How to pack an eco-friendly kids lunchbox

Reduce, reuse, recycle
The detritus of just one junior school pupil’s packed lunch generates a huge 30kg of waste per school year!

Get rid of unnecessary packaging
If you must wrap sandwiches, use recycled aluminium foil (£2.95 from www.ecotopia.co.uk) and then take it to your nearest aluminium recycling point. To find out where, visit www.alupro.org.uk

Opt for fresh foods
Instead of crisps, cereal bars, mini cheese portions and yoghurts, pack sandwiches, pasta salads, fresh fruit and home-made cake.

Use a refillable drink bottle
Reduce waste by saying no to throwaway juice cartons, one-a-day water bottles, cans or fruit pouches. Make sure you thoroughly clean the sports bottle after every use.

Invest in a lunch box
A good, insulated lunch box can be reused and is much greener than a carrier bag that gets thrown away after one use.