The start of a new school year or term holds wonderful memories of crisp, blank exercise book pages, a clean eraser, and freshly sharpened pencils! But these days, there is also the challenge of meeting the school's policies for healthy lunches and waste free lunch box packing!
One Prep school says they must have two different containers for morning tea and lunch, while another says they need to be packed in the same box… A multi-level primary school says no metal water bottles because dropped from height a stainless steel bottle is a dangerous missile… Another wants no waste at all left at school including food scraps!
Biome founder, Tracey, says what she loves about the move towards 'nude food' or waste free lunches, is that lunches can be healthier as a by-product. Less packaging generally means less processed foods, less additives, and more simple, whole foods. It also means less money taken from a school's budget to deal with lunchtime waste, less litter blown into our waterways, and a generation of young people growing up more conscious about their impact on the environment. Wins all round!
Every day in Biome's physical stores and via our online customer service we help with the dilemmas faced by parents. So, if we don't cover your problem here, please feel free to get in touch with us at shop@biome.com.au.
First published April 2023. Updated with latest information December 2025.
🥪 Top Lunch Box Dilemmas & Solutions
1️⃣ No disposable plastic wrap
Thankfully, there are now many nifty reusable sandwich pouches or food wraps – brands include:
Zip-lock bags do not need to be single-use with our durable reusable versions, including:
A Bento style box, such as Yumbox or Planetbox, or any individual container avoids the need for wrapping small bits of food in cling wrap.
Other great options:
- Ecococoon Bento Lunchboxes – popular recently and offer a great compartmentalised solution.
- Omiebox – feature bright fun colours and high-quality construction to take whatever your little one can throw at it.
- Bentgo – have some cool features. Check them out!
2️⃣ Low cost
Ways to save money with waste free lunches:
- No need to buy plastic wrap again
- Avoid snacks packed in single serve packaging such as popcorn, biscuits, fruit and yoghurt – it costs more than buying one large amount. Divide food into small reusable containers yourself and keep a bunch on hand that are just as quick to grab
- Make your own beeswax wraps – find our recipe here
- Wasted food costs money, so involve your child in packing lunch so they are more likely to eat what they have chosen
3️⃣ No fridge to keep cool
All of Biome's choices are free from harmful PVC and lead, which many other vinyl insulated bags contain.
Top picks:
- PACKit freezable insulated bag with a built-in gel liner (no ice brick to keep track of)
- Fridge to Go with special ice block and fabric technology that keeps cool all day
- Other insulated lunch bags with sweat free ice block – SoYoung and Planetbox Rover Carry Bag
- B.Box Lunchbox – includes a gel cooler pack to help keep food cooler and fresher for longer
Tip: 🧴 To prevent smells or mould from developing in lunch bags, condensation is often the culprit. Ask your child to keep the lunch box sealed/closed until they get home. Once home, open it right away, wipe it out with vinegar and water, and leave it open to dry in the sun or fresh air.
See our range of ice packs without toxic blue goo inside.
4️⃣ Sports water bottle that does not leak 💧
- Screw top bottles (e.g. Klean Kanteen) do not leak if fully closed but some kids prefer more of a sipper or sports top. ⚠️ Note: Klean Kanteen sports tops have a small air release valve and may leak if laid on their side.
- Cheeki Adventure Bottles – available in 600mL and 1L sizes.
For young children:
- EcoCocoon insulated stainless steel
- Eco Vessel plastic bottles
- Themos Funtainer Insulated Sipper Bottles
Another great large leak-proof water bottle is the EcoVessel Boulder. This is a premium insulated bottle with a tight seal around the lid.
See all our water bottles here
5️⃣ Needs to fit a sandwich 🥪
Using a sandwich wrap or reusable ziplock is a good option.
If you are looking for a bento-style divided lunchbox with a compartment big enough for a sandwich, some good options are:
- Ecococoon 5 compartment
- Planetbox Rover / Planetbox Launch
- Bentgo Kids Leakproof
- Yumbox Tapas or Panino
- B.Box Lunch box – fits small or cut sandwich
-
OmieBox – fits small or cut sandwich
Note that sandwiches may need to be cut or on the smaller side to fit properly in these compartments.
Other containers:
- Green Essentials Sandwich Box
- Planetbox Trailblazer Sandwich Box
- Bentgo Microwavable Stainless Steel Containers
- U Konserve rectangular or large square containers
6️⃣ Needs to fit a whole piece of fruit 🍎
An average size Pink Lady apple or a peach or mandarin is about 7cm high. Most choices will fit a cut up apple or orange, but for a whole small apple or orange, the U Konserve To-Go Square Container 1.5L is 7.5cm high. It has no internal dividers so you will also need reusable wraps or more small containers inside.
A B.Box Lunch box is 6.5cm high and includes a flexible whole fruit holder compartment.
An alternative is to use a soft lunch bag, such as PACKiT or SoYoung. While these will not provide the same amount of protection to their contents, they are typically larger in volume and provide you with more flexibility in how you pack your lunch.
If none of these options float your boat, you might have to pack cut up fruit.
See all our lunch boxes here.
7️⃣ A lunch box that does not leak 💧
- Bentgo – variety of lunch boxes
- U Konserve – different shapes and sizes
- EcoCocoon range offers a variety of leak proof options
- Green Essentials offers:
Leak Resistant Lunch Box, Sustain-A-Bento Trio, Leakproof Bento Box 5 Compartment - Yumbox – not leak proof for watery foods such as watermelon, but suitable for tomato sauce, hummus, yoghurt, and veggie dips
- All our insulated food jars are leak proof and perfect for keeping food like pasta warm, or yoghurt and fresh fruit cool until lunch time
- B.Box Lunch boxes – offers sealable sections, but the whole lunch box is not leak proof
- OmieBox
- Planetbox Explorer Leakproof Container
8️⃣ Leak proof with no plastic at all
With all stainless steel containers, there is still a need for a small silicone seal to provide the leak proof function. Food does not, however, touch this seal. These contain minimal plastic.
- Bentgo Microwavable Stainless Steel Containers
- Planetbox Explorer Leakproof Container
- Green Essentials offers:
Leak Resistant Lunch Box, Sustain-A-Bento Trio, Leakproof Bento Box 5 Compartment
9️⃣ Lunch boxes that can be put in the dishwasher 🧼
- Planetbox – remember to take the magnets off first!
- Bentgo Microwavable Stainless Steel Containers – recommended hand-wash only for lid
- B.Box – top-rack dishwasher safe, but hand washing is recommended to ensure longevity
- Green Essentials
- U Konserve
- EcoCocoon
- Bonus: Not a lunch box BUT all Klean Kanteen water bottles are certified dishwasher safe!
🔟 Are replacement parts available?
Lots of our water bottle and lunch box ranges have replacement parts to ensure long life. Contact us and we will do our best to get parts from the supplier if not readily available on our website.
1️⃣1️⃣ Lunch bags that can be put in the washing machine
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