The Plastic Sandwich Bag Flunks
Julie Corbett, a mother in Oakland, Calif., whose two girls attend a school with an eco-friendly lunch policy, said her children faced considerable social pressure regarding recyclable products.
By STEPHANIE CLIFFORD
Published: August 26, 2011
Many retailers and schools are advocating waste-free options for back-to-school shoppers this year, especially when it comes to lunch. School lists call for Tupperware instead of Ziplocs, neoprene lunch bags instead of brown paper ones, and aluminum water bottles, not the throwaway plastic versions.
Peter DaSilva for The New York Times
Some the containers Ms. Corbett began using for her children's food after their school mandated waste-free lunches.
Sales of environmentally friendly back-to-school products are up just about everywhere. At the Container Store, the increase is 30 percent over last year for some items, said Mona Williams, the company’s vice president of