CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — As students get ready to head back to class, environmental groups are encouraging families to think about something beyond school supplies: what’s inside the lunch box.
This month’s Clean Currents challenge focuses on reducing the waste created by school lunches by using reusable containers, utensils and drink bottles whenever possible.
The National School Nutrition Association estimates school lunches generate about 530,000 tons of waste each year.
We have 1000s and 1000s of students here in Hamilton County,” said Thomas Trouy, an outdoor educator with Waterways. “So even if we had half the number, that amount of waste that comes from things like school lunches or packaged foods and things like that, adds up very quickly…