In the News...

"When Amy Hemmert and Tammy Pelstring of Santa Cruz got together to do lunch, they had more in mind than a salad. In fact, they didn't want to just "do" lunch at all - they wanted to redo it. In an effort to cut back on waste in their community, the two women joined a group of other eco-conscious mothers in rethinking how and what their families eat. Turns out, one of the biggest culprits was the disposable lunch..."

Parents Magazine "Help your kid get with the program--the lunch program, that is--by packing his munchies in this cool laptop box from Obentec. Made from colorful, durable plastic, its compartments can hold anything from nibbles to megabites and will keep foods neatly separated. This lunch box normally costs $20, including a cookbook full of lunch and snack ideas..."

Mothering Magazine "The Lunch Date ($114.99, www.laptoplunches.com) is stocked with goodies, including a plastic bento box with four individual containers."

Working Mother "Think of it as a Japanese bento box for your kid's lunch. Laptop Lunches consist of brightly colored, removable plastic containers that can hold every kind of food you're likely to pack--from soup to nuts. The idea came from two environmentally savvy moms who wanted to cut down on aluminum foil, plastic wrap and disposable bags. You get five dishwasher- and microwave-safe containers, a sealable lid and a stainless steel fork and spoon, plus a guide to creative lunch menus ($20, www.laptoplunches.com)."

Prevention "Leave it to two working moms to invent lunch boxes that make it easy to feed your kids well. Laptop Lunches have dishwasher-safe plastic containers for wholesome leftovers, veggie sticks, even dipping sauces--plus a User's Guide packed with practical tips."

Vegetarian Times "ECO-EATS: Disposable bags and plastic utensils--just part of a packed lunch, right? No more! Fed up with packaging waste, two moms created this reusable lunch kit. And, because they're moms, they care about nutrition: The Complete Laptop Lunch System comes with a 96-page guide loaded with healthy veg recipes and tips for reducing throwaways. And it's not just for kids--anyone on the go (airplane travelers!) will love this kit and insulated case. From Laptop Lunches, $34. 831-457-0301; www.laptoplunches.com."

"Let the other kids pack sandwiches and chips. You, my friend, will be the envy of the school cafeteria with this bento-box lunch. Seven-year-old Gaby, from Woodstock, New York, tested Rachael’s bento box recipes. Here’s what she had to say: 'Every time I see wasabi I think of the first time I tried it at a Japanese restaurant. I ate the whole ball on the side of my plate! It was really spicy. But it wasn’t too strong here—I think it made the pinwheels taste good!'"

Celebrities Martha Stewart and Chevy Chase demonstrate how to pack a waste-free lunch using Laptop Lunches. Watch the video clip to see how they've embellished their containers with their own photographs. (These celebrity-look-alike lunchboxes have been auctioned off at charitybuzz.com to benefit the Fourth Annual Chevy Chase Green School Auction. View the video clip at http://tinyurl.com/yr8r8n.

The Rachael Ray Show

"Turn your kid’s lunch into a meal-time masterpiece - it's easier than you think!"

Latino University Magazine First Job Survival Kit "Say goodbye to overpriced lunches and prepare your own at home. This American-style version of the classic Japanese lunch box helps you keep bucks in your wallet and it's environmentally friendly. And forget about getting bored with lunch! These reusable, lead-free, dishwasher-safe containers also come with a book of lunch ideas and recipes to try." Bento Lunch Box, $34.99, LAPTOPLUNCHES.COM

Nick Jr. Magazine

"TAKE NOTE: Packing your kid's lunch? Check out laptoplunches.com. Their bento box styles are reusable, dishwasher-safe, and lead-free."

ABC News with Diane Sawyer

Interview with Rachael Ray--5 Things you Can't Live Without: "For kids back to school: I love the little bento boxes. Kids are eating healthier. They have all the little compartments that make leftovers and veggies fun."

Slimmer

The Early Show

Ann Cooper, author of "Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children," joins Hannah Storm to advise parents on how to improve the quality of lunch their kids eat at school. http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=2028287n.

The Today Show

Greenopia founder and CEO Gay Browne discusses 8 Ways Your Kids Can Go Green. Using a Laptop Lunch to pack waste-free lunches is among them. http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=267e4da9-b427-4c21-be42-0ef3a95d9a08&f=05&fg=rss.

