What ECOlunchbox does

ECOlunchbox is a privately held, founder-led manufacturer and direct-to-consumer retailer of plastic-free food containers, founded in 2008 by Sandra Ann Harris and headquartered in Lafayette, Colorado. The company specializes in lunch boxes, bentos, snack containers, and accessories made from food-grade stainless steel (types 201 and 304/18/8) and silicone, marketed as alternatives to single-use plastics and plastic-containing foodware. Its catalog is organized into two main collections: the Blue Water Bento sub-brand of leak-proof containers with silicone lids, and a Classic 100% stainless steel line of tiffin-style stackable containers; accessories include the patent-pending Turtleneck Stainless Steel Bendable Straws.

The company's technology centers on proprietary leak-proof lid designs featuring non-slip embossed tabs and press-to-seal silicone closures, removable silicone gaskets for hygienic wet-food storage, and modular nesting/stacking container architecture. Additional design elements include tare weight etching on container bottoms for bulk shopping compliance, FDA and NSF-tested food-grade materials, and dishwasher/oven/freezer-safe construction. Manufacturing is outsourced to suppliers in China and India, with finished goods shipped from a Kentucky-based fulfillment center within 1-2 business days.

ECOlunchbox generates revenue primarily through direct-to-consumer e-commerce on its Shopify-powered website at ecolunchboxes.com, with products priced from $13 to $54 as one-time purchases, no subscription tier, and free shipping on US continental orders of $50 or more. The company supplements DTC with B2B wholesale distribution through the Faire marketplace and an affiliate program run on UpPromote, plus international shipping via USPS. The customer base consists of environmentally conscious consumers, zero-waste lifestyle practitioners, families with school-aged children, and outdoor enthusiasts; no enterprise or institutional customers are disclosed. The company operates without external venture capital funding and is part of a small corporate family with sister brands Three by Three Seattle (home/office organizing) and LOVE Bags (recycled-plastic bags).

Name

ECOlunchbox

Legal name

ECOlunchbox

Website

https://ecolunchboxes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ECOlunchbox is a privately held, founder-led DTC manufacturer of plastic-free stainless steel and silicone food containers, including lunch boxes, bentos, and accessories. Founded in 2008, it sells direct to environmentally conscious consumers via Shopify and wholesale through Faire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reusable Eco-Friendly Food Containers

akta.pro primary industry

Dry Foods & Staples Packaging (Cereals, Pasta, Rice) (IMALAHAJ)

Keywords

• Stainless steel lunchboxes
• Plastic-free food containers
• Reusable bento boxes
• Silicone lid containers
• Eco-friendly lunchware

Headquarters

HQ city

Lafayette

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: ECOlunchbox generates revenue through direct-to-consumer online sales of stainless steel and silicone food containers, lunch boxes, and accessories. Products are sold as individual items at various price points ranging from $13 to $54, with some items available in discounted multi-pack sets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ECOlunchbox manufactures and sells plastic-free food containers, lunch boxes, and bentos made from food-grade stainless steel and silicone. The portfolio includes two main lines: the Blue Water Bento collection of leak-proof containers with silicone lids and the 100% stainless steel classic collection, plus stainless steel bendable straws and gift cards. Products are sold direct-to-consumer through the company's ecommerce site and wholesale via the Faire marketplace.

Product overview

ECOlunchbox is a plastic-free food container company specializing in stainless steel and silicone lunch boxes and bentos. The product portfolio consists of two main product lines: (1) Blue Water Bento collection featuring leak-proof containers with stainless steel bases and silicone no-leak lids including Splash Box, Splash Box XL, Splash Pod, and the Seal Cup series (Mini, Solo, Medium, Large, XL, Jumbo, Trio); (2) 100% Stainless Steel collection featuring classic bentos without leak-proof lids including Tri Bento, Solo Rectangle, Solo Rectangle (Leaves), Solo Cube, Oval & Snack Cup, ECOdipper, ECOlunchpod, Three-in-One Classic, Three-in-One Giant, and Bento Wet Boxes (Round and Large Rectangle) with removable silicone gaskets for wet foods. Additional products include Turtleneck Stainless Steel Bendable Straw sets and Gift Cards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Blue Water Bento: Leak-proof plastic-free food containers made from non-toxic stainless steel with no-leak silicone lids, designed to celebrate oceans and inspire reduction of plastic dependence.

