Whether commuting to school or work, eating healthy homemade meals is a challenge in itself, and then you have the additional issues of the waste that these meals can create. All that single-use packaging from meal deals, food wrappers, and meal kits really adds up.
Luckily, with a bit of planning, you can ditch the disposables and commute with fresh, home-cooked meals. This guide shares our top tips for packaging transportable lunches and dinners without creating rubbish.
You'll reduce waste while saving money and eating better too. Let's get started!
The problem with commuter waste
First, let's recap why commuter waste matters:
- Takeaway containers create over 25,000 tons of waste annually in the UK alone!!
- Only 10% of plastic waste generated for on-the-go is recycled.
- Disposable packaging ends up polluting our oceans, parks, and rivers.
- Food packaging is the primary source of plastic waste!
Clearly, we need better solutions!
The reusable commuter kitchen essentials
Commuters want affordable, quick and healthy meal options. The secret to achieving this is having the right reusable containers and tools:
Leakproof Food Storage- Invest in stainless steel food containers in multiple sizes. These are perfect for snacks of any size thanks to the 3 different sizes. Easily carry these pots to work filled with your favourite snacks whether that is fruit, nuts or pretzels - the possibilities are endless.
- Try bringing a metal lunchbox to work. Not only are our stainless steel lunch boxes lightweight and durable, they are sleek and you're guaranteed to get compliments in the office! Our metal lunch box comes with a divider, perfect for separating your main meal from any additional snacks. Our small snack pot, as well as our dressing pots fit perfectly into the lunchbox to avoid soggy salads.
- Glass lunch jars with locking lids are ideal for salads. They keep them fresh and prevent any leaks in your bag.
- Moonmoon's silicone freezer bags keep foods fresh and protected. You can meal prep and then freeze in your silicone reusable bag. Also, as it is microwave and oven safe, you could bring a delicious soup to work with you, and heat it up for a warm, wintery lunch in the office.
- Use reusable cups, like Moonmoon’s stainless steel cups, that you can refill to your heart’s content - this will stop you from purchasing plastic water bottles.
- Avoid single-use juice boxes and plastic water bottles.
- Bring a reusable coffee cup for your morning coffee to avoid takeaway coffee cups.
- Keep a reusable bamboo utensil set at your desk or bring your cutlery from home, instead of using plastic cutlery.
- Carry lightweight reusable napkins instead of using single-use paper napkins.
Meal prep tips for waste-free commuting
With the right gear, planning waste-free commuter meals is easy:
- Batch cook healthy meals on weekends to grab portions from during the week.
- Cook extra with leftovers in mind for lunches.
- Prep produce at the start of the week to add to meals easily - prepping your fresh produce will save you time, and make you more likely to reach for it, which will save you from waste.
- Invest 15 minutes each night before work to pack your lunch for the next day. You could also prep your breakfast and dinner to save you time when you're not at work!
Smart food storage tricks
- Use silicone bags to portion flavoured tuna, chicken salad, overnight oats, soups - easy to grab for on the go!
- Freeze broths, stews, and curries in silicone freezer bags - this will make it easier when you get in from work to have a healthy, homemade meal ready and waiting
- Pack dressings and sauces in small leakproof containers
- Wrap sandwiches and snacks on our reusable beeswax covers.
Moonmoon have a wide range of lunch boxes and accessories to make ditching waste easy, stylish and enjoyable.