Woman's Day

Bento Lunch Box "Based on the Japanese Bento Box, this lunchbox is perfect for parents who want to make sure their children eat all the right food groups. With one main compartment and five smaller ones, kids are sure to eat a balanced meal. Comes with a spoon, fork, and guide to nutritious eating."

The Mom Show Hosted by Michelle Cadwell and Traci Foster Archived at www.worldtalkradio.com

Whole Earth Magazine "The Laptop Lunch is designed to make home-packed lunches as attractive as individually packaged throwaways."

E Magazine "The New York State Department of Conservation estimates that one student taking a disposable lunch to school every day will create as much as 90 pounds of garbage per year. Two moms from California, Amy Hemmert and Tammy Pelstring, created Laptop Lunches to address this problem. It's a lunchbox, only this new take on the old idea is shaped like a miniature laptop computer. It cuts out the need for zip-lock bags and plastic wrap--not to mention prepackaged, perservative-laden fare--with colorful containers that fit together like a puzzle, and it's accompanied with a "User's Guide" that is chock-full of information about everything from childhood obesity to strategies for dealing with a picky eater. "

Body and Soul Magazine The 21st-Century Lunchbox - "The tally of all the Ziploc bags, juice boxes, yogurt cups, and accoutrements of "homemade" school lunches adds up to 45 to 90 pounds of packaging waste per child over a typical school year, according to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.

"For the perfect spring picnic, with an environmental conscience, try the Lunch Date all-inclusive lunch system from Obentec, Inc. Perfect for packing school or office lunches, the Lunch Date includes a bento-style carrying bag, compact food and drink containers, a lunch jar for hot foods, a stainless-steel water bottle, utensils, an ice pack and a book of creative lunch ideas. It eliminates the need for single-use packaging like plastic bags and aluminum foil, and decreases the likelihood of eating unhealthy foods with packaging that just adds to the landfill. Contact Obentec, Inc., 849 Almar Ave. Suite C-323, Santa Cruz, CA 95060; (831) 457-0301; www.laptoplunches.com."

VegNews

"Don't worry, this is not a new fad diet encouraging you to eat your computer at noontime. It is, however, a product that encourages healthy eating. This compartmentalized lunchbox includes sealable containers for dips, salad dressings, or fruit slices and comes with its very own insulated carrying case and water bottle. Modeled after Japanese bento boxes, a laptop lunchbox will delight adults and children alike and is perfect for school, work, picnics, or road trips. laptoplunches.com 831-457-0301"

Green Teacher Magazine "A typical lunch brought to school by a North American child today contains far more packaging than ever before. With families relying on the convenience of prepackaged lunch items and single-use wrappings such as baggies, aluminum foil, and plastic wrap, it is no surprise that lunchtime trash is second only to office paper as the leading source of school waste..."

Natural Home Magazine "This year earn an A+ in school lunch. The average child who takes a disposable lunch bag and plastic-wrapped food to school generates sixty-seven pounds of garbage per school year..."

Tomorrow's Child "Use food Grade containers only, as one-time-use plastic containers may leach harmful chemicals into food. There is an obento box for any budget. The Laptop Lunch System costs $19.99. Where to buy it: www.laptoplunches.com. To learn how to start a Waste-Free Lunch Program at your school, contact www.wastefreelunches.org..."

Home Furnishings News

"Shocked by the amount of waste generated by their children's lunches, two California moms decided to do something about it. They ended up packing their children's lunches, and now they want to do the same for consumers, too.

Failing in a quest to find the perfect lunch box, Tammy Pelstring and Amy Hemmert created their own, based on the traditional Japanese bento box. The result is a patented line called Laptop Lunches, which Pelstring and Hemmert market through Obentec, a company they founded together in 2002."

Build Magazine "Brown-bagging it is SO last year. Laptop Lunches, which look cool, hold your lunch in organized containers and are made of recyclable plastic, are a great way to carry your lunch to school. Plus, they're easy to wash and clean out (a relief when you get stuck doing the dishes). www.laptoplunches.com)"

Carmel Magazine "They may seem like two regular working moms, but Amy Hemmert and Tammy Pelstring have more on their agendas than just their kids’ soccer practice and the usual nine-to-five. The Santa Cruz friends took the simple concept of packing healthy lunches for their children one step further by launching Laptop Lunches, sustainable bento box containers designed to improve nutrition and reduce waste...."

