Juice boxes have been banned for children in one Toronto elementary school. The move is intended to help eliminate litter — it’s part of a litterless lunchbox movement that forbids things like aluminum foil which end up in the trash or worse — blowing around on the playground. The Toronto District School Board runs an EcoSchools program, which certifies schools as eco-friendly after they meet certain requirements. A leader is the Jackman Avenue Elementary School, a “certified platinum” participant with active composting and recycling and a Green Roof.
Advocates for the juice box ban hope it does more than instill in children (and parents) the habit of using reusable packaging. Many feel they have found a way to fight the sugar battle while calling it something else. Whereas sugary soda products have been widely acknowledged as a problematic sugar source for kids, juice is often seen in a healthier light. While seemingly forward-thinking, the Toronto ban comes 26 years after Maine — in 1990 — banned juice boxes statewide for the same recycling reason. Here is a link to Jackson’s “litterless lunch ideas.“