When you pack a lunch, there are a ton of simple swaps available to reduce the waste your lunch generates. 

1. Use reusables! Pack in a tupperware, silicone bag or beeswax wrap rather than a disposable plastic bag. Plastic sandwich baggies are often costlier than reusable alternatives, because of the lifetime cost of continually repurchasing.  And plastic bags are not recyclable, so when you throw them out they spend the rest of their lifetime in the landfill after just one use. 
2. Pack your leftovers! One of the best ways to reduce food waste is simply eating what you already have in your refrigerator. Last night's dinner makes for a less wasteful lunch. 
3.  Ditch the brown paper sack in favor of a reusable lunch box. If you do choose a brown paper bag, as long as it isn't food soiled, throw it in the recycle bin when you're finished. 
4.  Pack out your food waste. If you're at the beach or another area that doesn't have access to organic waste recycling, try to make an effort to bring your food waste (apple core, sandwich crusts, etc.) with you to put in your green bin at home.
5. Skip the juice box. Aeseptic Tetra-Paks (those multimaterial boxes that house shelf-stable beverages like chocolate milk and juice) are handy for keeping our beverages shelf-stable, but are near impossible to recycle. Because they're composed of layers of plastic, paper and aluminum, they cannot be recycled by our facilities in SLO County. Instead, fill up a reusable bottle with your beverage of choice. Or if you need something grab-and-go, look for beverages packaged in infinitely recyclable materials, like aluminum or glass.

If you want to learn more about what materials can go where when you're finished with them, check out our Recycling Guide! And next time you picnic, be sure to think about where your lunch containers are going to end up when they're done.