New York Times Regional Newspapers

"When Amy Hemmert and Tammy Pelstring set out to build a better lunchbox, they didn't approach the project as inventors or designers or marketers.

They did it as moms.

The two Northern California women, who didn't consider themselves to be any more health-conscious or eco-aware than their Santa Cruz friends and neighbors, were volunteering at their children's school four years ago when they began to pay attention to what kids were bringing to lunch."

Santa Cruz Sentinel "Several product inventors were in attendance at the event, including Julian Mayot of Blue Orange Games in San Francisco, inventor of logic and strategy game Gobblet; Rock McKinley of ImagAbility of Pleasanton, maker of geometric building toy Wedgits; Susan Silverglate of Santa Cruz’s Rhino Toys, maker of the soft ball product OBall; and Amy Hemmert and Tammy Pelstring of Santa Cruz’s Obentec, makers of bento-box-inspired lunchboxes Laptop Lunches."

The Washington Post

"Bento box logic: This 12-by-8-inch zippered carrying case with shoulder strap holds a 12-ounce sport bottle and an inner hard plastic case that has a fork and spoon, two lidded pastic containers and three open containers. It also comes with a copy of the paperback "Laptop Lunch User's Guide" by Amy Hemmert and Tammy Pelstring (Morning Run Press, 2002), which has lunch recipes, tips for picky eaters and resource information."

San Diego Magazine

"Plane food got you down? Then bring your own in the convenienct Laptop Lunch System. Removable inner containers fit neatly into an insulated carrying case. $33.99 from Obentec, 877-623-6832, or visit www.laptoplunches.com."

The Boston Globe

"Packing it away--Unhappy with the wasteful packaging and processed foods in the average school lunch, moms Amy Hemmert and Tammy Pelstring created the Japanese- inspired Laptop Lunch. It's a reusable plastic lunchbox that appeals to both children and adults. Roughly the size of its namesake, the Laptop Lunch comes with five brightly-colored plastic containers and a set of silverware that fit snugly inside ($20.99 to $24; $34.99 to 39.95 for an insulated carrying case and water bottle, too). There's room for a sandwich and snacks, or a multi-course meal. Pack it with leftovers from last night's dinner or takeout , or show the kids how handsome a PB&J can look. Available at Brookline Book smith , 279 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-566-6660, or go to laptoplunches.com.-- MELISSA CARLSON ."

SASS Magazine "A school-age child who takes a disposable lunch to school each day creates 67 pounds of waste per year. Whoa, that’s an awful lot. Reduce the amount of junk you produce, and get tips on how to reduce the amount of junk you eat, with the Laptop Lunch setup."

KMVT About Books 30-minute interview and Laptop Lunch demonstration with Marilyn Stocker.

Lunch Lessons: Liven up a Child's Meal at School with Nibbles in Small Containers "Both kids and parents tend to start each school year with resolutions. Kids vow to do their homework on time, keep their backpacks neat and never oversleep. Parents say this is the year they'll master the art of providing healthful and interesting lunches. "Concerns about childhood nutrition, food allergies and cost are shaking up the packed school lunch. Even the bag it often came in is becoming outdated. "Waste-free" lunches, packed in reusable containers and served with cloth napkins instead of paper, are becoming popular alternatives, thanks to efforts from a California group called wastefreelunches.org."

Big Apple Parents Magazine

"The food aisles are stocked to the rafters with lunchbox treats — individually packed granola bars, pudding cups, juice boxes. And while parents have recently been taking a hard look at what we’re putting into our kids’ stomachs, it’s time to think, too, about what we’re putting into our planet’s system.

Fortunately, packing a litterless lunch is surprisingly simple. What’s more, it will likely save you money..."

"I must admit that I was utterly shocked last year when I found out that our county landfill will likely reach capacity in just 15 years. I was equally surprised a few months later when the map of potential new landfill sites was unvailed, and the NIMBY (not in my backyard) battles began. "It was no surprise, of course, that few county residents relished a new landfill in their neighborhood. After all, who wants the added traffic, noise, air pollution, and dust, not to mention the smell? No, what surprised me was that very few discussions centered around finding ways to reduce the amount of waste we send to the landfill-either in our own backyard or in someone else's. And the possibilities are virtually endless. "

Curve Magazine "A quick fix. Face it: If you spend 16 hours at parades and parties, you'll need more than just a tiny pack of Big Red. I'm all for food on a stick, but if you need something wholesome, like an avocado sprout sandwich or a kani maki, get the woman-designed Laptop Lunch (www.laptoplunches.com). It's a great grown-up way to tote a meal, part of the proceeds go to charity, and you can carry grub in a cute lunchbox that doesn't have a Rainbow Brite pony on it.

