How to Choose Eco-Friendly Food Storage Options

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Weaning yourself from Ziploc may not be easy, but it will be worth it. Plastic bags take one thousand years to break down. That's many, many generations. If you have started using reusable shopping bags, you're on the right track. Pretty soon you'll break away from that plastic wrap and even foil and opt for strong Tupperware, or better yet, glass. Yes, old-fashioned glass ranks high among green consumers trying to reduce their consumption and keep their families safe.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Internet access

How to Choose Eco-Friendly Food Storage Options

Step1

Avoid plastics (even recyclable plastics) labeled #3 and #6. Chemicals can disrupt hormones and leech into food.

Step2

Use biodegradable, unbleached wax bags to store cheeses and cold cuts. These are available in whole foods stores and are compostable. Plants can even be planted in them!

Step3

Cover with foil, or better yet, a plate, when storing in the fridge rather than plastic wrap.

Step4

Get more organized by simply buying Pyrex or any other glass or ceramic option to use as storage containers. If these are not available in your local home store (try Bed, Bath and Beyond), make your desires known. Meanwhile go online or even to thrift stores for the long-lasting, safe stuff. Just make sure that thrift store finds are lead-free.

Step5

Check out both old and new brands. Anchor Hocking has long made glass storage dishes with lids, while new companies have come out with a number of products such as Wrap 'N Mat which is used to store sandwiches for lunch. These are nice for students both young and old!

Tips & Warnings

Thick, sturdy tupperware that you use repeatedly is generally a better choice than that flimsy, thin plastic container with the blue lid that you may toss after just one use!