My nightly lunch box routine is down pat: a sandwich or roll of some description, veggie sticks, muffin or biscuit, fruit and maybe a savoury cracker and cheese. The thought often crossed my mind, that my relatively healthy lunch box contained a lot of plastic bags. I was also aware that packs of 50 or 100 zip lock bags popped up on my shopping list far too often…that is a huge amount of zip lock bags per term! In fact, on average a school age child using a disposable lunch generates 3 pieces of litter per day which equates to 30 kg of waste per year1. So with my 3 daughters that is roughly 90kgs per year! Who would of thought lunch alone would create so much land fill?
I didn’t think there was an alternative for me. I don’t have a great relationship with my plastics/Tupperware draw. I personally find they come with a host of problems: tricky to open for little fingers, they tend to absorb stains and smells, lids don’t come home, they take up a lot of room in the lunch box etc. When Kelly put the call out to review Litter Free Living sandwich bags, I was curious and perhaps a touch sceptical, but I was keen to give them a try.
We have been using Litter Free Living lunch bags for about a month now. These and below are my thoughts:
Sandwich Bag Sets
Sandwich Bag Sets are a winner! It comes in a set of three, 1 sandwich bag, 1 medium and 1 small snack bag. The sandwich bag is roomy enough to get the contents in and out with ease, but still compact enough to hold the sandwich together. We use the medium bags for grapes, popcorn, crackers/cheese and the smaller bags are ideal for dried fruit, tiny teddies or a slice. Instead of reaching for a bag of tiny teddies, I am able to have more portion/variety control. For example, I can add dried fruit and dry cereal with a few LESS tiny teddies. On a side note, I have noticed I’m able to buy in bulk more too which is great for the hip pocket.
It’s Fun!
Litter Free Bags lunch bags add a fun factor to the lunch box, allowing you to personalise your choice for each child with their colourful designs. We have the bright and whimsical Carnival range. My girls enjoy the surprise of opening the bags to see what is inside. Below are the colour ranges.
L to R: Butterflies, Little Vespa, Carnival, Stripes, Aqua, Black $24.50 (pack of 3)
Quality
I am impressed with the manufacturing quality of the product. The material itself is free from all nasties (BPA, PVC and phthalate FREE) and is waterproof. You are definitely not limited to only dry, non messy snacks with these eco friendly bags. I have transported orange quarters, cut kiwi fruit, strawberries and even watermelon with no leakage. The zip gives you an excellent seal and is easy to manage for the little ones.
Hygiene
One of my initial concerns was whether the product would remain hygienic with daily use. I am the first person to throw something out if it’s close to the dodgy side! This has not been the case with Litter Free Living products. Of an afternoon, I turn the bags inside out and give them a good shake, throw them in the wash (a 30 degree cycle) and then dry in the sun. I am confident they are completely clean, with no residue, smell or sign of the previous contents. I had to be sold on that, otherwise it wouldn’t work for me… and I was!
Bowl Covers
I kept flies away from my fruit and whipped cream at an afternoon tea gathering recently with Litter Free Living’s Reusable Food Covers. After prepping the food and covering the bowls with the covers, I popped them into the fridge, then straight to the table for serving. I love the Retro feel of the Funky Flowers design, plus I am reducing my use of plastic wrap. These are a great Mother’s Day gift idea.
Note: The bowl covers have been so popular, they are currently out of stock but will be available again in May. $24.50 (set of 3)
Uses
In the past month, I have used my LFL products to do the following:
- Keep lip balm, panadol and phone together in a large beach bag
- Transport toothbrush plus toothpaste to a sleepover
- Contain crayons and stickers to keep youngest amused
- Keep Polly Pocket shoes together (now that’s a MIRACLE!)
- Medium bag used to keep band aids and savlon at hand on a bush walk
- Kept a block of cheese fresh in fridge.
And I could continue!
About Litter Free Living
I do love the whole concept, which has been thoroughly researched and designed by Kylie Etheridge, a trained primary teacher and now stay at home mum. Reading about Kylie’s motivation for creating an alternative in our lunch prep options got me thinking…we can all make small, achievable changes to our daily routines without compromising on practicality or function, that has a positive environmental impact for future generations. Kylie mentions the flow on effect that a few small changes can make. For example, less disposable rubbish at school means a cleaner school environment, which reduces waste disposable costs for the school community. It also encourages children’s awareness and responsibility for their own role in caring for the environment.
Check out the entire range at:
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