Beye School conducts a Waste-Free-Wednesday (zero waste lunch) event at all lunch periods once a month, typically on the last Wednesday of the month. If a school holiday or no-school day falls on the last Wednesday of the month, zero waste lunch is typically moved to the previous Wednesday. Note that this year, there will be a few “surprise” WFWs, since we’re trying to build daily zero waste habits, and want to support the message that “Waste-Free-Wednesday is everyday!” (Note that “surprise WFWs” may not necessarily occur on a Wednesday! The best way to be ready is to try to be a Waste-Free luncher every day.)
Additionally, Green Team has conducted a (brief, informal) study showing how packing a zero waste cold lunch could save families up to $300 per school year! That’s a total of $1,800 when taking into consideration the 6 years from Kindergarten to 5th grade. See the comparison chart to learn how you can save money packing a no-waste cold lunch from home.
Monthly/Yearly Contests
We encourage ALL STUDENTS and STAFF to participate in each Waste-Free-Wednesday zero waste lunch!
- Classrooms with the most waste-free lunchers will win the chance to keep the rotating waste-free lunch trophy (beautiful and made of recycled glass!) for the month. The trophy will accompany PAW passes for each student in the winning class.
- All winning classes from Sept-May will be entered in a raffle to win an end-of-school-year prize (to be determined).
- The teacher/staff member with the most waste-free lunches all year will also win a special prize in May.
In the 2010-2011 school year, the all-school waste-free-luncher record was 58%! This means that at our highest tally of waste-free-lunchers on a Waste-Free Wednesday is 244 students (out of about 420 total students). Great job, Beye School. So far THIS school year, we have hit 45-54% all-school ZW-lunches. Let’s see if we can get back to our high of 58% and even higher – over 60%!
Upcoming Waste-Free-Wednesdays
Below are upcoming WFWs, but please note that EVERYDAY is Waste-Free-Wednesday! There will be some “surprise” opportunities to participate in waste-free lunch this year (that may not take place on a Wednesday), so please try to get in the habit of helping your child/ren be a daily WF-luncher (that is, after all, where we hope to make an impact — not once a month, but every day!). If your child/ren happen/s to be ready, their class could win prizes!
- Wed, Jan 25
- Wed, Feb 29
- Wed, Mar 14
- Wed, Apr 25
- Wed, May 23
- “SURPRISE” WFW days are planned, and may not necessarily occur on a Wednesday!
The Importance of Your Participation
Beye Green Team has applied for and received two $10,000 grants from the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic opportunity (IL DCEO) in order to implement zero waste initiatives in partnership with all students, families, and staff. Minimizing waste during mealtimes in the Commons is a major component of the overall Zero Waste initiative that is supported by this grant, and to which we are committed in return for receiving the grant. Through the grant monies, Beye has purchased a commercial dishwasher, reusable utensils & trays, napkin dispensers (in addition to other zero waste supplies).
Please help do your part in supporting and sustaining Beye’s overall zero waste efforts by participating in Zero Waste lunch each month — and every day! This means observing lunchroom sorting guidelines (lunchroom sorting is important and required by our grant), and preparing to bring/consume meals as close to waste-free as possible. Here is a 2-part video starring Beye students, showing proper sorting procedures & guidelines.
Below are two checklists to help guide you as you continue to participate as a waste-free hot or cold luncher:
Please note: straws are no longer automatically distributed to all students, but are always available to students who ask for them.
Waste-Free Hot Lunch Checklist
- Do your best at eating all your food.
- Return unopened items to cafeteria (or don’t take them to begin with).
- Have only waste that is recyclable or have very little compostable waste.
- Try not to take napkins, sauce packets, or other items if you don’t need/won’t use them.
Waste-Free Cold Lunch Checklist (Quick List)
- Pack lunch in reusable containers (with reusable napkins) that can be brought back home.
- Don’t bring more food than you can eat.
- If you must have waste, try to have only waste that is recyclable.
- Try to have very little compostable waste (like apple cores, which you can’t eat).
More tips for packing a waste-free lunch from home EVERY day! . . .
- Consider purchasing an insulated lunch bag, which will keep food fresher and last much longer than a brown paper bag.
- Avoid using plastic wraps, plastic bags, wax-paper bags, and aluminum foil. Instead, pack lunch items in reusable containers or wraps. Opt for fun and funky reusable lunch gear, like wrap-n-mats and snack taxis. They’re all the rage! Contact inga simitz at isimitz@gmail.com to purchase yours today.
- Rather than bring single-serve packaging, try to buy larger containers of items for home (e.g., yogurt), and bring lunch-sized amounts in reusable containers.
- Bring beverages in reusable water bottles, get milk at school (we recycle cartons), or bring juice BOXES (instead of cans, plastic bottles, or pouches).
- Paper napkins and straws are TRASH! Ditch the straw, and bring a cloth napkin.
- Pack reusable stainless-steel utensils instead of disposable plastic ones.
- Save any non-recyclable food containers you do end up with, and use them to hold sundry items, or for crafts. (www.laptoplunch.org)
- A reminder that the following are TRASH: paper napkins, straws, chip/pretzel bags, saran wrap, plastic sandwich bags, plastic grocery bags, ziplock bags, straws, sauce packets, yogurt tubes, plastic (non-foil) tops from single-serve applesauce or yogurt.
- A reminder that the following are RECYCLABLE: Reusable containers are best, but if not opting for reusables, note that these are recyclable — juice boxes and pouches, foil, brown paper bags, cardboard (outside of lunchables only), plastic containers with the recycling symbol and any number except 6 on the bottom.
FUN TIPS!
- Pack foods that do double-duty. Freeze individual cups of yogurt and use them as ice packs; by lunch, the yogurt will be ready to eat and the rest of the food will still be cold. (www.recyclebank.com)
- Think outside the box for other packaging methods. An emptied half-dozen egg carton is a great way to pack a few strawberries, especially if snacks tend to end up smushed before lunchtime — just place one strawberry in each indentation of the egg carton, and they’re that much more likely to make it through the morning. (www.recyclebank.com)
Purchase Reusable Lunch Items
To purchase Wrap-n-Mats and Snack Taxis through the Green Team/PTO (proceeds benefit Beye School), please contact Inga Simitz at isimitz@gmail.com. For some info about waste-free lunches and to see some of the waste-free lunch items that Beye/Inga are carrying, click here.
Waste Free Lunch Links
Click here for articles and information about waste-free lunches, including a cool, informative video by our own Beye students reviewing the guidelines for lunchroom sorting.