Young people are becoming the champions of a more sustainable future as they realise that this future is their own. Primary School at SCAS is no exception as they have mobilised their very own Sustainability Committee. The Committee pledges their own time to improve our community with the hope that their small daily actions will contribute to a big and positive environmental change.
An initiative they are particularly passionate about is ‘Nude Food’. In Primary School we are encouraging students to keep their lunchboxes waste-free and containing food that is not wrapped in foil, plastic or commercial packaging.
Why nude food?
In the United States, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation estimated that the average child taking a disposable lunch to school generates 30kgs of garbage per school year. With our busy lives and the convenience of pre-packaged lunch items and single-use wrappings like cling wrap, we are sure the statistics would be similar at home in Australia.
A lot of this waste will end up in landfill. Our students are passionate about decreasing the amount of waste we as a school send to landfill – they are even starting to phase out all red bins in the Primary School.
So how can you support your child and their care for creating a better world? We have compiled a small guide on mastering the nude food lunch box for you and your students.
How to Master the nude food lunch box
Preparation is key! With the right amount of foresight and organisation, the art of putting together your student’s nude food lunchbox will become a breeze.
This starts with getting the right lunchbox and containers. All-in-one lunchboxes like this one, this one and this one with compartments are ideal. We also recommend having a solid collection of reusable containers.
Beeswax wraps and lunch skins are another environmentally conscious storage means that produces far less waste than single-use cling wrap. Our Primary Sustainability Committee last year attended a beeswax wrap making workshop and can tell you what an easy and fun project it is!
Next up, it is time to ditch packaged food. Food wrapped in plastic is often heavily processed and low in nutrition. Instead, some easy alternatives could include homemade popcorn or cut-up fresh fruit.
We recommend buying in bulk. Instead of plastic-wrapped cheese sticks, buy a large block of cheese and cut into sticks or cubes or instead of purchasing yoghurt squeezies opt for a large tub of plain yogurt that can be portioned into small containers.
For those time-poor among us, this is a fantastic way to give your student autonomy over their lunchbox. Allowing them to pack their nude food lunchboxes is a rewarding experience of independence and also leaves you less pressed for time.
While the overall goal from us as a school community is to reduce campus waste, we hope you see the value in teaching your student that small changes in their daily life can have huge impacts on their environmental and personal health.
If you have any tips that have been working for your family, let us know on Facebook we would love to hear them!