Cormorant Flyer

Sustainability Report

February, 2024

 

In 2024, Lyndhurst Primary School is continuing our commitment to reduce our waste to landfills, so we are encouraging all students to bring waste-free/nude food for snacks and lunch to school each day.

 

Nude food contains no throwaway packaging and produces no waste food. A waste-free lunch is packed in a reusable lunchbox or bag. Food is put in reusable containers rather than in wrapped disposable packaging. Drinks are put in reusable drink bottles. 

 

Reducing packaging has essential environmental benefits. Each year in Victoria, families of primary school-aged children spend more than $3.5 million on individually packaged items, collectively throwing away over 1.5 million yogurts, 3 million small tubs and 11 million Ziplock bags. Landfill disposal is also usually a significant cost for a school, and by reducing waste, more money can be invested on learning resources. Unpackaged food also encourages better food and drink choices.

Helping your child pack a waste-free lunch will help in several ways. Here are a few ideas.

  • Discuss with your child what they like to eat and how much. Audits in schools across Victoria show large quantities of unopened packaged foods, such as single-serve yogurts, cheese sticks, sandwiches, uneaten fruit, and fruit boxes, are being thrown away. This costs your family money and creates unnecessary waste. 
  • Cut up fruit and vegetables and pack them in reusable containers so children can eat some and save the rest for later. (It’s easier to eat a wedge or two of an apple and then reseal the container than to take a few bites out of a whole apple and save the rest). A rubber band around a sliced apple will prevent browning. 
  • Encourage your children to bring home uneaten food to eat later. Playtime is also important, so discuss with children how much they can reasonably eat in one day. Often, children throw unwanted food away because they don’t want to upset the person who packed the lunch. If you’re unsure how much they can eat at school, start small, e.g., a piece of fruit and a sandwich, and build it up if they ask for more. 
  • Bento-style lunch boxes are a great way of packing various foods and making lunches attractive for your child.
  • If your children have chips, savoury biscuits, or other snacks, try buying a larger bulk pack and have them put the same quantity into a reusable labelled container they bring home each day. It is also cheaper! 
  • Rather than packing a carton of juice for your child, encourage, your child to just drink water. Not putting a juice box in your child’s lunchbox for school will save $80 a year!

Thank you for supporting your child’s participation in helping reduce waste and the Lyndhurst Primary School sustainability program; let’s get the message out there!

 

Yours Sincerely

 

 

The Sustainability Team