Our Favorite Plastic-Free Lunch Boxes and Containers

Whether you're meal prepping for work, school, or a picnic, switching to plastic-free lunch boxes can significantly reduce your environmental footprint.

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Steel is your best bet: look for high-quality, food-grade stainless steel, ideally made with recycled content. It’s incredibly durable, easy to clean (no moldy corners!), and recyclable at the end of its life with one of the lowest-emission recycling processes. Glass is another great option — especially because you can microwave it — but it’s heavier and not ideal for little ones. Silicone can be a solid, versatile choice when high-quality, though it lacks good end-of-life recycling solutions.

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Below, we’ve rounded up our favorite plastic-free lunch containers for every need — from soups to sandwiches, portion control to reheating.

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For Soups and Stews

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The Round Wet Bento Box from ECOlunchbox offers a sustainable, plastic-free, and leak-proof solution for meals on the go. Made from stainless steel with a food-grade silicone gasket, it's perfect for soups, saucy dishes, and dressed salads. This durable container is dishwasher safe and completely free of BPA, BPS, and phthalates. What we love is that it also ships in plastic-free packaging and is recyclable at the end of life.

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For Multi-Course Meals

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Inspired by Indian tiffin carriers, this stainless steel 3-level system features layers that easily clip together with kid-tested, adjustable fasteners. It's perfect for dry and damp foods (though not ideal for liquids), is freezer and dishwasher safe, and can be recycled with stainless steel collections at the end of its life.

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For Separating Portions

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BEABA's Stainless Steel Lunch Box offers a practical, plastic-free solution for your meals on the go. The box features convenient removable silicone dividers to customize portions and keep foods separate, while the grippy silicone lid prevents sliding. Made from durable stainless steel, this versatile container is dishwasher and freezer safe, and can even go in the oven (up to 356°F) without the lid or dividers. Just note that it's not microwave safe.

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For Microwave Reheating

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The Porter Seal-Tight Bowl is a versatile glass container that prevents leaks with its secure screw-top lid, making it perfect for on-the-go meals from soups to snacks. Made of durable borosilicate glass wrapped in protective silicone, this plastic-free alternative is both dishwasher and microwave safe. Its compact size fits easily in most bags while maintaining a tight seal that keeps food fresh and secure without spills.

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For Sandwiches & Wraps

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Bee's Wrap’s Sandwich Beeswax Wrap offers a sustainable alternative to plastic lunch boxes. Made from organic cotton coated with beeswax, jojoba oil, and tree resin, this wrap molds to your sandwich with hand warmth and includes a securing string for transport. It doubles as a plate while eating and cleans easily with cool water and mild soap. When it eventually wears out, simply compost it or use it as fire kindling.

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For Flexible Storage

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Free from harmful chemicals like BPA, BPS, lead, latex, and phthalates, Stasher Sandwich Bag provides a safe, endlessly reusable solution for lunches on the go. It's reusable, washable, and self-sealing with an airtight closure. Made from 100% pure platinum grade silicone, this BPA-free bag is incredibly versatile — you can use it in the freezer, microwave, oven (up to 400°F), dishwasher, and even for sous vide cooking. The packaging is sustainable too, using 70% post-consumer recyclable cardboard and recyclable shipping materials.

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