Over the past few years I’ve been fighting hard to get toxic chemicals out of lunch boxes. Unfortunately there’s more work to do.

Lunch boxes and toxic chemicals don’t belong together. Seems like common sense, doesn’t it?

Yet a  study from the Center for Health, Environment & Justice found that all the children’s lunch boxes tested contained up to 30 times the amount of toxic chemicals (chemicals known as phthalates) deemed safe by the federal government.

Those toxic lunch boxes are releasing toxic dust into our children’s food and then the food is being eaten. Not OK.

Back- to- School With Safe Lunch Boxes

Thankfully not all lunch boxes are toxic. Here are a few safe lunch box choices for everyone in the family.

Some links below are affiliate links meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may get a small commission if you make a purchase.

Pre-school and Elementary School

Beatrix New York Lunch Box

If you want to stick with a cute lunch box for a few more years then this is your bag! The lunch boxes are designed for ages 5 to 10 and are PVC, lead, phthalate & BPA free. Some of my favorite patterns are Alexander, Dolce & Panna, Juju and Dieter Monkey.

Price: $25.00-$34.00

Kids Konserve Butterfly Go Wild Waste- Free Lunch Kit

I’ve been using the Kids Konserve Sweat-Free Ice Packs for many years and love it. This lunch kit from Kids Konserve has it all for the first day of school. Everything is BPA, Lead and Phthalate free.

Price: $36.00

Crocodile Creek Lunch Boxes

Crocodile Creek lunch boxes are child safe with lead-free linings and are PVC-free and phthalate-free. They come in a variety of designs including the the Pirate Lunchbox, Ballerina Vertical Lunchbox, and the Flower Garden Pocket Lunchbox.

Price: $19.00

Middle School, High School and Adult Lunch Boxes

PackIt Freezable Lunch Bag with Zip Closure

PackIt is a freezable lunch cooler designed to keep contents cooler, longer: up to 10 hours (depending on external temperatures). Made from food-safe, nontoxic poly canvas; PVC, BPA, phthalate, and lead free.

Price: $19.00

Laptop Lunches Bento-Ware Insulated Dual Compartment Bento Tote

I like the duel compartments in this lunch box. The bag doesn’t contain phthalates, BPA (bisphenol A), lead, or PVC.

Price: $23.00

For more safe back-to-school products take a look at my Non-toxic Preschool Backpack Guide and my list of Non-Toxic Backpacks for Elementary School Kids.

Do you have a favorite non-toxic lunch box?

photo credit: Randy Heinitz via photopin cc

Disclosure: Some links are affiliate links meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may get a small commission if you make a purchase. Thanks for your support!