Events

Community Service

The Dorris-Eaton Parents’ Association values community service and provides the students opportunities each year to participate in various community service activities.

Tips on Packing a Waste Free Lunch

It’s not just kids who are lured by the over packaging of food. The majority of the waste created by households in our nation comes from the packaging on the food we buy and lunchtime is when most Americans, young and old go for convenient yet wasteful options. It has been estimated that on average a school-age child packing a disposable lunch generates 67 pounds of waste per
school year, which equates to 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for just one average-sized elementary school of 280 children (Source: wastefreelunches.org). In an effort to reduce waste at our school, we have compiled a list of tips:

Reduce/Reuse/Recycle

• DEPA has purchased stainless-steel utensils for the lunch room. This means that instead of using disposable plastic forks and spoons, there will be stainless-steal utensils available for your child to use at school.
• There are alternatives to the small plastic water bottle commonly used. Pack a reusable drink container instead of a disposable. They are readily available at the Walnut Creek stores Target, The Container Store and Whole Foods.
• Pack lunches in a durable lunch box or backpack instead of relying on paper or plastic bags. If you use paper bags, try using recycled paper bags, available at Whole Foods.
• Pack food in reusable containers. Avoid pre-packaged items and reduce food waste by using reusable containers that can be resealed to take leftovers home.

Look for new tips and ideas to reducing waste at school at www.depa.org under the community service section in the coming months. If you and your family have any other tips you would like to share, email them to smbittner@sbcglobal.net and we will include them too.

Thank you for your effort in trying to reduce waste at our school.