Rubbish from luchboxes!!!!

[star007]

AIBU to expect the council/school to provide bins for my children to through away their lunch box rubbish???
The council has sent an email to all schools in our area telling the heads that children who have sandwiches for school have to bring all their rubbish home with them in their lunch boxes. This is doing my head in as I have 3 children (youngest is only 4) bringing home disgusting, dirty yoghurt/apple juice spilt lunch boxes!
It's winter now and the luch boxes are yuck by the time the hot weather comes they will be rank by the time they get home!
AIBU to think that a bin isn't a luxury item more of an everyday essential item????

Most school dinner routines have to be made efficient to the last second - can you imagine getting the packed lunch kids to queue for the bin and empty out rubbish, spilling stuff as they go. In most schools they need to stay seated at the table unti given permission to get up - for reasons of logistics, safety (as others are crossing the aisle with hot trays) manners and discipline.

And imagine the enraged phonecalls from a parent who wants to know why someone isn't supervising to make sure that little Emily doesn't chuck yet another teaspoon out with the yogurt pot...

We do demand a lot from schools.

The problem star us that there are just as many Parents who disagree with you as agree, what is the council supposed to do? They can't please everyone.

Also just to add, if it's a cost thing for the council then why just schools??? When I rang the council yesterday and asked the lady who answered the phone if they are provided with bins or did they have to take their rubbish home, she told me that they have bins and food waste bins for their rubbish. How does that work????

YABU; as another poster has said, schools are charged for the amount of rubbish that they produce; this comes directly out of their budget so by taking home their rubbish, children are actively helping the school. In addition it does mean you can see what has been eaten, so you can modify what you give to your child accordingly. And it helps prevent children from swapping lunchbox contents when they know their parents will see the remains.

Also, why should anyone else deal with the rubbish you generate? If they ate at home you'd deal with it; why should it be different when they're eating the food (that you have provided) elsewhere? If it's a problem, use less packaging, obviously.

I hate cleaning out the lunch boxes but at least I get to see what DS2 has eaten

So all of the children that have shool dinners should also take their leftovers home?????? As that is also the rubbish that they generate????
It's not the packaging it's the horrible half eaten food and yoghurt and juice that spills over everything and is disgusting thats the problem! I think sandwiches that haven't been eaten should come home, everything else that can leak or is food should go in a bin!

Yes, I get fed up of this - especially when the half-eaten yoghurt is all over the completely-uneaten-and-still-edible banana .

YABU. Drinks cartons, yogurt pots, wrappers - that's a lot of waste that the school really shouldn't have to deal with. The school will have waste and recycling bins for children having school dinners, but I imagine that waste volume per head is far lower.

When ds (Y5) has packed lunches any waste comes home. It never occured to me that it wouldn't, tbh.

your first mistake is sending yogurt. I have seen plenty of yogurt smeared lunchboxes and decided from the start to do yogurt at home only.

I hate it too. they could recycle at school whilst it is all fresh and not so yuk.

I'd rather know what DS has/ has not eaten. Its only mucky if you give them a lunch that CAN be mucky. Personally I won't send yoghurt for that reason. An apple core and some crumbs/ crust , a cake case or a biscuit wrapper is hardly rank.

The cost of disposal will be factored into school dinner fees.

Mine have always brought their rubbish home. At least I can tell what they've eaten and what they've left.

I think YABU.
My undeerstanding was it was a cost thing.

Also I am happy to see what DS2 brings home then I can decide if he needs a larger or smaller lunch.

I found out that he was trading food at school because he had to bring rubbish home. He was coming home with wrappers from biscuits I had never seen before!.

It only takes seconds to put rubbish on our bin and to wipe out a lunch box. And like someone pointed out, it is his/our rubbish!

DS school do this purely so that the parents can see what their children have eaten. In fact they inspect lunchboxes and kids aren't allowed out to play until the Teacher is satisfied they have had a good amount.

I don't mind and I'd rather that than not know. It's easy enough to put an extra sandwich bag in to bring home the bits.

I used to put a bit of kitchen roll in as a napkin until I was instructed by 8 yr old DS that he felt like a right twit and would I stop please.

Why on earth should there be a slow queue of 5 yos sorting out bits of crust from yog pots and biscuit wrappers just because you don't like washing out a messy lunch box? If you insist on including a yogurt, the messy spoon will smear on everything else too.

And an edible banana with yog on it can be rinsed.

The schools do it so you can see what your child eats. I use a couple of plastic easy-clip boxes in the lunchbag, one for sandwiches and one for fruit (I hate using loads of clingfilm/foil), and DD2 has learnt to put any yucky rubbish in the plastic boxes. She has frube yoghurts so the plastic tube squashes in the box easily, rather than anything with a spoon. I think it's disgusting in summer though, it can smell rank.

Look at it this way:

Some parents want bins.
Some parents don't want bins.

Not having bins saves money, of course the council isn't going to side with putting them back!

YABU
Show your child how to repack their lunch box so as not to get it in a mess. Ds has tupperware containers in his lunchbox for certain items such as fruit or raisons. Sandwich goes in a plastic sealable bag which he then uses to put any rubbish (yoghurt pot, wrappers etc) in.
Drinks - simply buy a carton style with a resealable top or buy a bottle to decante drink into that can be resealed.

These type of carton can be easier to avoid spills
www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=266598420

www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=263841448

www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=250041998

I dont mind DS bringing home his rubbish, though the manky banana skin smeared all over the bag isnt the greatest, I asked him before can he put his banana skin in the bin and he said the teachers wont let him, I was a bit miffed tbh, but thinking about it I suppose they have their reasons

I can't work out what DC's school's policy is as DS in year 2 brings all the rubbish home and DD in reception empties her lunch box. She says there is a bin to put rubbish in and DS refuses to believe it .

YANBU. I'd hate to have skanky lunchboxes to clear out.

I think its a crappy product of the school lunchtime conveyor belt, unfortunately. It just seems kind of uncivilised.

My DCs have school dinners. I don't know exactly what or how much they eat, and I don't need to.

Do lunchboxes get put in a fridge in the warmer weather?

Or do people stop sending yogurts in then?

Just thinking if it´s "rank" by the time it gets home, the actual yogurt might be pretty horrible by the time the child eats it!

diddl - no fridges.
I put a small freezer block in with DS's lunch it it has food that needs it.
But I do not view yogurt as a compulsory part of a packed lunch! It's expensive, wasteful if they don't eat it, messy...