• Pittsburg Post-Gazette
  
  "We've all had one of those days. There wasn't a moment to spare before my flight. I had underestimated the rush-hour traffic, the snarling line at the security checkpoint, the time it would take the Transportation Security Administration to do that mysterious test on my laptop for traces of explosives -- and how hungry I would get after skimping on lunch.
  
  With T-minus 10 minutes to the closing of the cabin door, I was careening through the terminal in wildly impractical shoes, barely hanging onto my suitcase. The restaurants along my path were a neon blur. Time to grab a sandwich or hit the ATM? Forget about it."

• The Des Moines Register
  
  "Take the stale out of Lunch: Fed up with packaging waste, two California moms created Laptop Lunches, a reusable lunk kit for kids that comes packaged with healthy recipes and tips for reducing trash and garbage. You get five dishwasher- and microwave-safe containers, a sealable lid and a stainless-steel fork and spoon, plus the quide to creative lunch menus. It cuts out the need to zip-lock bags and plastic wrap by using colorful plastic containers (like Japanese bento boxes) that fit together like a puzzle. They're really not just for children--adults on the go will find them handy for air and road trips. The system costs about $35 at www.laptoplunches.com."

• Seattle Post-Intelligencer
  
  "Busy families often rely on expensive individually prepackaged foods, throwaway containers and plastic bags. So is it any wonder that one school-age child generates 67 pounds of waste?
  
  "That's what researchers at Laptop Lunches found. Based on the Japanese bento box, moms Amy Hemmert and Tammy Pelstring created a lunchbox system for all ages that is convenient, fun and colorful, as well as environmentally friendly. For information, recipes and orders, go to www.laptoplunches.com. Be sure to check out their other Web site, www.wastefreelunches.org, for tips on how to reduce lunchbox waste and information about starting a waste-free lunch program in your area. "

• Interval World
  
  "While trimming costs, many airlines have cut in-flight meals from all but a few itineraries. Admittedly, less airline food is probably for the better; still, a case of the munchies at 35,000 feet is tough to sate without a ready source of sustenance--and a place to put it. Enter Obentec's Laptop Lunch System (laptoplunches.com), which measures just 11 1/2 inches wide by 8 inches high by 3 inches deep. An insulated carrying case houses a main container (designed to fit airplane tray tables) that holds five food organizers..."

• The Repository, Canton, Ohio
  
  "It's 10 p.m., you are dog-butt draggin' tired, and it is time to pack lunches. Shuffle to the fridge. Shlump to the pantry. Grab a brown bag. Slap together a bologna sandwich, throw in an apple, a handful of chips and a paper towel. Same old, same old. Ho-hum-dee-dum. Come on. it's not that bad. All it takes is a bit of ingenuity and gadgetry to add excitement to prepared lunches..."

• Memphis Parent
  
  "Tired of never having the right containers for lunch? Laptop Lunches make lunch time a breeze with reusable containers, an insulated carrying case & water bottle. It even comes with a user's guide. www.laptoplunches.com - $33.99."

• San Diego Union-Tribune
  
  "WHAT'S HOT -- Did you know the average child taking a disposable lunch to school generates 67 pounds of garbage (mostly in little plastic bags and juice boxes) per school year? The laptop lunch set is the newest environmentally friendly alternative. The hard plastic box, with its five colorful containers, keeps food from getting squished, and there's no trash to throw away. The $19.99 set includes stainless-steel fork and spoon and a 96-page guide for making wholesome lunches. Get the kit with an insulated carrying case that has a pouch for an ice pack and water bottle for $33.99. Our 26-year-old tester, who never packs a lunch, is sold on it. Find them at Whole Foods Market on University Avenue or at www.laptoplunches.com. "

• ParentsKnow.com
  
  "Parents who pack a child's lunch in disposable bags or containers generate 45 to 90 pounds of garbage every year, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). That garbage — which often weighs more than the child who carries it — is costly to the environment. It consumes scarce and costly landfill space."

• Santa Cruz Sentinel
  
  "When Santa Cruz residents Tammy Pelstring and Amy Hemmert had children in grade school, they volunteered in the classroom and found themselves hanging around for snack time.
  
