Micaela Preston, author of Practically Green: Your Guide to Eco-friendly Decision-Making, states that “By transforming just one person’s daily lunch from wasteful to waste-free, you can keep over one hundred pounds of trash out of the landfill.”

With that word of advice in mind, you can significantly reduce your impact on the planet by steering clear of Styrofoam and other disposable items and using cleaner, more conscientious containers and bags to carry your meals.

Here’s some “food for thought”:

• According to Christie Matheson, author of Green Chic, about 50% of all municipal waste is discarded packaging.

The following companies offer portable solutions to fit your everyday needs:

• EcoBags - Fabulously stylish organic cotton lunch bags, sandwich bags, and bamboo utensils take the guesswork out of eating green.  Choose from their Rebel Green, BUILT, Ecobag, and Mimi the Sardine Lunch lines.  Durable and easy to clean, these items lessen your dependency on plastic and keep ordinary sandwich wrap, aluminum foil, and brown paper bags out of the landfill.  I have switched from plastic to organic cotton as a way of minimizing waste and improving my health.  In addition to being lead-free, my new Rebel Green Bad Habits Lunch Tote is made in the States and uses low-impact dyes.  I also love the portability of the To-Go Ware Reusable Utensil set.  Everything you need to eat with (fork, spoon, knife, chopsticks) is stored in a handy heat-resistant pouch.

• Eco Ditty - Founder Jennie Hammers created Eco Ditty after learning that her young daughter was allergic to PVC plastic. Removing toxins from her home proved to be a challenge, especially where food storage and transportation was concerned, so she set out to create reusable ditty bags made out of 100% organic cotton.  Colorful patterns and a no-fuss design sets this mom-owned company apart from competitors.  The snack*ditty is perfect for carrying pretzels, crackers, cookies, dried fruit, carrots and celery, nuts, and seeds.  The wich*ditty conveniently holds sandwiches and wraps.  Machine washable and durable, the small bags are made in Colorado and are a wise investment.

• Lunchbots - A safe alternative to plastic, Lunchbots are made out of stainless steel.  They come in four different styles — the Uno (good for a sandwich, burrito, or wrap), the Duo (divided so that you can keep food items separate), the Eco (designed for leftovers, salads, and take-out), and Pico (perfect for child-sized snacks and portions) and are dishwasher-safe and environmentally friendly.  Founder Jacqueline Linder was deeply concerned with the detrimental effects that plastic had on her family’s health and safety, as well as its impact on the planet, and created the company whose mission is to reduce lunch waste.  She helps Bay Area schools with fundraisers in an attempt to raise awareness about environmental issues and greener alternatives.

Being less of a “consumer” is easy.  In fact, you can start creating waste-free lunches today.  Rather than be part of the problem, opt to be part of the solution.  On my quest for a greener lunch, I have found a lot of great, earth-conscious companies along the way.