education
The Litterless Lunch How One Class Rose to the Challenge By Debbie Bowman
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ast year in Coquitlam over 50 schools took part in the Litterless Lunch Challenge held during Waste Reduction Week in October. Of the fifty classes that took part, most were able to significantly reduce the waste produced via their lunches. But the winning group, Ms. Mackay’s grade 1/2 class at Baker Drive Elementary, blew it out of the park when they were able to become 100% litter-free for an entire school week. Those of us who pack lunches every day know that this is no small feat. Plastic zip-lock bags are the norm and pre-packaged lunch items are fancy and their ease is hard to resist. Because of our long-standing habits, learning to make the change to litterless lunches can be a challenge. That’s why it’s so amazing that Ms. Mackay’s entire class was able to completely eliminate their lunch litter. Nishka Valdez, one of the parents from Ms. Mackay’s group explained that the class did well because every person involved saw the value in the exercise and decided to commit themselves to a week of 100% litter-free lunches. “It was a real collaborative effort,” said Nishka during a phone interview. “Everyone did their part. The teachers had to remind the kids every day, the kids had to make sure their parents followed through, and of course, the parents had to take steps to make it happen.” Though each person played a part, it’s important to note that the kids were especially committed to the idea of a litter-free lunch. Nishka thinks this is because the adults took time to engage the kids and explain why a litterless lunch was important. Though it wasn’t always a cake-walk, a firm grasp of the reasons behind the changes made it easier for the kids to stay focused. Nishka explains how she sat down with her son Jaden and taught him why it’s important to eat healthy food and produce less litter. She believes that this helped her son stay on track, even when he was tempted. “Sometimes Jaden would see someone eating a chocolate bar and he’d want one too, but I would remind him of what he’d been taught - and because he understood, he could let it go.” Although litter-free lunches are healthier and better for the environment, it doesn’t mean they have to be boring or crazy difficult. “We just plan ahead,” states Nishka, “and Jaden likes to help put together his lunches, too.” Each
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morning they pack a stackable stainless steel lunch kit. One compartment is for a grilled cheese sandwich or leftovers from the night before. The other compartment will have sliced fruit, and the last will have sliced veggies like red peppers, Jaden’s favourite. A stainless steel water bottle holds his juice, and it all comes back home to be washed up for the next day. Simple. Even though the competition is over, the litterless lunch has endured in Ms. Mackay’s class. In fact, over 80% of the class still pack a litter-free lunch kit. Nishka is happy about that, because she sees exercises like the Litterless Lunch Challenge as pivotal toward raising kids who will become environmentally aware adults. “Through teaching my son about his health and the health of the planet, I’m helping to foster that awareness in him,” states Nishka. And, as we can see from Ms. Mackay’s class, that awareness is bound to endure. For more information on how your school or organization can participate in a challenge of their own, visit www.bcgreengames.ca.