Community Blog

I’ve looked for years for a small water bottle for taking a drink in a child’s lunch. There’s really only one out there for purchase that’s small enough for a lunch box and made out of the right plastic.

We tried it, and it leaked.

I started off with this one by packing my son’s juice (or milk) in a medela breastmilk storage bottle — those things are amazingly leak proof — and taking along a cup.

The downside to that plan was that the cup took up a lot of space, had to be taken home wet, and then he’s drinking from a non-sippy cup.

Then I had the idea! Drill a hole in an extra medela bottle lid, and stick a straw in it! Pack the extra lid and straw in with his lunch! He loves his “juice box,” we reduce our trash, and best of all, I don’t have to remember to go to the store the day before co-op to buy expensive juice boxes.

Want to make one? My husband shares this tip for drilling plastic: tape duct tape on the spot where you plan to drill, this keeps the plastic from cracking.

Wondering where to get all the handy supplies for your lunch so you can reduce your use of plastic bags?

Here’s a link to a how-to for making your own. You can also find ready-mades to buy at etsy.com.

Here’s how to sew your own reusable snack bag, with downloadable pdf option: http://wewilsons.blogspot.com.

You can buy a sandwich wrap here: http://www.wrap-n-mat.com. You can also find the Wrap ‘n Mat locally, at Green Home Experts.

Here’s a helpful post on the topic: http://www.thekitchn.com.

Want to go waste-free and Japanese? There are lots of great bento ideas at Bento Yum. An affordable place to shop for bento supplies online is http://www.ichibankanusa.com.

One co-op mom has this terrific tip: need help carrying all those water bottles and your own travel mug for coffee or tea? The Trader Joe’s wine bottle tote is just the right size for your eco-friendly and healthy steel water bottles. And only 99 cents!

Have you seen these? A handy new item for transporting hot food. Perfect for avoiding microwave use, and a way to have a hot meal besides soup!