1. Lunch box: Buy a good quality non-toxic, durable lunch box that has a variety of compartments and is large enough to hold smaller sealable containers.

2. Snack containers: Purchase reusable smaller containers to hold snacks.

Decor: XL Divided Lunchbox

3. Water bottle: Invest in a reusable stainless steel or BPA free plastic water bottle.

Klean Kanteen: Kid Classic Sport Bottle (335mL)

4. Reducing plastic: Have you seen the latest trends for reusable packaging? Products like beeswax wraps are great because they can be used several times and then get composted. Reusable silicone bags are popular too, they can be used hundreds of times saving you money on buying new packaging.

Beeutiful Beeswax Wraps

5. Reusable cutlery: Swap out single-use plastic utensils for biodegradable or reusable cutlery.
 

6. Homemade snacks: Even small amounts of packaging on snacks like muesli bars and a box of sultanas have an impact. Make these snacks at home or buy them in bulk so the kids can still enjoy them without waste. These nut-free muesli bars are a great option, or these fruit and nut popcorn balls.
 

7. Make your own baked goods: Making your own baked goods is often much cheaper than buying them. Freezer-friendly recipes are especially convenient to batch cook, and they can be put straight into the lunchbox while frozen and they will defrost by recess.

Get the recipe: Roasted Capsicum and Eggplant Pizza Scrolls

8. Whole fruit: send fruits such as apples, bananas and mandarins to school to skip any extra packaging. Check out a nifty trick below for sending apples to school!