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Reduce the Waste AND Cost of School Lunch

I’ve been seeing those back to school pictures all over my Facebook feed these past few days. We still have a few weeks before we go back but we are definitely thinking ahead and starting to plan. One of the things I need to plan for is Josh bringing his lunch to school as he’s been doing that since 6th grade. I’m thrilled to be partnering with our sponsor, PackIt, to share some ways that we will be cutting back on both the cost of lunch and the amount of waste that is produced each day.

PackIt freezable bags keep lunches cold with their built in freezer packs.

 

I know everyone is interested in saving money, but why should the amount of waste produced by “brown bag lunches” be a concern? Well, each child that brings a lunch from home with individual servings of things like chips and drinks and tosses all of that at the end of lunch creates over 65 lbs of trash in a school year. Multiply that 65 lbs times every student in the school, and you’ve got a significant amount of trash! It’s estimated that each school produces about a ton of waste – A TON!

While the amount of waste that is produced is staggering, each of those items that is thrown out must be replaced the following day. So even if you are a bargain shopper and get your paper bags, sandwich bags, fruit cups and juice boxes at just pennies each, multiply each of those items times 180 days a year over the course of a K-12 education and you’ve thrown away some serious cash.

PackIt freezable bags keep lunches cold with their built in freezer packs.

While we have had a PackIt lunch bag for several years, this year we are getting super fancy with a bigger case and a bento box! If you’re not familiar with the PackIt brand, let me fill you in. (Personally, I think they are brilliant!!) PackIt products are freezable, gel-lined and act as a cooler and ice pack all in one. One of my favorite things is that the bags fold up to practically flat and hardly take up any freezer space, yet stay cold for hours.

PackIt freezable bags keep lunches cold with their built in freezer packs.

Since Josh likes to take sandwiches with lunch meat and mayo, I get a little paranoid about his lunch sitting in his hot locker until lunch. With PackIt, I’m not worried anymore. The bento box is a great accessory to complement the PackIt bag. It’s fully customizable and we can easily reconfigure it depending on what that day’s lunch consists of.

 

PackIt freezable bags keep lunches cold with their built in freezer packs.

I “borrowed” it one day this summer when I brought some sushi on a road trip with me. Normally, I wouldn’t dream of packing sushi in a lunch that was going to be spending hours in the car, but it stayed ice cold in the PackIt!

PackIt freezable bags keep lunches cold with their built in freezer packs.

 

I particularly love the small container that comes with the Flex bento box. It actually clips onto the edge of the main box so it doesn’t get tossed around inside and open accidentally. It’s perfect for dipping sauces, yogurt or pudding or whatever your favorite condiment is.

Like I mentioned, we’d been using a PackIt bag for years, but I am head over heels with the bento box and matching bag. Just when I think a good thing couldn’t get any better, the folks at PackIt prove me wrong!! There are two different boxes to choose from. The Mod has three of the flat dividers to configure however you’d like. The Flex (what I have) has a dip cup in addition to two dividers.

Want to snag your own PackIt? I’m giving away a PackIt Bag on Instagram!! To enter, head over to this Instagram post and follow the instructions!

View this post on Instagram

 

We are loving our new @PackItCool bento box and freezable bag! #ad You just pop it into the freezer overnight and it keeps your lunch refrigerator cold for hours. The bento boxes are so customizable – they work for any lunch you can create! Win your own PackIt bag! Here’s how to enter: 1) Like this Post. 2) Follow @WisconsinMommy 3) Follow @PackItCool 4) Tag a friend on this Post + For a bonus entry, regram this post on your account and tag @WisconsinMommy and @PackItCool and use the hashtags #backtoschool #packitcool #freezeme #keepitcool Good luck – I know you are going to LOVE it!!

A post shared by Maureen Fitzgerald (@wisconsinmommy) on Sep 5, 2019 at 7:26pm PDT

Comments | 15 comments

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Comments

  1. Ang says

    September 6, 2019 at 9:48 am

    Wow! I’ve never seen bento boxes like these! What a great idea!

    Reply
  2. Tara Pittman says

    September 6, 2019 at 12:46 pm

    My boys would love this for their school lunches. I love the way it divides the food.

    Reply
  3. Stacie says

    September 6, 2019 at 1:03 pm

    That is a great box! I love how nicely it keeps everything in place. That’s usually my biggest challenge when I make lunches.

    Reply
  4. Liz Mays says

    September 6, 2019 at 3:38 pm

    Keeping the waste to a minimum and having a clean and customizable new way of packing lunches sounds great. I like the Flex Bento a lot.

    Reply
  5. Amy Desrosiers says

    September 6, 2019 at 4:39 pm

    Wow, I really love how everything is in one pack! Right now, my kids lunches are so bulky with everything being added in separate.

    Reply
  6. Lisa Favre says

    September 6, 2019 at 6:17 pm

    That bento box is sheer perfection! I have always been a huge fan of bento boxes and love how it keeps meals and snacks organized.

    Reply
  7. Brianne Tursi Manz says

    September 6, 2019 at 7:26 pm

    This lunch box and bag is perfect! I just love the layout of the box, and the tote is great for not having to throw away bags.

    Reply
  8. debra p says

    September 6, 2019 at 8:25 pm

    I love these adorable bento boxes and always looking for a better way to pack lunches! This seems to be a wonderful system that I’d love to use.

    Reply
  9. Latoyia Dennis says

    September 6, 2019 at 8:43 pm

    Love these boxes. My mom bought one and I love it.

    Reply
  10. Kathy says

    September 6, 2019 at 9:10 pm

    These look like some really nice products. I need to get some of them for myself. I’m really loving the container a lot.

    Reply
  11. Sherry says

    September 6, 2019 at 10:55 pm

    I want one of the flex models. I love that it’s customizable. Sometimes you need a little more space than what a traditional bento box offers.

    Reply
  12. 1stopmom says

    September 6, 2019 at 11:02 pm

    I like this bento box. I think it would be perfect for my husband for his work lunches! He needs help getting control of waste too!

    Reply
  13. Ruth I says

    September 7, 2019 at 2:09 am

    I think this will be loved by many children. Bento boxes are super cool for school. I am sure this saves cost and lessens waste.

    Reply
  14. Catalina says

    September 7, 2019 at 2:21 am

    I need one of these Flex bento boxes. They are so perfect for my kid’s lunch! I already have some awesome lunch ideas for it!

    Reply
  15. Toni says

    September 7, 2019 at 4:24 am

    This is really awesome! I love the convenience of separating food items! My kids will surely love this!

    Reply

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Maureen Fitzgerald of Wisconsin Mommy

Maureen Fitzgerald is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin influencer, brand enthusiast and strategist. She helps brands reach more potential customers through targeted consultation sessions, press coverage, product reviews and campaigns both at WisconsinMommy.com and by leveraging her blogger network. You can also see Maureen hamming it up on her YouTube channel at WisconsinMommy.tv. READ MORE...
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