Why we chose Stainless Steel for our Products & Family
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Stainless Steel vs Plastic Lunch Boxes: Why We Chose Stainless for Our Family
When you're packing lunches every day, your lunch box becomes part of your family's routine.
It's opened hundreds of times each year. It gets dropped, washed, packed, forgotten in school bags, and hopefully comes home empty (or at least close to it!).
So when we created Oli Eve, we asked ourselves a simple question:
What material would we feel happiest using for our own kids every single day?
For us, the answer was stainless steel.
Not because plastic is "bad."
Not because we want to scare parents.
Simply because we believe stainless steel is one of the most durable, practical and environmentally responsible materials available for everyday lunch boxes.
Here's why.
There Isn't a Perfect Material
Let's start with something important.
Every material has advantages and disadvantages.
Plastic is lightweight, affordable and incredibly versatile. It's helped make food storage accessible for millions of families.
Stainless steel is stronger, lasts longer and can be recycled almost indefinitely.
Glass is excellent too—but probably not ideal inside a school backpack!
The best choice depends on how you'll use it.
For children's lunch boxes that are opened every school day for years, we believe stainless steel offers the best long-term balance.
Why We Love Stainless Steel
1. Built to Last
- Kids are experts at testing durability.
- Lunch boxes get dropped on concrete.
- Thrown into school bags.
- Left in the sun.
- Taken camping.
- Used as stepping stools (somehow).
- Food-grade 18/8 stainless steel is incredibly tough and resistant to dents, stains and corrosion.
- Unlike many plastic containers, it doesn't become brittle with age or gradually lose its shape.
- A quality stainless steel lunch box can easily last for many years—and often through multiple children.
That's good for your wallet and even better for the planet.
2. It Doesn't Need Chemical Additives for Strength
One reason stainless steel has been trusted for decades in commercial kitchens, hospitals and food manufacturing is because it's naturally strong.
It doesn't require plasticisers to make it flexible or additives to make it rigid.
Modern food-grade plastics are carefully regulated and generally considered safe when used as intended. For example, the U.S. FDA states that approved food-contact plastics, including BPA-free materials, are safe for their approved uses.
That said, many families—including ours—prefer reducing unnecessary plastic contact with food wherever practical.
It's simply a personal choice.
3. Stainless Steel Doesn't Wear the Same Way Plastic Can
Over time, plastic can become scratched and cloudy.
Those scratches aren't just cosmetic—they're places where bacteria can hide and where the surface becomes harder to clean thoroughly.
Stainless steel is much more resistant to scratching during normal use and keeps its smooth surface for years.
That means easier cleaning and a lunch box that still looks great long after the first day of school.
4. Perfect for Everyday Washing
If you've ever pulled an old plastic container out of the dishwasher, you've probably noticed:
- cloudy surfaces
- warped lids
- lingering smells
- tomato stains that never quite disappear
Stainless steel doesn't absorb colours or odours in the same way.
At Oli Eve, our removable stainless steel compartments are dishwasher safe, making clean-up quick while helping your lunch box stay looking new.
What About Microplastics?
Microplastics have become a major topic of research over the past few years.
Scientists have found tiny plastic particles throughout the environment—including oceans, soil, drinking water and some foods. Researchers are still working to understand what this means for long-term human health. Both the FDA and the European Food Safety Authority acknowledge that microplastics are present in the environment and food supply, but also note that there is currently insufficient evidence to conclude that the levels found in food pose a confirmed health risk.
One area where experts generally agree is that heat and repeated wear can increase the release of tiny plastic particles from some plastic products.
That's why many scientists recommend simple steps like:
- avoiding heating food in plastic where possible
- replacing heavily worn plastic containers
- using materials like stainless steel or glass when practical.
For us, choosing stainless steel is simply one easy way to reduce our family's everyday reliance on plastic—not because we believe parents need to panic, but because it's a practical alternative.
Better for the Planet, Too
Perhaps the biggest reason we love stainless steel has nothing to do with lunch.
It's what happens after lunch.
A Typical Child Uses Hundreds of Lunches Every Year
Let's do some simple maths.
A school year in Australia is roughly 200 days.
A child who uses the same lunch box from Kindergarten through Year 6 will use it around:
1,600 school lunches.
If that lunch box lasts through siblings—or even into high school—that number climbs even higher.
The longer a product lasts, the fewer replacements need to be manufactured, shipped and eventually discarded.
That's a win for everyone.
Stainless Steel Can Be Recycled Again and Again
Unlike many plastics, stainless steel can be recycled repeatedly without losing its quality.
In fact, stainless steel is one of the world's most recycled materials, with much of today's stainless steel containing recycled content from previous products.
That supports a more circular approach to manufacturing, where materials stay in use for far longer rather than becoming waste.
Plastic Still Has Its Place
We think it's important to be balanced.
Plastic isn't the enemy.
There are many high-quality BPA-free lunch boxes that serve families well.
Plastic is lightweight.
Affordable.
Accessible.
And for many households, it's absolutely the right choice.
Our philosophy isn't about judging what anyone else uses.
It's about building products we'd happily hand to our own children every day.
For us, that means using premium food-grade stainless steel wherever possible, while using only small amounts of food-grade silicone where flexibility and leak resistance are genuinely needed.
So Which One Should You Choose?
If you're looking for:
- something lightweight and inexpensive
- colourful designs
- the lowest upfront cost
Plastic may be the right fit.
If you're looking for:
- exceptional durability
- long-term value
- dishwasher-friendly cleaning
- resistance to stains and odours
- reduced reliance on plastic
- a product designed to last for years
then stainless steel is hard to beat.
The Oli Eve Philosophy
At Oli Eve, we didn't set out to build just another lunch box.
We wanted to create something that families could rely on for years.
Something that could survive school bags, sports days, family picnics and everyday life.
Something that children love using.
Something parents enjoy cleaning.
And something that leaves a little less waste behind for the next generation.
Because sustainability isn't about being perfect.
It's about making thoughtful choices that last.
And for our family, stainless steel is one of those choices.
References
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Foods.
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Bisphenol A (BPA): Use in Food Contact Applications.
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Food.
- Recent expert guidance on reducing plastic exposure in kitchens.