Back when I had just started my first real, post-graduate job I was commuting about an hour each way to work, and all the restaurants in the area were mainly fast food chains that didn’t appeal to me as someone who loves healthy food, plus, I knew they generated a ton of trash through single-use to-go containers.
The bright side to it all is that I love to cook, so I decided from the get-go that I’d bring my lunch every day to work. To do so, I invested in the ultimate zero waste and plastic-free lunch kit. AKA a super cool lunch box for adults.
It included:
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One airtight stainless steel lunch container
- It is great. Totally spill proof, easy to clean, and it has optional dividers so that I can keep my food separate.
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A Set of reusable bamboo utensils in a cute carrying case
- Besides the fact that bamboo utensils look so cool, they come in a handy carrying case. You could keep a set in your desk at work, or just keep them with you at all times in your bag. You could also pick up a fork from the Goodwill or Salvation Army to leave at the office.
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One reusable napkin
- I use Organic cotton napkins at my house, and I’d bring one to the office and leave it there for the week and then bring it home to wash on Friday. So easy.
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A couple Organic cotton bags for snacks or sandwiches
- You can also use them for bulk at the market. I use these to buy rice and pasta at the market, but I also use them to carry granola, nuts, popcorn or even a sandwich to work. They are super lightweight and washable.
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Mason jar, glass, or water bottle
- I love bringing my BKR bottle with me wherever I go. I also almost always have a mason jar or reusable coffee cup on me at all times for hot liquids like coffee. You could also bring a glass from home or purchase one at your local thrift shop for under a dollar to keep at your desk. P.S. if you drink iced coffee or tea, you might want to invest in a stainless steel straw. I LOVE mine.
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8 comments
Great article! Thanks for sharing all these tips!
I have a hard time drinking out of stainless steel because of the super strong and kind of gross metallic taste. Does the taste bother you? Do you have any tricks to get rid of or deal with the taste?
Opt for a glass straw! They're actually quite durable as well and they're tasteless. Plus you can see what you're cleaning more easily.
Do you ever have a hot lunch?
I'd like to know too! I nuke all my lunches in the microwave, so stainless steel lunch boxes are a no go!
Hi Lauren, I’m big on hot meals at lunch and usually bring leftovers to work because I love to cook as well. Do you know of any sustainable brands of tupperware that are microwavable?
I think you can get glass containers that are microwaveable.
Making a cloth napkin is also super easy! I went to the thrift store and bought a cotton bedsheet and cut it into 12″ squares and hemmed the edges. Now I have lots of napkins for myself, and lots more to gift to others. I made my own to-go-ware bundle by taking the drawstring out of a skirt that I thrifted for another project and put a fork, spoon, knife, pair of chopsticks, and steel straw that I already had in the center of a napkin, wrapped them up, and tied them with the drawstring from the skirt. If you can’t sew or don’t have access to a sewing machine, then buying these things from sustainable businesses like The Package Free Company is super cool, but it’s even less wasteful to make things yourself when you can 🙂