The Facts
Packing school lunches day after day can be a tedious and seemingly endless chore. With over 53 million children eating lunch in schools across the country everyday, the real burden is on the planet. In fact, the average American child produces 67 pounds of trash each year from school lunch alone! Here are some recommendations to help create a healthier and greener planet, and promote sustainability in our daily life choices.
Step One: The Lunchbox
Keep the lunchbox green by using a reusable container that will last for years.
Step Two: The Packaging
Stainless steel containers can be found at the Hungry Hollow Coop, in camping stores, or online. Refillable thermos or bottles save on plastic. Buying in bulk and using refillable containers saves on packaging.
Resources:
1) Lunch bags and accessories: www.lifewithoutplastic.com
, www.organizeit.com/freshvac.asp
, and http://wastefreelunches.org
www.reuseit.com
2) Kleen Kanteen bottle 18 ounces: Can be purchased at GMWS development office
3) Glass bottles with a protective silicon shell also available at the Hungry Hollow Coop or: http://www.lifefactory.com
4) Stainless steel thermos can keep soup hot or berries cold are available at the Hungry
Hollow Coop or here: www.zojirushi.com/products/sweae or can be purchased at Campmore: http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/SubCategory___40000000226_200368417
Step Three: The Utensils
Keep a reusable knife, fork and spoons, and a cloth napkin in your child’s lunch bag.
Also available at Hungry Hollow Coop, at Campmore, or here: http://www.buygreen.com/togowarerepeatutensilsets.aspx?gclid=CPO00dOW0b4CFStk7AodfSQA3A
Step Four: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Compost
Encouraging your children to assist you to empty the lunch bag at the end of the day, and correctly dispose, recycle, and compost any contents brought home teaches children to care for the Earth. This helps you family build the bridge from school to home.

Option A : Families Bring Own Reusable Eat-Ware
This option should be the gold standard for all class potlucks as it teaches children to reduce and reuse. Class parent or Class Go Green Rep will send instructions to families
(twice) by email, one week before the event, and two days before the event:
1) Families must bring reusable eat-ware (not paper!) and a picnic basket should be encouraged.
2) No disposable items will be available.
3) All eat-ware will be washed at home (not at school or the place of the potluck).
Option B : Use GMWS Reusable Plates & Cups
This works well for any smaller scale class events such as parent evenings or parties.
Preparing for the event:
1) Ask a Go Green member about borrowing reusable plates, cups, glasses and cutlery.
2) The host provides four labeled containers: Co-mingled Recycling, Trash (Landfill),
Clean Paper/ Cardboard, and Compost. Remove any stand-alone bins (available through maintenance)
3) Please instruct the host not to provide disposable eat-ware.
At the event: Proper use of bins must be closely supervised.
Option C : Using Compostable Cups, Plates & Bowls and Cutlery
This option is best used for larger scale school events such as the Fall Fair or the Farm
Dance.
This option should only be used if you can actually staff the bins (to ensure compostable items and recyclable items are disposed of correctly). The compost delivery to the Fellowship Community will need to be coordinated. Please label compost and supervise pickup.
Option D: For Green Events at Home: "Go Green Party Packs" are available to borrow. Please contact Averi Lohss to borrow: alohss@gmws.org
or 845 356 2514 x301. A deposit is required for more valuable items.

For Questions or to Volunteer: Please contact your Class Go-Green
Representative and/or a Go Green Committee Member (names available through the
LS or HS office). The Go Green Committee meets weekly and parents are most welcome and appreciated! Together we can make a difference!