The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that of the more than 3,960,000 tons of plastic bags, sacks and wraps produced annually, 90 percent are discarded and end up in landfills or oceans.

Three of my favorite companies have teamed up to offer a great product FREE for kids lunches! This is perfect timing for me because I have been using (recycled) paper bags for Little Sir’s Mother’s Day Out lunches this summer and was considering buying a reuseable bag. Now I don’t have to! I already had all of these products in my house when I received this email.

So, with no further ado, here is the lowdown:

Annie’s Homegrown, Stonyfield YoKids, Honest Kids and Seventh Generation have teamed up to help families toss their brown bags this back-to-school season by offering a free Kids Konserve lunch sack with the purchase of participating products July 1, 2011 through September 30, 2011.

Consumers are invited to visit Annies.com/bts11, print out the form then mail in proof of purchase of all four brands. Eligible products include:

• Any Annie’s Homegrown item
• Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt 6-packs or Squeezers
• Honest Kids Organic Drinks 8-pack carton or 64-ounce bottle
• Seventh Generation Disinfectants (sprays or wipes)

“We know lunches packed at home with real food are delicious, healthy options for kids,” said Aimee Sands, marketing director, Annie’s. “However, we also recognize that using new brown or plastic bags each day leads to unnecessary waste. That’s why we’re excited to launch this back-to-school promotion; it provides an easy way for families to reduce waste and be rewarded for trying a selection of products the whole family will enjoy.”

My comment – you might notice that Kids Konserve also has free shipping on their web site through July 21! So if you want to order any of the stainless steel containers for your lunch bag, you can save on shipping in the next 10 days.

Happy lunching!

*NOTE: I was not given anything in exchange for this post. Annie’s sent me their press release and I used verbiage from it to help convey the correct information.