My daughter started kindergarten last week and next week my son is off to preschool for the first time. We’ll all look back on these days fondly sometime in the future, but for now, I’m having some typical Mommy back-to-school blues. In the interest of combating those blues, I decided to focus on some greens–specifically in the form of green tips related to schools and students. In this post I’ll discuss how to reduce waste associated with school lunches; look for more discussions on green ideas and examples for K-12 and beyond in the days to come.

The Gear

For some online guides to reusable and eco-friendly lunch gear, check out the following:

• TreeHugger—Green Your Kid’s Packed School Lunch: The Buy Guide: This slide show provides information and links to several reusable lunch box/bag and container options.

• Mother Nature Network: Check out this recent blog post with lots of suggestions for eco-friendly lunch gear that will appeal to older kids as well as tiny tots.

The list below provides other specific ideas. Bear in mind that even though I provide notes on personal experience with a few of these items, all descriptions and links are provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as endorsements by me, GLRPPR, or GLRPPR’s parent organization, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC).

• Laptop Lunches: My two little ones are pleased with their new Laptop lunch boxes. This was one of the first companies I became aware of that was selling eco-friendly, reusable lunch gear when I first started learning about zero waste lunches several years ago (before my little ones were born). Their products incorporate recycled fabric and plastic, and are free of lead, phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
• Fit & Fresh: This company offers a variety of BPA-free reusable containers for food and drink. Since my son is a huge fan of macaroni and cheese and both kids love soup, especially in colder weather, I have a few of the hot lunch bowls that include a folding spoon and handle on the lids. On days when they want some warm leftovers for lunch, they can carry these bowls instead of their other lunch boxes. Be advised though, that despite testing whether or not my kids could open these unassisted, my daughter and I both had a bit of trouble getting the lid off when she packed soup to school a few days ago. Small hands may find these bowls unwieldy at times, so this might be a better option for older kids.
• Thermos: I’ve noticed during back-to-school shopping that this veteran manufacturer of products to transport food and drink has begun marketing lunch gear that is BPA-free.
• BebelooshMini: I recently read about Elena Berlo’s reusable snack and sandwich bags, made of organic cotton and recycled hemp with Velcro closures, on the Inhabitots blog. For dry snacks and sandwiches, washable wrappings such as this are a good alternative to disposable plastic bags or plastic wrap.
• Wrap-N-Mat: When I bought a set of these reusable food wraps/placemats/napkins for my own lunches years ago (again, pre-kiddos), I had to order them online because they weren’t available locally. On a recent trip to a chain grocery store, I saw some hanging up like so many other small “impulse buy” type items peppered throughout the store aisles and was amazed at how consumer awareness can change product availability. This is also a lesson in checking your local stores rather than relying solely upon “retail locators” on web sites; the Wrap-N-Mat site says there aren’t any stores within 25 miles of my zip code that carry their products, but I’ve seen them with my own eyes.

Beyond these few suggestions, there are some common-sense ideas, such as including cloth napkins instead of paper (if you’re inclined to use a sewing machine, consider making your own from old sheets, clothes, etc.), sending real silverware instead of plastic, and any way you can eliminate disposable items and/or reduce packaging in your child’s lunch (or your own, for that matter). If disposable plastic bags are simply the best option in a given situation, teach your little ones to bring those back home for washing, just as would any other plastic container. We have done so in our home, and you would be surprised at how long they actually last for reuse. Special drying racks are marketed to encourage this behavior, but honestly, you can just use your existing drying rack–pop them over one of the glass holders, or slip them over some of your drying silverware to dry.

The Process

If you’re a parent, educator or administrator interested in implementing a waste-free lunch program at your school, check out http://www.wastefreelunches.org/. This site describes such a program that was created as a grassroots efforts by some concerned parents. Their waste-free lunch program started when a group of parents noticed how much trash the students were generating during snack time and at lunch. The site provides how-to tips to create a program, resources and success stories. Be advised that the links to lunch kits will simply direct you to the Laptop Lunches web site, since two of the moms involved in the grassroots effort described started their own company as a result, making Laptop Lunch kits.

