My son attended summer day camp this year, so I haven't had a break from lunch packing. As kids are apt to do, my son and his friends liked to trade items. I was always amazed at the packaging waste that would come home with my son -- a lot of parents opt for those individually wrapped items. They're convenient, sure. But they're expensive, and they have an impact on the environment.

When packing your child's lunch, keep their health and the health of the environment in mind:

• Use reusable packaging. For example, instead of individually packaged pudding, make your own in small reusable containers. It's significantly less expensive and there's very little container waste. Also, look for options like the Wrap-n-Mat that reduce throw-away packaging.
  
• Go meat-free. Meat production is hard on the environment, so pack veggie lunches as often as possible.
• Don't over pack. If your child throws away much of what you pack, your green efforts are somewhat mitigated. Pack what they need and no more.