  The women, friends and jogging partners since 1995, noticed the waste that occurred during mealtimes, as well as the preponderance of convenience foods that weren’t necessarily healthy. "

• Central California Parent
  
  "Each day millions of kids go to school with a lunch box full of landfill-clogging plastic baggies. Now there is a more ecologically correct way to package your children's lunches, thanks to two entrepreneurial moms, Amy Hemmert and Tammy Pelstring of Santa Cruz..."

• Neighborhood Parents Network Newsletter
  
  "In the late 1980s and early 90s, I found myself living and working in Japan. Like the Japanese around me, my morning ritual involved filling my bento box with a sampling of delicious, wholesome foods, putting it in my brief case, jumping on my bicycle, and heading off to the office. When I returned to the US, I may have traded the bicycle for a car, but my bento box continued to accompany me to work every day.."

• San Francisco Chronicle
  
  "It's nearly August -- time to start thinking back-to-school. Why not do the green thing this year and send Junior and Missy to class in style with their own Laptop Lunch boxes, fashionable, reusable kits that help save the environment -- and look a whole lot better than that old "Scooby-Doo" lunch pail.
  
  
"What makes the Laptop Lunch kit different from a standard-issue lunch box? The kit includes a traylike set of five dishwasher-safe food containers, a stylish fork and spoon and a book of creative lunch-making ideas, and it all sits inside an insulated carrying case with a water bottle."

• The Denver Post
  
  "The Laptop Lunch system is a nouveau kind of lunch box meant to appeal to travelers who want (or need) to take along their own sustenance, whether for a picnic lunch on the road or a dinner on a mealtime flight with no meals."

• The Oregonian
  
  "Inspired by the Japanese bento take-out box, the kit is composed of a 11.5-by 87.5-by-2.5-inch insulated carrying case (designed to fit on an airplane tray) containing a hinged plastic outer container with five brightly colored plastic inner containers..."

• The Houston Chronicle

• The Buffalo News

• Mobile PC Magazine
  
  "YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS -- Laptop Lunches sounds like a high-tech meal service, but it's not. Instead, it's the name for a line of lunch boxes that look like notebook bags. The kits, sold online at www.laptoplunches.com, include lots of compartments and containers for your little one's peanut butter sandwiches, yogurt, and juice. What's next? Pencil boxes shaped like cell phone holsters?"

• The Washington Post
  
  "WHAT: Laptop Lunches, a kit for mobile meals.

  AIMED AT: Fliers wise to airlines' no-feeding-zones; road-trippers who don't want to wear their PB&J.

  Paper bags leak, take-out styrofoam is sloppy and dashboards make for treacherous tabletops. Even airplane meal trays are one bump away from disaster. To make in-flight or roadside dining a more civilized affair, Laptop Lunches offers a square meal, literally. The deep plastic container pops open to expose five colored ones -- like a Bento box made by Lego -- and a slot for a metal spoon and fork (included). The varied sizes allow for a balanced meal: The larger tubs can fit a small salad or about six sushi rolls, the medium-sizers a scoop of fat berries or a hill of jelly beans, and the baby of the bunch can hold dressings or dips."

• PlanetCheck
  
  "Laptop Lunches take a bite out of waste."
  
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• Sacramento Bee
  
  "Ever since airlines stopped serving meals some years ago, savvy travelers have been brown-bagging their food. But there's a limit to what you can stuff into a paper bag. Enter Laptop Lunches, a compartmentalized lunch kit that fits on your lap (or your tray table) to let you eat neatly from five inner food containers. "

• Florida Today
  
  "The Laptop Lunch System is a stylish new way to pack a lunch. Inspired by the Japanese bento box, the Laptop Lunch System features an insulated carrying case, resembling a laptop bag, a hinged outer container, four inner food containers, a small dip container and utensils."

• One Person's Trash
  
  "Two California moms created the Laptop Lunchbox, which includes removable inner containers, as well as a stainless steel fork and spoon. Each lunchbox comes with The Laptop Lunch User's Guide: Fresh Ideas for Making Wholesome, Earth-friendly Lunches Your Kids Will Love, which has menus and recipes for healthy low-waste packed lunches."
  
