Students will see immediate differences in waste levels after starting a paper purge, and they can also see drastic changes if they begin planning waste-free lunches. Split the classroom into two sections: those who bring lunch from home and those who eat school lunches. Have each group brainstorm ideas for how to reduce waste. Ideas for students who bring bag lunches include using reusable containers for food and eliminating overly packaged foods like individually wrapped string cheese and single-serving potato chip bags. Ideas for students who eat school lunches are more limited because the school’s practices determine what they eat. One behavior they can control is the amount of food they take. They should only put the food they know they will eat on their plates. They can also be more conservative with using disposable items like napkins.
Take it to the next level and have your students organize a waste-free lunch day at your school. They can educate other students and staff about why it’s important and how to do it. If your school has separate lunch periods for different age groups, you can have a contest to see who generates the least amount of waste. There are great resources for conducting waste-free lunch days and even creating year-round waste-free lunch programs online through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and www.wastefreelunches.org .