This reusable lunch kit is good for the earth and your food budget
Bringing your food to work or school cuts waste in more ways than one.
We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›
Bringing your leftover lasagna to work is good for both the environment and your budget. Brown-bagging it keeps food waste out of landfills, but you should actually avoid the brown bag too—as well as utensils like plastic forks and knives that will end up in a bin when you’re done. Instead, build yourself a quality lunch kit that’ll work for years, not hours. Just imagine Earth slipping in a note for you to find that says, “Thanks for making less trash.”
1. Coffee cup
Java will stay hot for up to six hours inside the 12-ounce Hydro Flask coffee mug. A vacuum-sealed chamber between double stainless-steel sides insulates your beverage throughout endless meetings.
2. Lunchbox
Throw the PackIt commuter lunch bag in the icebox overnight to turn the 10-by-9-inch sack into a food igloo. Freezable gel in its walls will keep your grub at a safe temp for up to six hours (in our experience).
3. Container
PrepNaturals made its storage containers out of a strong silica-based glass called borosilicate, which lets it withstand the fridge, microwave, or even an 800-degree oven. A vent in the lid lets out steam.
4. Silverware
Duluth Trading Company’s titanium spork is light—just 0.63 ounce. It’s also strong. Even when you dig the serrated edge on the left side of the utensil into a dense reheated meatball, it won’t bend.
5. Cling film
Reusable Bee’s Wrap replaces wasteful plastic baggies with sheets of organic cotton. Treatments of beeswax, jojoba oil, and tree resin make the surface malleable and clingy. Clean with soap and water.
This article was originally published in the Summer 2019 Make It Last issue of Popular Science.