  
"En California hay dos mamás que inventaron la 'Laptop de las Loncheras.' Dicho invento contiene cinco envases removibles, así como tenedor cuchara de acero. Cada una de estas loncheras viene acompañada de una guiá para el usuario que contiene ideas fabulosas sobre como preparar almuerzos sabrosos y substanciosos para sus niños. Para mas información sobre esta guiá, (The Laptop Lunch User's Guide: Fresh Ideas for Making Wholesome, Earth-friendly Lunches Your Kids Will Love) favor de checar la página del internet www.laptoplunches.com o si prefiere puede llamar 831-457-0301.

• Tiny Tummies
  
  "Have you ever been at school at lunchtime and marveled at the amount of waste that bag lunches create? Baggies, juice boxes, boxes from Lunchables, individual chip and cookie and granola bar packages. There must be a better way. Now a company in Santa Cruz, California has created Laptop Lunch containers, four colorful, reusable individual containers, packed with a fork and spoon, in a larger, hinged container."

• Marin Independent Journal
  
  "THE INDIGO plastic box looks like a little laptop computer. It's small enough to tuck into a child-sized lunch box or a standard backpack, briefcase or tote bag. But click open the lid and there is a colorful collection of four containers, ready to fill with a fresh, and just as important, waste-free, lunch."

• Chesapeake Family
  
  "Go into any lunchroom. If you haven't been in one for a while, you might be appalled at how much waste goes into the trash can there each day; plastic snack bags, juice pouches, plastic utensils, water bottles, aluminum foil."

• Los Angeles Family
  
  "Created by two Santa Cruz, California moms, the Laptop Lunch is the solution for boring peanut butter and jelly, paper-bagged school lunches. The Laptop Lunch is a brightly colored, compartmentalized lunch container that comes with a fork and spoon and a book of creative lunch-making ideas. There are even options for picky eaters. A carrying case, water bottle and ID tag are also included with the containers."

• Mahoning Valley Parent
  
  "Two California moms are making lunch more creative and environmentally friendly. The Laptop Lunch, a brightly colored, compartmentalized lunch container comes with a fork and a spoon plus a book of creative lunch-making ideas. The Laptop Lunch container eliminates traditional lunchtime waste while the book offers great ideas to make fun and nutritious lunches that go way beyond peanut butter and jelly."

• OC Family Magazine
  
  "School lunches cost less, tend to be more healthful and are more environmentally friendly when they are packed at home. For most moms, however, deciding how to fill the lunch box day after day can be a real chore.

  Two mothers who faced the same daily dilemma set out to solve the problem. Amy Hemmert and Tammy Pelstring of Santa Cruz developed the Laptop Lunch, a brightly colored, compartmentalized lunch container that comes with a book of creative lunch-making ideas."

• Upstate Parent
  
  "Packing a healthy school lunch that your child will actually eat is no easy task - just ask Candi Creech of Easley. Creech is the mother of three - two school-aged children and a 9-month-old baby. Her eldest, 7-year-old Garet, takes his lunch to school several times a week."

• Tampa Bay ParentGuide
  
  "These ultra-nifty lunchboxes were designed by two moms interested in nutrition and the environment. The modular, bento-style system allows kids to take healthy lunches without the packaging waste and is dishwasher safe, contains no lead and comes with a thermal bag for hot and cold items. $34.99. Visit www.laptoplunches.com to order."

• Boise Family
  
  "We've all been there, perched at the kitchen counter, immobilized and staring into an empty lunchbox, wondering what to pack for our kids to take to school. The thought of yet another peanut butter and jelly sandwich could send us right over the edge..."

• The Florida Times - Union
  
  

  "The future of the American school lunch may be found in Japan.

  "Instead of a lunch box featuring the latest movie or cartoon character, a simple plastic rectangular box with other smaller boxes inside might be the way to go this school year.

  "It's called a bento box, and fans of the classic '80s film The Breakfast Club may remember Molly Ringwald's character eating her sushi lunch from one. It's not just for sushi anymore."

• Carolina Parent
  
  "For the earth-conscious kid and the health-conscious mother, the Laptop Lunch System is a compartmentalized lunch box, water bottle and carrying case that oddly resembles, not surprisingly, a laptop computer case. More than a nod to the popular business accessory, however, the Laptop Lunch is designed specifically for the preparation of healthy, varied lunches (no more PB & J!) with a minimum of paper and plastic waste. The water bottle takes the place of disposable cans, drink boxes or bottles; and the included fork and spoon will save the expense of plastic silverware.."

