Healthy News » biodegradable packaging

Coming to a school district near you.

Cynthiab — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:12:44 +0000

Some school districts (Portland, Oregon & Alexandria, VA just to name a few) have asked parents to switch to re-usable containers from plastic sandwich bags for enviromental reasons.

If you aren’t already doing so, you might want to consider purchasing a wrap-n-mat or a Lunchbot now, instead of waiting until it’s mandatory. Be sure to put your child’s name on it!

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

JohnW — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:02:15 +0000

Wow! What an interesting concept! My kids pack their own lunches for school. They use stainless steel containers and reusable sandwich wraps, which are machine washable. By doing so, they don’t add to all the waste which is generated by some of their other classmates, who use lots of pre-packaged foods such as juice boxes and Lunchables.

Of course, there is always cafeteria food. Yum!

Be sure to label your kids’ reuseable containers. Over time, they have a habit of ending up in the school lost and found.

This Labor Day Weekend…

JohnW — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:26:21 +0000

Labor Day Weekend is just around the corner and what a great time to have a family picnic. I takes minimal planning, once you have the right equipment.

First, you’ll want a picnic basket that’s big enough to carry all of your reusable, stainless-steel-containers, plates and utensils. Preferably one with shoulder straps, so you can easily hike to the choice spots. Also, a big cotton bag is good carry loose produce.

As always, pack out what you pack in and have fun!

To reuse or recycle?

JohnW — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:27:48 +0000

I know that in most parts of the country, it’s too hot to have a picnic. However, when it starts to get cooler, here are a few tips:

Use second-hand tableclothes or fabric to replace those plastic, throw-away ones from the supermarket. Use stainless steel water bottles, sandwich carriers and fabric napkins. Even if you recycle plastic bottles and aluminum cans, it still makes sense to reuse items instead of recycling them.

Try to Beat this Domino’s Pizza!

JohnW — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 20:41:48 +0000

Think of all of that wasted, greasy cardboard next time you order a pizza by phone. Now, Compare that idea with what the Indians have been using for take out in Mumbai, India over the last century – a tiffin or 2 or 3 tier lunch container. They even have tiffin carriers or dabbawallas instead of pizza guys to deliver tiffins and pick them back up! Imagine what a logistical nightmare that must be with the population of Mumbai. (But, what an “eco friendly” meal – no waste at all).

How much trash do you produce?

JohnW — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 17:13:12 +0000

According to the “Clean Air Council”, the average American throws out 4.39 lbs of trash a day! I know that I see much more than that just at the “End of the Year Soccer Parties” that I attend with my daugthers. A good way to start would be to bring along reusable containers, utensils and towels to work, restaurants and potlucks. You might get some strange looks, but who cares?

What is the “Green Movement”?

JohnW — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:29:00 +0000

The more that I look into it, the more I see that “going green” isn’t that complicated. My parents practiced many of the principles and they never considered themselves “Green”. They even voted for Reagan! Things like checking the air pressure in your tires. If everyone in the US kept their tires at the recommended PSI , we could save an estimated 2 billion gallons of fuel every year.

Also, use wax paper or wraps instead of plastic baggies for sandwiches that you put in your reusable lunch containers.

Pretty simple really.

Visit the bulk food bins.

JohnW — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:32:34 +0000

Most of my dishes center around a grain (basmati rice, quinoa or couscous), that I buy in bulk. Then, I make a recipe around it. Buying in bulk is nothing new to me. Besides, there is much less packaging to throw away. According to ShifYourHabit.com, If everyone in the U.S. bought in bulk, there would be 1.1 million fewer garbage trailer trips to landfills each year. Wow, think about that!

Once you made your mouth-watering dish that your family (even the kids!) enjoyed, do not heap the left overs into the usual pale-green plastic boxes, but into this stylish glass container. After labeling it, you can stow it away in the fridge or freezer.

Back to School Ideas

JohnW — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:30:41 +0000

Healthy food deserves a healthy container.

Just in time for the back-to-school season, www.HealthyKitchenware.com has the solution to your kids’ brown bagging needs with their eco-friendly, practical, reusable, dishwasher safe, stainless steel lunchbox containers that make it easy to pack a nutritious, waste-free meal. (That’s unless you want to send them to the school cafeteria for their daily dose of mystery meat and other FDA approved substances that your school board approved.)

My daughter’s favorite lunch container is the lunch carrier with sauce container. She likes the stylish look (she’s almost a teenager) and the small container for various sauces that she always uses for dipping her salads, chicken, and sandwiches.

My oldest daughter likes the 3-tier food carrier (available in three different sizes) because she can carry lots of fruit. She likes to snack all day. One stainless steel bowl is used for her main dish – chicken caesar salad, sandwich or leftovers.

The stainless steel 3-tier food carriers come in three sizes (small, medium and large) for bigger appetites or to bring food for more than one person. In fact, I’ve seen a number of people use them to pick up their favorite Chinese or Korean take out, then back to the office or worksite.

Of course, there are the perennial favorites, the lunchbot and the wrap-n-mat. We can’t keep enough of these in stock!

All of these products are lead, PVC, phthalate, and BPA-free. So, you don’t have to worry about some harmful substance leaching unto your, or your child’s, food.

Celebrate: 66% Less Plastic Bags in China

Cynthiab — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:21:20 +0000

courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/evelynishere/

A year old ban on plastic bags in China has resulted in a 66% reduction in usage!

According to Paul Hodges Wal-Mart China is using 80% less plastic bags. Here is he the complete article.

Maybe we could do something similar here. The city of San Francisco is already doing something similar.