Also check out this somewhat dated, though still inspirational report, “Best Practices for Food Recovery and Gleaning in the National School Lunch Program: SY 1998-1999.” It describes how the school districts used USDA grant funds to recover food from their cafeterias and donate it to the needy. Included is information on systems to recover, store, and donate the recovered food and how schools formed partnerships with local non-profit agencies. It also illustrates how school districts were able to identify and overcome obstacles to developing their programs. Finally, it shows how students can take an active role in this effort, and how food recovery and gleaning can be integrated into a school’s curriculum.

Food waste will always be generated in cafeterias to some degree–is there a composting program in place at your child’s school? If not, check out this manual from Connecticut, this fact sheet from Tennessee, this Cornell University web site (that includes a related online book to incorporate science inquiry with high school students) and this article from the April 2008 edition of BioCycle for inspiration and tips on how to create such a program. Even if the entire school is not involved in a composting program, individual classrooms can do composting projects with vermicomposting (see the Greening Schools web site for more suggestions on this topic).

The Food

Consider the most important part of your child’s lunch–the food itself–and how or if it contributes to lessons regarding sustainability or waste reduction. My kids help out in our own garden and know how to compost–this means they see food as something that someone works to obtain that isn’t meant to be wasted (though they are still kids and finicky eaters sometimes!). The more children know about the process of producing the food we eat, the more they will value it. Does your child’s school have a garden program? Check out the Chez Pannisse Foundation web site , the Edible School Yard and the National Gardening Association’s Kids Gardening site for ideas. If you have a bit of yard, or even a sunny windowsill for potted plants, consider growing something edible with your kids. Helping them connect to their food will help them understand why they should care about food waste.

Also consider talking to them about the benefits of local foods and eating things in season. Local Harvest can help you find farmers’ markets. Sustainable Table and Food Routes are other sites that can help in discussing issues surrounding food production and shipping with your kids. Engage them now in considering what it takes to get the food they consume and what actions are sustainable. Reducing the waste involved in our meals doesn’t just mean using cloth napkins–we need to consider agricultural methods, consumer demand, resources used in the transportation of food, and other factors. Food is a system, and learning sustainable behaviors starts with learning to think in terms of systems. You are your child’s best teacher when it comes to such worldview issues.

Share your thoughts–tell us about your waste-free lunch ideas and favorite resources in the comments section of this post.

Fireworks displays

Pyrotechnics for the Planet: This cover story by Bethany Halford in the June 30, 2008 edition of Chemical & Engineering News (Vol. 86, No. 26, pgs. 14-18) provides information on the environmental hazards associated with fireworks and other pyrotechnics and provides an overview of the efforts of scientists to replace both hazardous substances (e.g. perchlorate, certain metals and combustion products, etc.) and potentially polluting processes (e.g. using compressed air to launch fireworks as opposed to using black powder that produces smoke) to create more environmentally friendly pyrotechnics.

Grilling/Backyard Barbecues

Green Grilling Tips: Best Grills and Fuel:  This 6/27/08 post by Mindy Pennybacker  on the Plenty Magazine web site (now defunct and folded into the Mother Nature Network) provides an environmental comparison of different types of grills and fuel, links to further information and a brief description of why it’s important to consider the environmental impact of grilling.

Also, whether they’re grilled or not, consider local ingredients for the dishes at your celebration to reduce the energy used to bring your meal to your table while supporting your local economy. If you’re not aware of a local farmer’s market or other source for local ingredients, check the Local Harvest web site.

Make it Reusable, Recyclable or Compostable

When it comes time to eat what you’ve grilled, consider using reusable plates, bowls, napkins and cutlery. If that simply isn’t feasible, be sure to consider options that are recyclable or compostable and made with recycled content if possible. Check out the Preserve web site, Green Earth Office Supply, EarthShell, NAT-UR or Treecycle for some ideas.

Other Ideas

For more information or conversation on this topic, check out the U.S. EPA’s Greenversations Blog, where the question of the week is “How Will You Green Your 4th of July?” Also, feel free to share your tips for greening your Independence Day celebrations in the “Comments” section of this post.

