WHAT are our alternatives to plastic?

HOW can we start to reduce our share of plastic use and waste?

The last post was about reducing waste by replacing single-use plastic with reusable shopping and produce bags. Today we will be discussing FOOD STORAGE.

One big area of plastic use in the home has to do with food storage, whether that is covering leftovers in plastic wrap, packing lunches and snacks in one-use plastic baggies, or storing food in plastic containers. As we discussed in an earlier post, some of these plastics are that thin film that cannot be recycled when soiled. Plastic that has touched raw meat especially is impractical to clean and sanitize well enough to reuse or recycle, so into the trash it goes. Plastic containers are not as bad as the #4 LDPE in that regard, but they still pose potential health hazards. Remember, many plastics can leach toxins when exposed to heat, like from a microwave, from hot water in a dishwasher, or from hot food.

With a variety of alternative materials that are safe for food storage, we can do better for our bodies and the planet! Let us break down each of the alternative materials and discuss some of their strengths and weaknesses.

PAPER is the cheapest option in the list, but it is also one of the least eco-friendly as it still creates added waste in landfills, unless you compost it. Although paper is a renewable resource, the harvesting of trees for pulp still affects a percentage of current animal habitats. The production of new paper also releases toxic by-products, such as methanol and formaldehyde. Even paper recycling plants are not the perfect option, as they are powered by non-renewable fossil fuels. The good thing is that recycling paper produces less pollution than new paper production, and paper does biodegrade much more rapidly than plastic. For food storage, paper is fine for dry foods, but is obviously not waterproof, so it cannot contain liquids or moist food. There are paper containers that are lined with plastic or wax to make them leakproof, but that also makes them hard to recycle too; they must go into the compost or landfill. Here is one place to find paper options for storing your dry snacks and sandwiches.

COTTON cloth (especially organic cotton) is a step up from paper because it is machine washable and reusable, and thus creates much less waste than paper. Cotton lunch bags may be recycled or composted at the end of their usable lives. Check out this link* and search “cotton lunch” for organic cotton lunch bags, including bags with cute, screen-printed designs.

BEESWAX WRAPPERS have gained a lot of popularity recently. They are usually made from organic cotton or a cotton/hemp mix, with a coating of beeswax, tree resin and other plant oils. You can even find a vegan option that uses soy wax instead of beeswax. These wrappers must be washed by hand, but they can last through hundreds of uses and be composted when they wear out. Follow this link* and search “beeswax” for the regular beeswax food wrappers or “khala” for the vegan wrappers.

LINEN is another useful cloth made from the very eco-friendly flax plant and can be machine washed for multiple uses. Flax is a very water-efficient crop and grows naturally with just rainwater. Follow this link for linen bowl covers with elastic bands, as well as linen, cotton, and hemp options for unique furoshiki wraps.

SILICONE rubber is an up-and-coming material in the effort to replace plastics. It is a non-toxic, inert substance that is safe to use in microwaves and in ovens up to certain temperatures. It is also dishwasher and freezer safe. It is not biodegradable, so it does last a long time, and can be recycled in some locations. Food-grade silicone can be molded into many shapes for many purposes, including container lids, resealable bags or stretchy lids.

For an affordable set of stretchy lids shop here*. For reusable, resealable silicone bags click here* and search “stasher”. If you are just looking to keep fruits and veggies fresh, search “food huggers” at this link*.

BAMBOO is another green substitute to plastic. The bamboo plant grows quickly, absorbs more carbon dioxide and produces more oxygen than trees, and is readily biodegradable. For some stylish, all-natural bamboo bowls with your choice of plastic or silicone lids, follow this link* and search “bamboo bowl.”

GLASS is the next eco-friendly food storage solution, made from sand. It is safe to use in the oven, microwave, and freezer, and can be washed in the dishwasher. Other nice features are that glass containers are stackable and can be recycled. Two major downsides to glass are that it can be expensive and more fragile than other materials. Most glass food containers come with lids made of either polypropylene plastic or silicone.

Shop here*to find glass container sets with plastic lids. Shop here* and search “glass food” to find glass containers with silicone sleeves and lids.

CERAMIC is like glass in many ways. It is dishwasher, freezer, oven, and microwave safe. It is also stackable, breakable and expensive. Ceramics are baked from clay and other earthy materials and then protected with a layer of glaze. They are rarely recycled and take a LONG time to biodegrade. The best way to get rid of old, intact ceramic dishes is to donate or sell them. You can find ceramic food containers with silicone sleeves and plastic lids here.

STAINLESS STEEL is likely the most durable and long-lasting choice in this list. It is dishwasher safe, but not always good for the freezer or oven. It should never be used to heat food in the microwave. Like glass and ceramic, stainless steel is not cheap, but, if cared for well, can last a lifetime.

Check out these three online markets to pick your favorite stainless-steel lunchbox set:

Ecotradecompany*

Net Zero Company*

Earthhero* (search “steel lunch”)

Okay, let us say you have now gone and swapped out your plastic baggies and cling wrap for a new assortment of plastic-free food containers. You might be asking yourself: “what do I do with my collection of unused Ziploc bags and plastic wrap?” If it is dry and unsoiled, plastic film can be taken wherever you take your grocery bags to be recycled (local retail or grocery store drop-off maybe?). You might also consider washing and reusing plastic baggies for longer-term storage of non-food items (e.g. photos, crafts, toiletries, etc.) until they wear out and finally need to go to recycling too.

That’s all for this post; thanks for reading!