As a proud platinum certified eco-school, The Toronto Heschel School has adopted a boomerang lunch policy. By doing this, we hope to reduce waste and encourage students and their families to reconsider how they package and prepare their children’s lunches.
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH WASTE-FREE, BOOMERANG LUNCH PROGRAMS?
A boomerang lunch is a program where students are asked to bring all the garbage home from their lunches. This includes all packaging and food waste. Since many schools aren’t set up to sort organic matter or even recycle as fully as we can at home, the garbage can be disposed of in a more environmentally friendly manner.
HOW DO BOOMERANG LUNCH PROGRAMS HELP FAMILIES?
Boomerang lunch programs help families save money by seeing how much of the food you send to school is actually being eaten. Perhaps your child never eats the grapes you send and always has half a sandwich left. Now you will know! This will allow you to cut down on your family’s avoidable food waste. As well, most lunch trash comes from disposable packaging. A waste-free, boomerang program helps families reconsider the way they purchase, prepare, and pack food for school.
TIPS FOR PACKING BOOMERANG-ABLE SCHOOL LUNCHES
- Provide a container for neatly bringing home leftovers.
- Drinks can be packed in resealable containers. Many students take only a few sips of their juice box and throw it away.
- Cut sandwiches and fruits and veggies into snack sized servings. This way if a child doesn’t eat it all during lunch, they can have some easily available for afternoon recess/snack time.
- Involve your child in packing their lunch. It’s another way to grow their food literacy!
