I remember a time before juice boxes. I carried my juice to school in the thermos that came with my Muppet Show lunch box, until juice boxes hit the scene.

The rule in my house was that juice boxes were for school, but at home I had to drink juice from a glass — less waste and less expensive. But when faced with the idea of your kindergartner taking aim at a glass with a sixty-four ounce jug of apple juice, a handy little juice box seems indispensable.

Switch your kids over to reusable juice boxes. These can be pre-filled to put on a low shelf in your fridge or tucked in a lunch box. They’re much better for the environment, dishwasher safe, and will save you money in the long run. And you won’t spend the better part of an afternoon mopping sticky apple juice off of your kitchen floor, unless you spill.