For This New Jersey Mom, One Playdate Blossomed Into a Green Business

Each year, our school's Green Team carefully chooses a fundraiser that embodies our mission: Teaching our children that they can make meaningful choices in their everyday lives that make a measurable difference for the planet. When we encourage them to think of the bigger environmental picture, beyond their school walls and long after they've graduated, we're training them to be leaders and problem-solvers. The end goal is to help the students to think green and globally, all on their own. But the first steps are often right in the school cafeteria, where they can easily see the environmental mantra in practice: "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle."

This year, we've been fortunate to partner in our fundraising efforts with Jennifer Larsen, the creator and owner of Snackaby: environmentally friendly, reusable (and completely adorable!) snack and sandwich bags. This Columbia University-educated mom (she has one son currently in kindergarten) is now based in West Orange, New Jersey. We looked at several reusable lunch container companies for our fundraiser, but ultimately, we chose Jennifer's. Why? Because she's a local businessperson (who keeps the business entirely local) and her lunch containers were, hands-down, the most appealing in their designs. (They practically flew off the shelf in our first sale at school.) I've had several opportunities to sit down with Jennifer and discuss our personal and professional green missions. Here, she shares the story of Snackaby, her green roots, and how she makes positive choices for the planet every day.

Jennifer, what inspired you to start Snackaby?

It was the end of the summer in 2010 and I'd been experimenting with recycling materials into craft items. I had sewn a few little bags and was trying to figure out how to reuse things as well as how to use less plastic. Everything else in my son's lunchbox was reusable, except those little plastic baggies, which I needed sometimes.

Then I was at a playdate with my son, and my friend--the other mom--pulled out a little cotton snack bag she had bought at a store in Michigan. When I told her that I had just been trying to make an alternative to plastic baggies, we started brainstorming at how we could make a better one. We brought our sewing machines to our next few playdates!

After a few prototypes, experimenting with fabrics, and bringing our experiments to playgrounds to get feedback from moms and kids, we came up with Snackaby.

So this was a joint effort starting out. Tell me about your original partner in the business.

My partner in creating Snackaby is Jennifer Dowd, a mom who is incredibly creative and deeply committed to the green movement and to education. She has since left Snackaby to pursue a Master's degree in Public Administration, as well as her other projects in education and the green community.

What inspires you now from a business standpoint?

The inspiration was--and continues to be--to have a company that follows green principles. For example, it's tempting to want to have the labor done overseas when you see the price differences with domestic companies, especially at smaller quantities for a start-up. But we wanted the company to be sustainable and to put something back into the local economy. To do this, we shopped for everything locally. We chose a New Jersey-based bank; we have the sewing done by another small business, at a factory in Passaic; I buy labels from a shop on Etsy. And recently, one of our fabric companies has moved from Toronto to New Jersey.

That's really admirable to keep the entire process local instead of outsourcing to companies overseas. What else differentiates your product from your competitors?

Most other snack bags on the market have a cotton exterior, which means they are meant for the washing machine, whereas you can wash Snackaby in the dishwasher [top rack]. Ours are laminated on the outside, too, so they're easy to wipe off. The fabric is a laminated cotton on the outside (it does contain some plastic) and a food-safe laminate that is free of BPA, DEHP, phthalates, and plasticizers on the inside. I buy the interior fabric directly from the manufacturer, who does not outsource the formula, to ensure its integrity. I also use very little packaging and recycled envelopes to send out orders.

What's the biggest lesson you learned by starting a green business?
Starting a green business is challenging because you're not only competing with others who are making your product, you're competing with those who source labor overseas, rather than locally. It makes pricing a real issue. One of the bigger brands is made completely overseas--from fabric to sewing to packaging. But know that when you pay more for a Snackaby, you are supporting not only our New Jersey-based business, but a local sewing factory, a local bank, a U.S. label company and a local fabric manufacturer.

Okay, so moving to the "green home" aspect: How do you pack a totally eco-conscious lunch for your son?

I use Snackabies for dry snacks--pretzels, chips, crackers--and not-so-dry snacks--strawberries, grapes, apple slices, and of course, sandwiches and wraps. We use reusable water bottles and I used to send flatware from home, but when the spoons weren't making it back, I went to Target, bought a small set of inexpensive stainless steel forks and spoons and now I use those. I do use some plastic containers--which I wash and reuse--because the school won't allow glass, which I can understand for kindergarten.

Complete this sentence: "My biggest challenge in being a green parent is..."

My biggest challenge in being a green parent is finding ways to cut down on food packaging. It kills me to buy a case of individually wrapped snacks and juice or water bottles when it's my turn to bring snacks to soccer, but I don't know of any good alternative, especially with the prevalence of food allergies. I'm trying to buy more food in bulk, like beans by the pound instead of beans in cans. Whole Foods has a good selection of bulk items. Snackabies work really well to make things "snack size" in our house.

I've really enjoyed working with you, learning from you, and sharing green ideas. Any closing thoughts?

"Green" is not something you are or you aren't, it's all about individual actions. We can all be green-er. In each situation we have choices and we can try to make the greener choice. It's not always possible, but often it is.

For more information on Snackaby or to order products, visit www.snackaby.etsy.com or email [email protected]. (HAMC parents: Order yours at school by October 31 for the fundraiser discount.)

Snackaby is part of Team Eco on Etsy.com.

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