5. I love the new Bento 2.0 System, but the designs are for kids. Are you planning to sell an adult-friendly design in the future?

Yes. Look for solid carrying case designs in mid-August 2009. An announcement will appear in the August issue of our newsletter. Please feel free to sign up for our newsletter or check back with us around August 1st.

6. How can I pack a drink?

The Laptop Lunch container is designed to fit inside a lunchbox with a drink and an ice pack. It fits inside most soft-style lunchboxes and insulated lunch bags. Our aim is to provide a convenient way for families rely less heavily on disposable packaging and prepackaged foods. Consider purchasing an Obentec carrying case, which comes with a water bottle and a mesh pocket for an ice pack.

We sell non-toxic ice packs for $1.99. They stay frozen for a long time and fit perfectly in the mesh pocket of our carrying case.

The outer container will not leak if you pack your wet foods in the lidded containers. The unlidded containers are designed to accommodate dry foods such as sliced apple, cucumber, carrot and celery sticks, crackers, and pretzels.

• Laptop Lunch products can be purchased online by clicking here.
  
  
• They are also available through select retailers. For a list of current retailers, visit our retail page at www.laptoplunches.com/retail.html.

Email us at info@obentec.com to get started.

• Yes. The outer container and inner containers are made of polypropylene and the lids are made of polyethylene. Both are recyclable but may not be collected at the curb in your area. Check with your recycling center or waste hauler to find out how you can recycle these materials in your area.
  
  
• Keep in mind that these containers are built to last a long time, so it is unlikely that they will need to be recycled anytime soon!

• Children don't treat their Laptop Lunches the same way they treat mom's food storage containers. They hang on to them because they take pride in ownership. The Laptop Lunch container belongs to them!
  
  
• The pieces fit together like a puzzle, so it's easy to see when something's missing from the set.
  
  
• All of our products can be labeled with a child's name. If a piece is left at school, the adult who finds it will know who it belongs to, and will likely make sure that it's returned.

For information on how to obtain replacement parts not found in our shopping cart, click here.

13. Do you ship to Canada (to the UK, to Australia, to Norway, to Sweden, to Denmark, to...) ?

Yes. We started shipping to Canada in April 2003. Please be advised, however, that our international customers are responsible for all customs fees and import taxes imposed by their country's government. If you'd like to order directly from the UK, Australia, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, or Sweden, click on the appropriate flag at http://secure.laptoplunches.com. For all other countries, please contact us directly at info (at) obentec (dot) com, and we'll send you a shipping quote.

Yes. We'll ship your order via the US Postal Service at no extra charge to you. If you experience problems ordering online, please let us know by sending an email to info@obentec.com. To order by phone, call us at 831-457-0301 or fax your order to 831-430-0302. Click here for an order form.

• At Obentec, Inc. we are extremely concerned about toxins in our food and in the environment. Thus we take great care to ensure that we use the safest materials available. For this reason we manufacture our lunch containers here in California using plastics (polypropylene and polyethylene) that are FDA-approved for food use. None of our products contain phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), or lead.
  
  
• Most parents currently pack lunches in plastic wrap, plastic bags, and single-serve plastic packages, including PET water bottles, which are considered far less stable than their reusable counterparts. Plastic may not be the perfect solution, but it does offer a stylish, affordable, non-breakable alternative for families wishing to move from a disposable to a reusable system.
  
  
• For more information on plastics, click here.

• Our unique bento sets are made of high-quality materials, and they are built to last well beyond one school year.
  
  
• Laptop Lunch bento sets are manufactured in California, where labor costs are comparatively high.
  

• CARRYING CASE: The carrying case is approximately 12 x 8 x 2.75, and comes with a 2 x 2 x 7 inch water bottle. The inner containers are approximately 4.5 x 3 x 1.75 and 4.75 x 3 x 1.75 and 2 x 3 x 1.75, and 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.75 inches. This is a modular system so you can include or omit the containers as needed. The two larger containers hold 1 cup each. The two smaller containers hold 1/2 cup each.
  
  
• ORIGINAL BENTO SET: The outer container is approximately 9 x 7 x 2 inches.
  
  
• BENTO SET 2.0: The outer container is approximately 9 x 7 x 2 1/4 inches.The inner containers are approximately 4 3/4 x 3 1/8 x 2 and 3 1/8 x 2 1/2 x 2 and 2 x 1 1/2 x 1 3/4 inches. This is a modular system so you can include or omit the containers as needed. The two larger containers hold 1 1/4 cup and 1 2/3 cup each. The two medium containers hold 3/4 and 2/3 each, and the dip container holds 1/8 cup.

Yes, the bento box outer container and inner containers are dishwasher safe (top rack only, away from the heating element). Our stainless steel bottles, lunch jars, and travel flasks are not dishwasher safe. (CAUTION: Laptop Lunch containers may warp if exposed to very hot temperatures. DO NOT use heat boosters. DO NOT wash in the dishwasher on high heat.)

A sandwich can fit in the original bento set in several ways:

• A thin sandwich can be cut in half and stacked in the largest container.
• A thick sandwich can be cut in half with each half placed in each of the larger containers.
• You can remove the larger containers and place a whole or cut sandwich directly inside the outer box.

Yes, the water bottle sits along one edge of the carrying case and the Laptop Lunch container sits next to it. An ice pack in the mesh pouch will press against the food containers, keeping the food nice and cold.

I assume that you're referring to the Center for Environmental Health's press release entitled "A Back to School Warning: Children’s Vinyl Lunch Boxes Can Contain Dangerous Levels of Lead," posted at www.cehca.org/lunchboxes.htm. As crazy as this claim sounds, it is--unfortunately--not a hoax.

The good news is that Laptop Lunches have been thoroughly tested and are completely lead-free. Read more here. CPSIA certificates can be found here.

No, the carrying case was designed to hold the Laptop Lunch Bento Box and our plastic water bottle. The Bento Bag fits a Laptop Lunch Bento Box, a drink bottle, and the small lunch jar. We also recommend using the Bento Sleeve with an ice pack to keep cold foods fresh.

Our Laptop Lunch bento sets, bento bags, and ice packs are made in Northern California. Our carrying cases, bento sleeves, water bottles, lunch jars, and travel flasks are made in China. The How to Make a Healthy Lunch DVD and the Laptop Lunch User's Guide come from Southern California.

Yes, we do. You can find information about this great program designed to help you to spread the word AND earn cash for your school, business, or organization. Click HERE for more information.