Ask your school cafeteria if they allow you to bring your own container for food. If they say no, consider bringing your lunch instead. School food is extremely pricey anyways.

Just say no to plastic cutlery! These are the most infuriating single-use items because fast food restaurants will give several to you without asking. The container store has a set of small utensils with a to-go case that will easily slip into your purse.

Lastly, skip the little condiment packets and bring your own in some cute little reusable condiment containers. You will never use the 15 little ketchup packets at the bottom of your bag anyway.

When picking out reusable items, do your research:

• Ask yourself, is this item easy to clean? If you don’t like cleaning your new reusable water bottle, you’ll never use it (kind of defeats the purpose).
• Will I need to put this container in the microwave? If you need to microwave your lunch on a daily basis than a stainless steel bento box wouldn’t be a good idea.
• What material do I want my reusables made of? Stainless steel, glass, and plastic all have there pros and cons. Although I won’t get into that debate, you can read about the difference in the post: Steel, Glass, and/or Plastic Bottles: What is the best choice? 

Let us know what you think!

What are your opinions on the zero-waste movement? What efforts do you make to reduce trash? And what are your favorite reusable products? We love to hear from you, so leave a comment below!