Waste-Free Lunch Day on Wednesday, April 24th
Dear Parents/Guardians,
We will be holding Waste-Free Lunch Day on Wednesday, April 24th!
Our participation in Waste-Free Lunch Day is an extension of our school’s ongoing commitment to reducing waste. It’s also part of Our Food Future, Guelph-Wellington’s vision to become Canada’s first circular food economy. We are excited to be part of the food smart journey.
We encourage you to have a conversation with your child at home about food waste, why we need to reduce it and how they can participate in their own meal preparation.
5 Tips to Creating a Waste-Free Lunch:
- Pack leftovers or repurpose leftover ingredients into a new meal
- Buy snacks such as pretzels, yogurt, or applesauce in larger quantities and portion them in advance into smaller reusable containers.
- Cut fruit and vegetables in advance and pack them in reusable containers.
- Pack a reusable bottle for water or juice instead of single-use cans or juice boxes.
- Pack real cutlery or reusable travel cutlery instead of plastic forks and spoons.
Examples of Waste-Free or Low Waste Snacks
- Chopped or whole fruits and vegetables
- Crackers and cheese cubes in a reusable container
- Dry cereal with dried fruit
- Home-made baked goods (muffins, cornbread, cookies, etc.)
Why should I care about Waste-Free Lunches?
- The average Canadian household throws away nearly $1,500 in edible food each year (roughly one-third of our food)
- In addition to the financial cost, wasted food in landfills also causes unnecessary methane emission which is an extremely potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change
- By shopping local, we can support our local food economy, which over time will help increase food access in our community
- One in six families in Guelph-Wellington is food insecure; however, we can be part of the solution by changing our attitudes toward the way we experience food, so that we can feed more mouths rather than filling our landfills or composts
Categories: News