Like many struggling city-dwellers, I've resolved to stop buying my lunch in shiny coffee establishments and takeaway shops and have been opting instead to bring my own home-made fare. The small amount of extra effort this new 'regime' has entailed is already starting to pay off, and I'm very aware of how DIY lunches can help the envorinment too if you do 'em right.
Follow the jump for my guide to an eco-friendly, credit crunch lunch
What to bring to work
Sandwich box
Cling film is a 'use once and throw away' plastic product that it's virtually impossible to recylce, so try to avoid if you can. Tupperware jars last for many years, and if (like me) you have trouble remembering to bring yours home, ultimately losing your sandwich box in the office 'tupperware mountain', you might want to find yourself a smart, stylish box you won't want to lose. I got mine from Shinzi Katoh (who have a lunchbox sale on at the moment!), and have not left it behind yet! It brings back the pride I had in my first ever Roughneck lunchbox at school!
Avoid: cling film, disposable food cartons
Water bottle or flask
Re-usable drinking vessels are the greenest way to go, so why not slurp your juice (or favourite fairtrade brew) in style with one of these hard-wearing, designer flasks by Sigg. The reusable and recyclable bottles, made from a single piece of pure aluminium, help to reduce landfill waste caused by disposable plastic water bottles. Using any reusable container instead of a can or carton for your drink is a good move, since in Europe alone, 30 million plastic bottles are dumped into landfill every day.
Avoid: bottled water, cans
Fruit and Veg
Healthy, affordable and packaging-free, you can't beat fruit and veg in your lunch pack. For extra green points, buy organic, ideally from a farmer's market or independent store. Even the priciest wholefood stores tend to sell fresh produce at a reasonable cost, so don't worry about dropping into posh delis just for fruit and veg.
avoid: plastic-wrapped fruit
Leftovers
Make sure that anything you have left over from last night's supper makes an appearance in today's lunch - even if it's not a starring role! That extra soup you can't finish in the evening will look infinitely more appetising alongside a sandwich come 1pm the next day.
Avoid: throwing food away
Fairtrade chocky bar
Of course, we all like a treat to finish off with, so why not explore some of the tasty, fairly traded chocolate bars that are now readily available? Ethical superstore lets you buy brands like Divine and Montezuma's in bulk, which cuts down on price and packaging.
Avoid: mass-produced chocolate, over-packaged treats
Make your own bread
Sandwiches made with your own bread are the absolute king of lunches...not only do they taste amazing, the cut down on packages and additives, too. Extra points if you use organic flour!
Avoid: pre-packed sandwiches
I have been reading this blog for years now and this is the first time I have been driven to comment (why I haven't done so earlier I do not know) What I have to say is please please please can you post a direct link to somewhere I can buy that exact SIGG flask. I would have walked from London to Washington to have been there on Tuesday and I would gladly do the same thing for this flask. It gives a stronger message than any other reusable flask I have ever seen.
Loving your great work, Annie
Hi Annie
Well, good news if you are in London, because you'll have no problem getting hold of one of the bottles here. They can currently be bought from Selfridges London (also in Manchester and Birmingham) as well as Fenwick’s Brent Cross. They range in price from £9.99 to £17.99.
all the best
Abi