ECOlunchbox Aims to Make Lunchtime Green and Oceans Blue
With scientists warning of alarming amounts of plastic littering our oceans, a California-based company seeks to empower families to reduce their dependence on plastic by using its Blue Water Bento line of plastic-free, zero-waste lunchware.
Hewn from non-toxic stainless steel with silicone lids, the food containers are sold as part of the company’s mission to inspire, educate and empower consumers to choose to use less plastic and be part of the plastic pollution solution.
Tales of plastic rubbish amassing in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch have horrified all of us and it’s easy to feel helpless,” explains Sandra Ann Harris, founder and CEO of ECOlunchbox whose company has sold almost half a million plastic-free food containers since its founding in 2009. “With our products we hope to invite and inspire people everywhere to make change at lunchtime by saying no to plastic and yes to reusable, plastic-free lunchware that’s healthy for people and our planet.
A study done over 15 years revealed the pieces of microplastic floating on the surface of the North Pacific Gyre have increased from 331,809 pieces per square kilometer in 1999 to 19,912,037 in 2014. A studycompleted by ECOlunchbox reveals that by packing a zero waste lunch a typical family can avert the use and disposal of 3,240 pieces of trash, which mostly is comprised of plastic.
ECOlunchbox’s Blue Water Bento collection is inspired by the ocean and includes stainless lunchbox containers that feature brightly colored silicone leak-proof lids embossed with ocean-related designs. The containers come in various sizes from the Seal Cup Mini that holds ¾ cup to the Splash Box that can hold up to 3 cups of food. The containers are all BPA, BPS, plastic and phthalate-free along with being dishwasher and oven-safe.
The Blue Bento collection also includes sturdy, organic cotton canvas lunch bags and a beach tote that feature sea creatures such as turtles, dolphins, seahorses, whales and sea urchins. The bags are reusable and machine washable.
The idea for ECOlunchbox and the Blue Water Bento collection came to creator Sandra Ann Harris after she realized that change can begin at lunchtime. “I wanted to eliminate plastics from my kids’ lunchboxes to reduce their exposure to the leachy toxins commonly found in such products as well as do the right thing for Mother Earth. With our Blue Bento collection, we’re tapping into the desires of families everywhere to live healthier lives and our products empower people to choose not to use plastic and to begin a journey in other areas of their lives toward reducing their dependence on plastic overall.”
The Blue Water Bento collection includes Seal Cups, Splash box, Splash Pod, replacement lids, lunch bags and a beach tote. Prices range from $3.50 for replacement lids to $55.00 for the Seal Cup Fivesome Set. The collection can be purchased from ECOlunchboxes.com