4 Tips For Making a Zero-Waste Lunch Kit*

*with stuff you already have.

The most sustainable choice in just about any situation is to use stuff you already have. Here are our 4 top tips for making a zero-waste lunch kit from what you’ve already got:

1. Figure out what you actually need.

Take a week or so to pay attention to the single use items you use on an average day. This will help you to determine what you need to find replacements for. If you don’t drink coffee or tea, you probably don’t need a reusable insulated travel mug. If you are someone who regularly goes out for lunch or eats somewhere that provides only single-use utensils and napkins, you need reusable replacements for those. Maybe you are a person who needs to use the same things more than once during the day. In that case, you’ll need a way to clean your stuff as well. If you are a person who takes their food with them, you probably already know that upcycled jars and other containers are great for transporting meals.

2. Look through your cupboards for underused or forgotten items that could be included in your zero waste lunch kit.

Maybe you, like me, have refillable water bottles in the back of your cupboard that outnumber the actual inhabitants of your household. If you don’t already have one that you use regularly, grab one! Maybe you have some mis-matched cutlery or utensils in your drawer. Grab ‘em! (Or thrift some. Eating utensils that are different from the ones you use in your home might help you to remember to put them back in your lunch kit when you see them in with your other dishes).

Pro tip: If you work in the same location everyday (even a home office) and find that you don’t reach for your water bottle on the way to or from there, consider leaving a reusable water bottle in your work location and bring it home/to your kitchen at regular intervals for a thorough cleaning (leave it empty with the lid off in between). Want a sip every now and then when you’re on the way to or from? Consider a smaller container that lives in your commuting bag! 

3. Find other reusable items that you want to include.

Cloth napkins, refillable seasoning containers, or a cleaning brush for your reusable straw could all make the list. You may not have reusable cloth napkins. No worries! We’ve got you covered. Click here to see what we’ve got available. Something Different Upcycled’s cloth napkins are smaller than traditional dinner napkins (in fact, we make some of our napkins from thrifted dinner napkins) and are amazing for zero-waste lunch kits! Our multipurpose cloths are also great for zero-waste lunch kits.

4. Choose a place to keep all of this together…

…that is easy to remember, something that you like to look at, is of an appropriate size, and is easy to clean. Maybe it is a zippered pouch in a fabric that you love. Could be a tote bag that you already have. Maybe all of this just lives loose in the bag that you take with you everyday. Totally up to you. The important thing is that you remember to take it with you!

If, after careful consideration of what you actually need and what you already have available to you, you discover some gaps, don’t forget that you can thrift some of these items if you need to. Eating utensils, jars, and even lunch bags can be easily found at thrift stores.

Got any tips of your own to share? Let us know in the comments below or send us a message!

Congratulations on taking the first steps toward reducing your reliance on single-use items! Yay you! Remember to give yourself some grace as you develop the new habits that go with using a zero-waste lunch kit. It takes time. Need some suggestions for how to be consistent in those habits? Next week’s blog will help you with that! Follow Something Different Upcycled on Instagram to be reminded of when new blog posts are added (every week, usually Friday).