When choosing the best lunch box for your kids, plastic free can be a good option for waste free lunches because when you choose a good quality lunch box, you don’t have to worry about replacing it every time something cracks. While you will find a recycle code on almost any plastic lunch box, they rarely get recycled. Choosing eco friendly lunch boxes is a smarter long term solution for your wallet and the planet. You can save money if you only have to buy a lunch box every 2-3 years or stretch it out even longer.

The most popular plastic free lunch boxes are metal, and usually made from stainless steel. You can find them with or without bento compartments, some with leakproof seals, and you’ll find that the metal clasps will outlast their plastic lunch box counterparts. For young children and toddlers, it’s important to check to see if little hands can open up a metal lunch box or if there’s someone around that can open them for you. Stainless steel is more dishwasher safe than plastic as it doesn’t start to break down in the hot water.

When you find a plastic free lunch box that is leakproof, the seal in the lunch box will be made from silicone. Technically, silicone is not a plastic, but some people who choose the plastic free lifestyle prefer to keep silicone out as well. Silicone is a common feature to keep a plastic free lunch box sealed and leakproof, so be on the look out. The lunch box range from Klean Kanteen have coloured silicone seals that not only keep your food in, but one corner has more silicone to make them easier to get the lids on and off.

There’s no need to use plastic bags inside an eco friendly lunch box. If you want to wrap something separately, single use plastic bags can be replaced by silicone food pouches or beeswax wraps for freshness. A waste free lunch is simple with the right products at your disposal. Just pack them all into your kids lunch bag and wash them at the end of each day and use them over and over through the whole school year. Pick quality brands and there’s no need to replace them every January.

Another great option to either use with a plastic free lunch box or as an alternative is an organic cotton food wrap. As long as the food isn’t wet, they are easily washed and fold up small and weigh a lot less than an eco friendly lunch box made from metal. It’s easier than ever to pack lunch bags with plastic free accessories. Use our green mini navigation below to find a range of waste free lunch options to go with your plastic free lunch box.