Blue Water Bento Collection 2022
Why Blue Water Bento?
Since ECOlunchbox first introduced to market its line of plastic-free, eco-friendly lunchware in 2008, our mission has been to help families reduce their dependence on plastics by providing high-quality, plastic-free lunchware alternatives.
- A Rundown of our Plastic-Free Lunch Containers
- Plastic Convenience Sans Plastic?
- Eco-Friendly Values: For People and the Planet
- ECOlunchbox Milestones
A Rundown of our Plastic-Free Lunch Containers
Splash Box™ - A leak-proof bento box designed to fit two nesting Splash Pods side-by-side.
Splash Pod™ - A leak-proof snack pod. Two fit inside our original Splash Box perfectly.
Seal Cup™ Mini - Our smallest Blue Water Bento Seal Cup designed for dips, sauces and toppings.
Seal Cup™ Solo - A go-to container with a leak-proof, silicone lid for to-go snacks or dips.
Seal Cup™ Trio - A set of three nifty, nesting, round containers in small medium and large.
Seal Cup™ XL - A lunch container for salads and larger portions.
Seal Cup™ Jumbo - Our largest container holds 6 cups of food and works great for salads and take-out portions.
3-in-1 Splash Box™ - A modular, three-piece set with green seaweed inspired motifs on its lids. Includes upstairs and downstairs levels plus a nesting Mini Splash Pod snack container that nests inside.
Mini Splash Pod™ - A small snack or dip container designed to nest in the top layer of the 3-in-1 Splash Box and also sold separately.
Blue Water Bento Lunch Bags - Eating while smiling makes lunch more fun, so we've designed a playful series of screen printed organic lunchbag totes. Check out our Seahorse, Turtle, Whale and Dolphin designs that fit our containers perfectly.
Plastic Convenience Sans Plastic?
Over the years we have heard the need again and again from our community that they loved our 100% stainless steel bento lunch box - non-toxic, dishwasher safe, rugged, plastic free! What else could they dream for? Well, there was one little thing.... we repeatedly got requests for a plastic-free lunchbox that was also leak-proof.
In essence, our community really wanted the no-leak convenience of plastic - without the plastic!
ECOlunchbox worked on numerous prototypes for a no-leak and no-plastic design including gaskets. The challenge was to develop a gasket design that would not fall out - but could be easily removed for cleaning so that food caught around the gasket could be completely washed away between uses. As a mother herself, ECOlunchbox's Founder Sandra Ann Harris thought it was really important that the no-leak function be part of an easy-to-clean design! (Dishwasher safe, please!)
Ultimately, we decided that a lid made entirely of food-safe silicone (made from silica, which is also used to manufacture glass) would meet the needs of our community in terms of offering the convenience of a leak-free and plastic-free lid with a stainless steel bottom.
From a human and environmental health perspective, we believe that silicone is currently the best material available for snap-on, leak-proof food container lids. It's much more durable and longer lasting than plastic, resisting degradation resulting from prolonged use or exposure to extreme temperatures. Although silicone is not biodegradable, scientists believe that the material is not hazardous to the environment nor toxic to aquatic or soil organisms.
Eco-Friendly Values: For People and the Planet
The look of our Blue Water Bento collection is decidedly more modern and contemporary than our classic ECOlunchbox line featuring classic stainless steel lunchboxes paired with handmade artisan lunchbags. But don't be fooled by the modernity of our new design, ECOlunchbox's traditional eco-friendly values behind haven't changed a bit. We continue to be committed to helping families reduce their dependence on plastics by offering high-quality, plastic-free alternatives.
ECOlunchbox is delighted to be part of a growing global anti-plastic movement. Awareness of the perils of plastics has moved beyond the deep green communities into mainstream consciousness thanks to the frequent publication of articles in major daily newspapers as well as reporting on the major radio stations and television networks.
Over the years, we've found that a primary driver of purchasing behavior among our ECOlunchbox community is concern about the hormone-disrupting toxins in plastics, such as bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalates. Oftentimes expectant mothers and parents of small children are especially eager to choose to reduce use of plastics out of concern for the longterm health ramifications.
Additionally, many environmentalist consumers are motivated to reduce their dependence on plastics since only 1% of global plastic is recycled each year. The remaining 99% of plastic waste either ends up buried in a landfill or lost in the environment. Many people don't realize that Earth's largest landfill isn't on land at all. An immense collection of plastic debris is accumulating in the North Pacific Ocean in a vast gyre dubbed the "The Great Pacific Garbage Patch." The plight of the endangered birds and marine life living in this area is sensitizing people to the environmental threat plastic poses in this gyre as well as others in other parts of the world. Marine life is accidentally eating the plastic as well as getting entangled in the plastic.
We believe that with our Blue Water Bento collection we're tapping into the desires of families everywhere to live healthier lives - for both people and planet! Our products empower people to choose not to use plastic at lunchtime - and to begin a journey in other areas of their lives towards reducing their dependence on plastics overall. We are grateful to share this journey with our ECOlunchbox community and welcome your feedback on our new Blue Water Bento collection.
ECOlunchbox Milestones
In 2014, ECOlunchbox introduced the Splash Box and a set of screen printed lunch bags as the first components of our Blue Water Bento collection of stainless steel and silicone lunchware that's ocean-friendly, leak-proof, and 100% plastic-free.
In 2015, we successfully funded three more additions to our Blue Water Bento line thanks to an amazing Kickstarter community effort.
In 2018, we successfully crowdfunding a pre-sale campaign to launch two new items, the 3-in-1 Splash Box and Mini Splash Pod. We also added a sixth cup, called the Seal Cup Jumbo, to our collection featuring a purple lid with octopus tentacles.
In 2020, we added the Splash Box XL with a celedon green coral motif on its lid and Splash Box Quad Set.
In 2021, we launched the Blue Water Bento Insulated Canister with an innovative cradle-to-cradle design.