for pasta dishes and save some for lunch for myself and the kids for the next day. Stored in a Stasher ba,g the endlessly reusable self-sealing platinum silicone storage bags can go straight from the fridge to the microwave, so it couldn’t be easier to bring your leftovers to work or school, without any waste. Find out more about why we love Stasher.
Reach for the reusable
Nothing beats a good coffee from a coffee shop, I always make sure I bring my reusable cup with me (I have a collapsible one that fits into my bag, so I never forget it) to my favourite shop, not only because it prevents single-use cups ending up in landfill, but I also get an extra stamp on my loyalty card!
For the kids, I’ve swapped juice boxes for reusable water bottles. Juice boxes are a lot of packaging for a small drink, and they come with those little straws wrapped in plastic!
Plastic-free lunchbox alternatives
I’ll often have a wrap for lunch and will use Beeswax Wraps to put them in, they are also great to wrapping the kids sandwiches in. By wrapping your sandwich or vegetable sticks in a beeswax wrap, you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint and supporting sustainable manufacturers.
Buying in bulk = less waste! It’s better value for money and reduces unnecessary waste. Buying items in bigger containers and packaging them yourself into smaller ones is better for the environment than buying individual servings. For example, buy a big pot of yogurt and take a few spoonfuls each day rather than buying multiple little pots. We love snacking on nuts so we will buy them in bulk and use the Stasher snack bags to store them in.
I’ll make a salad the night before work and use boll**ks to clingfilm, it keep everything nice and fresh and crunchy for lunch the next day. Located in our eco-friendly kitchen supplies range, the reusable silicone food covers that replace stubborn clingfilm and help you reduce food waste.
They can preserve your food in almost any container as they come in a range of six sizes.
The finishing touch to every meal, bamboo cutlery. It’s an eco-friendly alternative to disposable cutlery which can be washed and reused. So you never have to run around the office looking for a knife and fork.
You absolutely don’t need to implement all of these tips straight away, even trying one of these can make a huge difference. Perhaps you could focus on one each month.
To start your plastic-free lunch journey today, head to our on-the-go essentials range to find easy, sustainable alternatives. Using our tips, you can reduce your carbon footprint and save the planet, one container at a time.
