Re: [greenyes] waste-free lunches

["Roger Guttentag" <rgutten@no.address>]

Dear Amy:

I think you are focusing on a very helpful issue - one that I struggle with
daily as a parent of a 7 year old.

First I have several suggestions for enhancing the credibility of your site:

    - Identify who is the sponsor of this site and the sources of the
information used for this site.
    - Provide some information on the sponsor's credentials (even if its
just that you are an environmentally active mom)
    - Time stamp the site's content (Last updated when?)

Now for my comments:

First, I think you underestimate the significant obstacle of getting back
reusable containers and items.  Older children may be to handle this
responsibility but I believe that getting back reusable items reliably from
younger children is much harder.  I have lost a lot of reusable items and
the cost can add up quickly.  I am lucky to get back my cool packs.  I am
sure that lots of list subscribers will of course repond that they have
young children who have been trained from the age of 2 to return anything
that is reusable or recyclable.  My response is - that's great - consider
yourself fortunate.  I am convinced that my child does not have a retrieving
gene (and I know I am not alone in feeling this way) and , as most know
parents know, there are only so many fights you can have with your child at
any one time. However, this is a battle I plan to wage when she is older.
However, I would appreciate other parental insights into this particular
issue.

Second, there are times when I buy products in non-reusable / recyclable
packaging because they involve products that I want to support - usually
organic foods.  An example are Fruit Squeezies which is organic applesauce
in a tube made by Walnut Acres
 http://www.walnutacres.com/snack_overview.php  ).  It's a product I can
feel reasonably good about giving to my child, she likes it and gets use to
eating foods that have some nutritional value and I am providing support
with my consumer dollars to companies that rely on organic food production.
[Also, I use like this product after having experienced what it's like to
open a lunch container that been in the sun all day with the contents of an
open container of partially eaten apple sauce that is spread over everything
(again, I have tried many types of reusable containers and I am also
convinced that my child doesn't have the "close the container correctly"
gene).  Again, I am sure that many subscribers to this list will claim not
to have these problems because they have children who have demonstated the
dexterity of safe crackers since the age of 2.  Again, consider yourself
fortunate and keep in mind that no every household is blessed like yours.]

So, the bottom line is that I don't think going from a "wasteful" to a
"waste-free" lunch is a simple, cost-free, hassle-free process of
subsitution.

Sincerely,

Roger M. Guttentag
610-584-8836
rgutten@no.address

----- Original Message -----
From: Amy Hemmert <mhemmert@no.address>
To: <greenyes@no.address>
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2003 2:18 PM
Subject: [greenyes] waste-free lunches


> I have been collecting information about waste-free lunches and have
posted
> it at www.wastefreelunches.org for people interested in learning more
about
> how to implement or participate in a waste-free lunch program. We have
> included sample letters to parents and teachers, information on conducting
> trash audits, examples of salvaged/recycled art projects, composting
basics,
> where to purchase waste-free lunch kits, success stories from across North
> America, and links to other waste-free lunch sites.
>
> If you are involved in a waste-free lunch program and have a success story
> to share, or if you have a site that you think we should link to, please
> email the information to me at webmaster@no.address
>
> Thanks for helping us make a difference!
>
> Amy Hemmert
> Santa Cruz, CA
>
>
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