Food & Drink:
It’s in the Baggie
Trail mix, apple wedges, crackers, peanut butter and jelly… so many options for lunchtime snacks – that can subsequently add up to so many wasteful plastic ziplock bags! Each year Americans consume over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps (EPA), contributing to the toxic contamination of waterways and the death of thousands of animals that mistake the bag pieces for food. Teach your children (and your colleagues!) about how to save the sea turtles and other marine animals by choosing reusable snack baggies.
For snacks that don’t require sealed storage containers (or if you don’t want to bother with the weight of glass), our personal favorite is using organic cotton bags, though these are better for dry snacks or whole produce. Plum Creek Mercantile sells a set of 5 organic snack bags for $25 – for now, the organic option is only available in cream but we are hoping that they soon introduce some of the other funky fabrics in pesticide-free form!
The second option is using a PVC-free reusable plastic bag like the fresh snack pack - made with EVA, it’s a type of plastic that is BPA and phthalate-free (the mono polymer construction allows for easy recycling where available). Available in a sandwich size for $5.50 and a snack size for $4.50, it’s now easier than ever to choose an eco-friendly reusable bag option for your noontime dining delectables.
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Katie Dammann
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M. Wright
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S. Brodeur