• Metro Augusta Parent
  
  "The only thing worse than struggling to come up with inventive ideas for kids' lunches every day is being the kid, stuck with yet another PB&J sandwich, all smooshed up at the bottom of the lunch bag. But never fear, Laptop Lunches have come to save the day, with fresh, earth-friendly lunch ideas."

• Nashville Parent Magazine
  
  "When your kids head back to school this year, forgo the Lunchables for something healthier. The Laptop Lunch, new this fall, comes in a mock Laptop computer case..."

• Cincinnati Family Magazine
  
  "It's time to start packing school lunches again, and many moms are dreading the thought of endless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Two moms from Santa Cruz, California have some fresh ideas for lunch and put it all together in Laptop Lunches, a bright lunchbox with compartmentalized containers and includes a book of creative lunch-making ideas."

• Bay Area Parent
  
  "Feeling guilty about sending your kids off to school with a lunchbox full of landfill-clogging plastic baggies? Fret no more."

• Vegetarianteen.com
  
  "It's small and simple, yet somehow manages to hold more food than I would expect. The laptop lunchbox is a great addition for school kids of any age. Most people don't realize how much money would be saved by buying one lunch box instead of using brown paper bags every day, and what a boost it would give the environment. I'm personally fond of the little fork and spoon."

• Natural Life Magazine
  
  "Want to pack healthier lunches for your kids? Want to cut down on waste? You can't beat meals brought from home for nutrition. But lunches packed in plastic and paper bags generate a lot of waste. Here's the solution..."

• The Spokesman Review
  
  "The typical school-age child who eats the lunch his or her parents carefully packaged in plastic baggies, aluminum foil and plastic wrap throws away an estimated 67 pounds of packaging every year. That fact led two moms to develop the Laptop Lunchbox, a plastic, reusable, kid-friendly version of the Japanese bento box."

• Heather Headlines
  
  "This month's featured Web site: www.laptoplunches.com." (page 12)

• The Galveston County Daily News
  
  "Kind of like a Japanese bento box, the new Laptop Lunchbox is a book-sized lunchbox with a mix of containers that hold every kind of food items you're likely to pack. It's the brainchild of two moms who were appalled by the amount of waste that results from brown bag lunches along with disposable bags, aluminum foil, plastic wrap and cutlery."

• The State
  
  "Two mothers have come up with a new way to send their children's lunches to school. They've created a "Laptop Lunchbox," available for $24 on www. eco-artware.com. The idea behind the creation was to save on the use of plastic bags, aluminum foil and other disposable packaging."

• San Mateo Mothers' Club Newsletter
  
  "...starting a waste-free lunch program at your school or at work...is a great way to raise awareness and foster the exchange of waste-saving ideas."

• Recycling Rag
  
  "Many of us, lacking imagination or a plan, see leftovers only as leftovers. But imaginative cooks, adding a bit of this and a pinch of that, transform yesterday's meal into a new experience."

• The Hartford Courant
  
  "Credit two green-thinking California mothers for coming up with the most creative idea in casual dining since the TV dinner - the Laptop Lunch."

• Good Times
  
  "If you don't want your little ones to eat junk food every day and you're tired of sending them off with squelched up sandwiches in plastic bags, then Laptop Lunches containers from Obentec is something to consider. Owners Amy Hemmert and Tammy Pelstring have come up with a very innovative idea--a neat, little plastic picnic-style box with four brightly colored containers inside."

• KUSP Interview
  
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• KAZU Interview
  
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• San Mateo County Times
  
  "The cost to dispose of (lunch) waste is passed onto schools, which otherwise could use that money in classrooms. Plus, it's more affordable for parents to buy healthy food in bulk, rather than purchase prepackaged foods such as Lunchables and juice boxes."

• Santa Cruz County Sentinel
  
  "Amy Hemmert and Tammy Pelstring were surprised when they saw what their children were bringing home from school - trash from their school lunches. Empty pudding cups. Half-empty juice boxes. All convenient, to be sure. But the women saw that convenience translating into waste, unused portions and meals that often lacked nutritional value.
  
  During a jog along West Cliff Drive, the longtime friends hit upon an idea to address all three: a lunch box that has reusable containers, is easy to organize and fun for kids."

• San Jose Mercury News
  
  "The idea is to make it easier for parents to pack healthier food bought in bulk, rather than popular food bought in tubes and small containers. It means lower cost, better nutrition and less trash headed for the landfill."

