09.21.2009 -(Chicago, IL)-From brown paper bags to plastic wraps, baggies and the unnecessary packaging of single-serving foods, our addiction to fast and "convenient" lunch products adds billions of tons of trash to landfills each year. That's not to mention the enormous waste of money and natural resources that results from producing and disposing of packing.

According to the EPA, each child who brings a brown-bag lunch to school every day generates 67 pounds of waste by the end of the school year - that's 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for an average-sized school.

Since 2003, ReusableBags.com (soon to be Reuseit.com) has offered a wide range of safe, smart reusable products designed to help replace many of these use-and-toss items, saving money and natural resources. In addition to being sustainable, their lunch products have always been safe, helping reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals such as BPA, phthalates and lead in lunch bags.

Adopting a waste-free lunch lifestyle is a simple way to reduce consumption - literally on a daily basis. It's not hard, and ReuseableBags.com's 5 Steps to a Waste-Free Lunch will help you get started. By following these five simple steps, you can save hundreds of plastic and paper items from the landfill every year. Plus, you won't continue to waste money buying and re-buying disposable plastic baggies, utensils and paper napkins.
 

1. Replace that brown paper bag with something sustainable like a reusable fabric lunch bag or insulated lunch container.
2. Pour drinks and soups into reusable bottles, or use recyclable containers, like cans or glass bottles.
3. Ditch plastic baggies, and put sandwiches in reusable wraps or containers.
4. Buy in bulk, not single-serving, and portion your bulk food out into safe, reusable containers. You'll save money and natural resources by opting out of wasteful, excessive packaging, and you'll help divert trash from our landfills.
5. Bring reusable accessories like bamboo utensils, stainless steel straws and organic cloth napkins.

When choosing reusables for a waste-free lunch, avoid the cheap reusables flooding the market-they do not last long and may not meet the same safety standards as high-quality reusables from trusted brands.

ReusableBags.com is the leading online source for high-quality reusable products and provides information on problems relating to use-and-toss. Recognized as a leader and innovator, the company won Co-Op America's prestigious Green Business of the Year People's Choice Award in 2007 and is a BizRate Circle of Excellence Gold Honoree. ReuseableBags.com is also an authentic triple bottom line company, supporting Fair Trade practices and donating 1% of all sales via 1% For The Planet.