Products and services

• Turtleneck Stainless Steel Bendable Straw sets Patent-pending bendable food-grade stainless steel drinking straws available in 4 or 8-pack sets with a cleaning brush, sold to eco-conscious consumers seeking reusable alternatives to plastic straws.
• Splash Box XL Large 40 oz leak-proof stainless steel lunchbox with silicone lid in the Blue Water Bento collection, designed for adults needing generous meal capacity and modular nesting with smaller containers.
• Tri Bento Three-layer 100% stainless steel stacking tiffin-style lunchbox with 36 oz total capacity, sold to consumers who prefer classic round stacking bento designs without silicone components.
• Seal Cup XL 26 oz extra-large no-leak stainless steel container with silicone lid, part of the Blue Water Bento collection and designed with tare weight etching for use in bulk shopping and at prepared food bars.
• Splash Box 24 oz rectangular stainless steel lunch box with no-leak silicone lid featuring an embossed wave design, part of the Blue Water Bento collection aimed at families and on-the-go users.
• Seal Cup Jumbo 48 oz largest-capacity nesting stainless steel container with a purple silicone lid embossed with an octopus motif, part of the Blue Water Bento collection for consumers needing maximum meal volume.
• Seal Cup Large 20 oz large round no-leak stainless steel container with an orange seashell-embossed silicone lid, part of the Blue Water Bento collection.
• Seal Cup Trio Three-piece nesting leak-proof container set (large 20 oz, medium 12 oz, small 7 oz) totaling 40 oz, marketed toward families and varied portion needs.
• Solo Rectangle 100% stainless steel 29 oz rectangular container with lid, not leak-proof, aimed at consumers wanting simple sandwich and portion-control storage.
• Seal Cup Solo Small 7 oz no-leak stainless steel cup with a teal shell-embossed silicone lid, an entry-level Blue Water Bento container for snacks, dips, and small portions.
• Oval & Snack Cup Two-piece set combining a 24 oz stainless steel oval container with a 7 oz no-leak snack cup with silicone lid, suited for combined main-and-side meal packing.
• ECOdipper 100% stainless steel round 7 oz snack container with lid, sold in 4-pack and 6-pack discounted bundles for dry and damp snacks.
• Three-in-One Classic Three-piece nesting bento set with upper and lower food containers plus a snack container, 100% stainless steel, 31 oz total capacity, with adjustable clips for securing lids.
• Solo Rectangle (Leaves) Decorative variant of the Solo Rectangle with a pear leaves etched lid, 29 oz 100% stainless steel container, not leak-proof.
• ECOlunchpod Rectangular easy-open 5 oz stainless steel snack container designed for longer items such as pretzel and carrot sticks, sold in discounted 4-pack and 6-pack bundles.
• Solo Cube 100% stainless steel 21 oz square lunch box with lid, not leak-proof, suited for sandwiches and leftovers.
• Bento Wet Box (Round) 24 oz leakproof round stainless steel container with removable silicone gasket and soft-close clips, manufactured in India from 304 stainless steel for wet foods such as salads and saucy dishes.
• Bento Wet Box (Large Rectangle) Large 40 oz leakproof rectangular stainless steel bento box with removable silicone gasket and clips, manufactured in India for wet foods and full-meal portioning.
• Three-in-One Giant Extra-large three-piece nesting stainless steel lunchbox holding 8 cups across three sections (upper 3.5 cups, lower 3.5 cups, rectangular 1 cup), not leak-proof.
• Blue Water Bento Collection Sub-brand line of leak-proof plastic-free containers combining stainless steel bases with no-leak silicone lids, encompassing the Splash Box, Seal Cup series, and Bento Wet Box products, designed to celebrate oceans and reduce plastic dependence.
• Seal Cup Mini Smallest-capacity Seal Cup in the Blue Water Bento collection, a no-leak stainless steel container with silicone lid for tiny portions and snacks.
• Seal Cup Medium Medium-capacity Seal Cup in the Blue Water Bento collection, a no-leak stainless steel container with silicone lid for mid-size portions.
• Splash Pod Small rectangular splash-proof container designed to sit side-by-side on top of the Splash Box, part of the Blue Water Bento collection for compartmentalized lunches.