• Bring Recycling Fall 2002 Newsletter
  
  "With all the new single-serve, 'packaged for convenience' products flooding supermarket shelves, even packing your own lunch has its perils. On average, a school-age child using disposable lunch products generates 67 pounds of waste per school year. That equates to 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for just one average-size elementary school. In addition to the considerably higher prices families pay for 'convenience' packaging, the school is also burdened with higher costs of dealing with the resulting trash.
  
  A new website-WasteFreeLunches.org-developed for for teachers, parents, school administrators, municipalities, and environmental groups offers...suggestions for reducing lunch waste."

• Metro Santa Cruz
  
  "October is Nutritional Awareness Month, and by now we've all seen the horrifying statistics about obesity in America. Obesity is big--especially among kids who think french fries qualify as a vegetable serving. Amy Hemmert has the antidote; her Laptop Lunch User's Guide is loaded with fresh ideas for making decent lunches in reusable containers."

• UCSC Farm & Garden CSA Newsletter
  
  "If you're like me, you start out in September with enthusiastic plans to send your kids to school with lunches that are nutritious, low-waste, and easy to make. You promise that you will plan ahead and vow to put more effort into the whole process. But somehow by mid-October we find ourselves settled not-so-happily into our old lunch-making routine, feeling frustrated and in search of fresh ideas. But do not despair-energizing your routine may not be as difficult as you think."

• Santa Cruz Moms: Changing the Way Americans Do Lunch
  
  "Amy Hemmert and Tammy Pelstring know from experience that making school lunches for children can be challenging and frustrating. Their answer? Laptop Lunches, an attractive, reusable lunch container and book of great lunch-making ideas. This two-part set gives parents the tools they need to make wholesome, earth-friendly lunches that kids love."

• Live Earth Farm (Com)Post: Member to Member Forum
  
  "If your mornings are overly hectic, try packing lunches the night before and storing them in the refrigerator overnight. Enlist the help of older children who can help cut up fruits and vegetables, make salad dressings, and fill water bottles. Finally, get those kids to help rinse their lunch containers and put them in the dishwasher. It's one less thing for you to worry about, and it'll teach them how to take responsibility for their own mess."

• Get Organized: Online Organizing Monthly Newsletter

"It’s 6:45 a.m. The morning news is making it’s way to your sleepy brain, and you realize that it’s time to haul your tired body out of bed: time to get the kids up, get them dressed, and get them fed. And then you remember...LUNCH. You wish you could make it fun, healthy, and cost-effective too. But the clock is ticking, and you have to think FAST, so peanut butter and jelly it is, along with a bag of chips, an apple, a single-serve yogurt, a power bar, and a juice box."

• Monterey County - The Herald
  
  "Many reusable lunch bags and boxes are available from a variety of sources. Some clever ones can be found at www.laptoplunches.com... The Laptop Lunches site, started by two Santa Cruz moms, has great ideas for healthy box lunches. Their box lunch sets, modeled on bento boxes, have been featured on the 'Today' show and in Parents magazine. Information on the site is updated monthly, with new tips and recipes. "

• Chico News and Review

"Ed Begley Jr. tosses out a glove compartment’s worth of trash each week. Add his wife and daughter to the equation, and you’ve got a family with only a couple glove compartments’ worth of trash weekly. Not bad for three people.

Begley lives by a “cradle to cradle” philosophy, in which “human activities should mimic nature.” Whereby old things should come back in new forms, and landfills don’t fill up with non-biodegradable, wasted resources. He lives the American dream; but his white picket fence is made from recycled plastic milk jugs; his toaster is powered by his stationary exercise bike; he skips the garden hose in favor of water collected in a giant plastic rain barrel. In short, his solar-powered home is “self-sufficient.”

During a recent visit to Sacramento, the actor-turned-activist expanded on his sustainable philosophies as fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders from Crocker/Riverside Elementary School sat nearby on a lawn, eating their lunches.But this wasn’t just any old lunch with plastic-wrapped sandwiches and milk cartons stuffed in paper bags. This lunch was absolutely waste-free, part of an event organized by the California Department of Conservation and www.wastefreelunches.org. The children enjoyed fruit, sandwiches and more packaged in Laptop Lunch Boxes, a series of small, recyclable, plastic containers inside a plastic lunchbox."