Wrap Free

Does your school have a wrap free lunch policy? Ours does and I have to say, at first it was a bit confusing. What exactly did they mean and what was the purpose.  It wasn’t explained anywhere in our school newsletter so I took to our facebook page and polled our likers…. needless to say we got a range of answers.  After several newsletters which each explained just a tiny bit more I have finally pieced together the answer… or at least what it means at our school.

So what does wrap free mean?

Well really its very simple and I guess I knew what it meant all the way along I just didn’t know how far they meant it to go.  Wrap free at our school means food has to be packed in containers that can be reused and isn’t disposed of after one use. This means if you buy things in packages (like tiny teddy biscuits, pop corn, museli bars, yogurt etc etc)  you have to repackage into a resuable container – take it out of its container and put it in another…. hmmm

So why are schools going wrap free?

Admirably some are doing it to save waste

but  I guess that’s what had me stumped… do they really want me to repackage things… that would mean I’m 1. destroying the environment for buying food with so much packaging and 2. then having to wash a container as well using water detergent etc, so double enviromental impact.

Some would suggest that it is good forsaving money as you start to buy stuff with less packaging ie buy a big packet of popcorn or make your own and split it accross containers rather than small packets  but I’m not sure as I hate to waste food at the moment I like buying things in small packages. If I only use them once a week, I can use one little pack, put the rest back in the cuboard and they are not open so they wont go stale….maybe when I am making lunch for more than one little chicken things will change.

Dont get me wrong it has certainly made me think about what I buy and I’m all for trying to change to for our enviorment and I guess in time my habits will change…right?

Another reason for wrap free is a sensible one – little kids can’t open packets but on that one Miss 4 can’t open my new expensive Tupperware sandwiches containers either in fact I can’t open them without breaking a nail.

Having got over my angst about repacking food we are doing well with our wrap free lunchs. I even take my lunch wrap free.

Miss 4 has to take morning tea, lunch and a fruit snack all in seperate containers  but more on that another day.  Needless to say because of this little adventure we have needed to investigate a whole lot of wrap free lunch solutions. We already had some in stock but by far Miss 4s favourite is the Itzy Ritzy snack bags, she can always open them and she loves the funky colours.  I love that you can just throw them in the washing machine too.