Packing your lunch for work or school can be tons better for the planet because you have more control over what you eat. In addition, you don’t have to throw away all the packaging that often accompanies carry out food.

Eating out everyday isn’t good for your wallet or your waistline. But just because you pack your lunch everyday don’t think that you’re automatically an eco-friendly eater. How green your lunch is depends on how much waste your lunch produces.

The average disposable “brown bag” lunch creates between 4 and 8 ounces of garbage according to Nubius Organics. That can add up to as much as 100 pounds per year. Not only do prepackaged and processed foods contain excess packaging, they are also up to 25 percent more expensive. And with the alarming increase of childhood obesity and diabetes, it’s more important than ever to teach healthy eating habits to our children.

Here are some tips to packing a lunch with minimal waste:

Skip the brown bag, plastic wrap, zip lock bags, and foil.

Instead of using excessive wrappings, pack all your food into eco-friendly reusable packaging like Fresh Snack Pack. The Fresh Snack Pack is a reusable snack bag made from PVC-free and non-toxic plastic. This reusable product also frees us from carrying around those bulky plastic containers and Tupperware lunch boxes. Also consider using a reusable lunch bag like Nubius Organics. These bags are lead-free, PVC-free, and super chic.

Bring your own thermos instead of a juice box or can of soda.

Water is better for you, and can be better for the planet when you drink it from a BPA free and plastic free SIGG bottle instead of repeatedly purchasing individual plastic bottles of water. The U.S. sends two million tons of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottled water packaging to the landfill each year. This huge waste can easily be avoided by drinking filtered tap water, like reverse osmosis filtered water. Reverse osmosis removes all toxins, contaminates, impurities, and chemicals from your water, often making it much cleaner than bottled water. So enjoy the benefits of an aluminum water bottle and never throw away your drink packaging again.

Choose reusable cutlery.

Pack your stainless steel cutlery from home with your lunch. Reusable cutlery is available in a variety of sustainable materials. I prefer stainless steel because it travels well when wrapped in a cloth napkin. I just rewrap it after use for an easy cleanup at home.

Skip individual bags and buy in bulk.

For every handful of Oreos that you eat, you’re gonna throw away another bag? That doesn’t really make much sense to me. Buying your snacks in bulk from the bins at the grocery store is cheaper and produces way less packaging. You could of course make your own snacks too!

More on Zero Waste:
How to Go Green: The Basics
Back to School
Eat Healthy, Reduce Waste, and Save Money: Save Your Veggie Stems!
Why Should I Choose Reusable over Recyclable
We Love Vegan Lunch Box for Creative, Delicious Meal Ideas