An Imperfect Plan

Convenience is a wonderful thing. Grabbing a pizza after a busy day is a breeze. Packages arrive seemingly out of thin air. Now every restaurant delivers to your office for a working lunch. But with great convenience comes a great amount of harmful waste.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is now urging families to limit their use of certain plastic containers. Chemicals like phthalates and BPA (used to make some plastic packaging) and perfluoroalkyl chemicals or PFCs (used in grease-proof paper and takeout food packaging) are found to be especially toxic to children.

Because children are smaller, they ingest more of these chemicals in relation to their body weight. Their bodies are also still developing and this exposure can put them at risk for such things as childhood obesity according to AAP’s report published in July 2018.

According to Dr. Leonardo Trasande, an AAP Council on Environmental Health member and lead author of the policy statement, “Even small disruptions at key moments during development can have lifelong consequences.”

A Change Of Plans

While it’s easy to feel paranoid at the newest statistics, avoiding chemicals in food packaging is not difficult. These small changes also lead to a healthier diet and save you a few bucks in the long run.

• Stock up on plastic alternatives from ECOlunchbox such as stainless steel food containers, bamboo dishware, and glass straws
• Avoid plastics with recycling codes #3, #6 and #7 which may contain styrene, phthalates, and bisphenols
• Never microwave plastic containers or leave a plastic water bottle in a hot car.
• Opt for fresh, always. Stay away from canned produce, processed meats, and snacks.

Plan Ahead

Stocking your cabinets with silicon and stainless Blue Water Bento Splash Box or our popular Three-in-One Giant bento box is a no-brainer. Pack your whole family’s lunch with these non-toxic containers. But did you know you can bring these containers with you to the grocery store and restaurants?

Since most places make you ladle your leftovers into takeout containers anyway, just plan ahead and slip a leak-proof Splash Box in your bag. For food bars that charge based on weight, point out to the cashier the tare weights etched on the bottom. Use our reusable cotton Furoshiki lunch bag for lunch - or for fresh produce at the store.

Learning more about a harmful product can be worrisome but it also allows us to better prepare by making educated choices. ECOlunchbox is dedicated to providing you with up-to-date information and the highest-quality, plastic-free products so you can make the right decisions for your family’s health. To learn more, read the full report here.