• Gift Card Electronic gift card delivered by email in denominations from $25 to $200, valid for six months from purchase, enabling gifting of any product on the ECOlunchbox site.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million lunch boxes sold since 2008
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FairecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorECOlunchbox distributes products through Faire, a third-party wholesale marketplace platform. Retailers can access ECOlunchbox products for resale through Faire.com/direct/ecolunchbox. The partnership enables B2B wholesale distribution.
• UpPromote (Affiliate Program)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerECOlunchbox operates an affiliate marketing program through the UpPromote platform, allowing partners to earn commissions for referring customers to their online store.
• Three by Three SeattleminorOthersSister brand - Three by Three Seattle offers fun and functional home and office storage and organizing solutions. Both brands are part of the same company family.
• LOVE BagsminorOthersSister brand - LOVE Bags produces reusable bags made with love from 100% recycled plastic. Both brands share the company's vision for a greener, more intentional way of living.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Goodbyn (Yubo): Goodbyn makes eco-friendly, reusable bento lunch boxes for kids and adults. It competes directly with ECOlunchbox in multi-compartment, plastic-free lunch containers for the same eco-conscious family segment.
• Kids Konserve: Kids Konserve makes reusable cloth and stainless snack bags and lunch containers for children. It is a direct peer to ECOlunchbox in the kids/family reusable lunchware segment with a shared sustainability and plastic-free message.
• Bentgo: Bentgo is a leading bento lunch box brand (primarily plastic, expanding into stainless and leak-proof lines). It competes directly with ECOlunchbox in the multi-compartment lunch container category with much broader retail distribution and brand awareness.
• U-Konserve: U-Konserve produces eco-friendly reusable food containers, snack bags, and lunch gear with a zero-waste mission similar to ECOlunchbox. It targets overlapping customers (zero-waste families, schools) and competes on the same plastic-free positioning.
• PlanetBox: PlanetBox is a direct competitor offering stainless steel bento lunch boxes marketed to families and schools. It overlaps closely with ECOlunchbox on material choice (stainless steel), target customer (eco-conscious parents), and product category (multi-compartment lunch containers).
• LunchBots: LunchBots makes stainless steel lunch boxes, snack containers, and bento-style containers for adults and kids. It is a direct peer on material (stainless steel), channel (DTC), and customer (parents, professionals packing lunches) relative to ECOlunchbox.

Broad incumbents

• YETI: YETI is a premium outdoor and lifestyle brand with a broad reusable drinkware and food container portfolio. It is not a direct competitor on lunchboxes but represents the kind of large, premium-positioned incumbent that increasingly encroaches on the plastic-free reusable food storage space.
• Klean Kanteen: Klean Kanteen is an established stainless steel drinkware and food container brand with B Corp credentials. It overlaps with ECOlunchbox on stainless steel materials, eco-mission, and food-grade reusable products, but is significantly larger and broader in scope.
• Full Circle Home: Full Circle Home is a broader eco-friendly home goods brand offering reusable food storage alongside cleaning and kitchen products. It shares ECOlunchbox's sustainability positioning and some reusable food storage SKUs but operates across many categories.

Emerging players

• Stasher: Stasher is a reusable silicone storage bag brand that has scaled significantly in the plastic-free kitchen category. It overlaps with ECOlunchbox on the reusable, plastic-free, food-storage value proposition and shares the zero-waste consumer base, though it focuses on bags rather than rigid containers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ecolunchboxes
• Facebookfacebook.com/ecolunchboxes

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ECOlunchbox