The “Toolkit” section includes calculators to help save energy, water, and money, as well as a Toxics Search tool to find out whether there’s a potential for exposure while using a particular product, and how that can affect your health. The “Community” section of the site includes links to Consumers Union campaigns, forums and resources for further information, as well as blogs on cars, food safety, green homes, and safety.

Travel Green Wisconsin actually has two separate web sites. The organization’s consumer web site provides lists of certified businesses in the above and related categories, certified events, a map of the certified business locations, FAQs, and future goals. The organization also has an industry site that details how to participate in the program and the benefits, as well as discussion forums.

As is the trend with most organic foods and beverages, organic beer is becoming more and more widely available as even big box retailers climb aboard the “green products are good for public relations, profits and the environment” train. Co-op America offers an overview of organic beer and wine as well as the rationale for choosing locally produced beers whenever possible (to reduce negative effects of long distance shipping, among other reasons). You can also search their National Green Pages under “Wine/Beer” for examples of breweries that produce organic beer. There is also a North American Organic Brewers Festival, scheduled this year for June 27-29 in Portland, Oregon. The festival web site lists the participating breweries and the beers they’re presenting.

For those of you, like my husband, who enjoy brewing your own beer at home, you might find the Seven Bridges Cooperative an interesting resource. Based in California, Seven Bridges provides certified organic ingredients for home brewing, such as organically grown hops and grains.

Interestingly, organic beer became the topic of controversy last year, as the USDA added to the list of non-organic ingredients that may compose 5% of a product by weight and still allow that product to bear the label “organic.” Hops were on the list, and while critical to the production of beer, they do make up less than 5% of the finished product by weight. The Organic Consumers Association was outraged by what it termed the “Budweiser Exception” that could allow big brewing companies to mass produce “organic” beers without using organically grown hops; the controversy was covered by MSNBC. Anheuser-Busch has since switched to using 100% organic hops. See the USDA’s web site for more information on organic food standards and labels.

Turning to waste reduction and efficiency in the brewing process, regardless of the use of organic ingredients, the March/April 2007 edition of In Business magazine featured a profile of Mad River Brewing Company in Blue Lake, California, which recycles or reuses 98% of its residuals, with a goal toward generating zero waste. The April 2007 edition of eco-structure Magazine included a look at the sustainable practices of New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado. Among other things, the company purchases wind energy to power 100% of its brewery’s operations, the packaging hall was designed with energy efficiency in mind, and the brewhouse features a closed-loop heating system. For more information about New Belgium’s sustainability initiatives, see their web site.

For an example of sustainable initiatives at a brewery within the Great Lakes region, check out Michigan DEQ’s case study on the Leopold Bros. of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Goose Island Brewery in Chicago, Illinois is also a founding member of the Chicago Waste to Profit Network. An article from the October 2000 edition of Conscious Choice discusses several organic beers, including Goose Island’s organic beer production and partnering with Panorama Brewing Company to produce Wolaver’s Organic Ales regionally. Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin was the first brewery in that state and the first business in Milwaukee to receive the Travel Green Wisconsin certification from the state’s Department of Tourism. Check out the brewery’s web site detailing what they’ve done to reduce their environmental and social impact and earn this recognition.

For more resources related to P2 for breweries, check out the GLRPPR Food Processing Sector Resource. I’ll be adding a “Beverage Manufacturing” subcategory in the near future to make finding resources related to brewing and other beverage production within this Sector Resource easier.

If you’re interested in beneficial reuse in general, and specifically in construction and demolition debris recycling, electronics recycling, and organic material recycling (composting, food donation, scraps for animal feed, etc.), check out WasteCap Wisconsin’s web site. They offer case studies, publications, training opportunities, and other resources on these issues. They also produce a monthly e-mail bulletin chock full of case studies, resources, news, information on recycling technologies, legislation, events, and profiles of member organizations. The June 2007 issue is available online, and archived issues are available all the way back to 2005. Information on signing up for the bulletin is available on the WasteCap Wisconsin home page.