Many people who commented on our Beyond BPA post last week feel that completely eliminating plastic from our lives is a frustrating, unattainable and maybe even unnecessary goal. That may be true, but it doesn't hurt to at least reduce the amount of plastic and disposables that we come in contact with everyday. There are a number of beautiful, stylish alternatives to commonly used plastic items that are worth checking out. See our list below the jump.
Plastic water bottle alternative:
Try bottles from Klean Kanteen, which are made from lightweight, food-grade stainless steel. If the plastic caps still bother you, try their Reflect line, pictured here, which is made of stainless steel, bamboo and silicone and is completely plastic (and paint) free.
Plastic food storage alternative:
Weck jars are made of glass, metal and rubber. They seal up pretty well and function beautifully in the refrigerator (see photo on top) and pantry as well as on the go. Canning jars with conventional screw on lids are also a nice alternative. The inside of the lid is coated with a thin layer of slightly sticky rubber, not plastic*. Of course glass is heavier than plastic and it breaks, but with care and under certain circumstances, glass alternatives work just as well, if not better, than plastic: there's no leeching, flavor transferring, or discoloration. Plus, they're so pretty, you can just serve up your food straight from its container!
Also, many people are turning to the stainless steel tiffin as a way to carry food. There are any number of choices these days -- even WallMart carries them! Or you could go upscale with this fancy ceramic and wood model.
Plastic baggie alternative:
For dry goods and produce, try Origami Cloth Sacks, featured here several months ago. For sandwich bags, try any number of cloth alternatives now available (Etsy is a good source) but avoid modern 'oil cloth' as it is made with vinyl.
Plastic wrap:
Good old fashioned waxed paper will do in many cases. Also, use plates to cover stuff left in bowls or, inversely, put leftovers on a plate and cover them with a bowl (or another plate.)
Disposable tableware:
This area has been widely addressed and there are numerous alternatives to plastic tableware these days. We've written about the lovely Wasara for plates, bowls and cups, and again, Weck and other canning jars make nice glasses (although not disposable.) We find that its not too much of a burden to bring real silverware to picnics and other situations that one would normally use disposables. Picking up a bunch of miscellaneous cutlery at the thrift store and reserving it for this purpose means that the occasionally tossed or lost piece doesn't hurt the household's stash.
What tricks have you discovered to avoid overuse of plastic in your kitchen? Tell us in the comments!
* Corretion: Many but not all canning jar lids are coated with plastic containing PBA. Here's a very extensive thread on the subject from Eat Close To Home. Note that they are discussing this before the NPR episode stating that most plastics release an estrogen-like chemical was released.
Related: Have Jar, Will Travel: Best Ideas for Meals in a Jar
(Images: Leela Cyd Ross, Klean Kanteen)
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I think avoiding the use of unnecessary plastics, especially throw-away ones like baggies, is the best way to go. That said, I'm not going to throw out all of my tupperware containers (which are reuseable) and buy all new food containers. I think it's all about moderation- use what you have now, and when it wears out, make an informed choice when purchasing replacements.
For me the big question is how to pack my lunch! I love to bring leftovers and warm them up in the microwave. My commute involves a long walk, and I'm afraid of lunch box disasters. Also, I don't have a cafeteria with plates/etc. at work.
Jodi, can you keep a plate and bowl and set of silverware of your own at work in your desk? That way you can carry food back and forth in a tiffin (which is lightweight and seals tightly) and then have something reusable on which to heat your food.
I've been slowly replacing my cheap tupperware with glass and bpa-free plastics. I'm doing a lot of saving of glass jam and peanut butter jars, which works nicely for storage of smaller amounts of rice, etc. What I'm wondering is, what are some good plastic alternatives for freezing? I like to cook in larger amounts and freeze leftovers, but I worry about putting glass in the freezer. I've been using my older tupperwares, since I reheat the food on the stove and not the microwave, but eventually would like to get rid of those containers altogether. Thoughts?
FYI, canning lids actually are coated with BPA (in addition to the rubber that forms the seal). But it's just the lids, which don't generally make much contact with the food, and not the entire jar. There are some BPA-free lids out there (Tattler is one such company), though I don't know too much about the chemistry of them.
I have switched to plastic-free storage, and it wasn't all that hard or expensive. I have two sets of glass storage bowls (albeit with plastic lids) that I used instead of tupperware (which I donated. The sets are less than $30 at any box store. I also save all of my salsa, peanut butter and spaghetti sauce jars to use. My salsa jar is the perfect size for soup. I have a bowl and spoon as work in my desk. I reheat in the jar and then pour it in the bowl.
As for carrying them - I use a kitchen towel or my cloth napkin to keep the glassware from klinking together in my lunch bag. The jars are absolutely the most leak-proof solution I have come up with for transporting liquids.
One more thing - the glass storage bowls work well in the freezer, as do the jars. Just don't fill them all the way so the contents have room to expand.
I have the same question that Jodi has on glass lunch containers that seal well. I do fine with Pyrex storage containers, but my husband has a hilly bike ride to work, and they leak. We've also got a tiffin and some Frigoverre containers, and they leak even more than the Pyrex does. The only thing that's worked so far is Mason jars, but they're not very convenient for most leftovers (great for soups, but a lot of things have to be crammed into them because of the shape). Any thoughts on glass storage containers that won't leak? (We're fine with plastic lids.)
@Jodi - if it's something like soup or pasta, I just pack it in wide-mouth pint canning jars and microwave it right in the jar! Minus the lids, of course...
I am guilty of the plastic sandwich baggie. I really have to get some Etsy alternatives, or make my own. The boyfriend used to use aluminum foil a lot for sandwiches, but if you don't recycle or reuse it, it's kind of pointless. Waxed paper sometimes works, but if your sandwich is damp, it doesn't stay folded. White butcher paper might be another option - still disposable, but a little easier on the environment than plastic. Especially if you compost it.
I have a tiffin, too, but I find myself eating leftovers that need to be heated more often than not, so it stays at home until summertime, when cold food is in order.
I have found that the glasslock containers sold by a few different companies seal pretty well. They are a bit heavy for commuting, but not too bad.
As a water snob, I have to say that every single metal water bottle I've tried using, kleen kanteens, ANY of them...leave a metallic taste to the water. I have to use glass bottles for this reason, which is a bit of a pain. But at least my water doesn't taste like metal :)
Gosh I love Weck jars. If I could replace all of my "regular" canning jars with them, I'd feel like a queen.
Has anyone had trouble with the cloth bags smelling? We use them for crackers (for a toddler) and it smells like the oils have gone rancid after being lugged around all day. I have washed and washed and washed but they stink...any tips?
@fragglefemme, my husband is the same! He can't drink from anything plastic or metal.
@artoak i'd have to second the recommendation of glasslock containers. they are pretty darned sturdy (even my 7yo takes them for lunch) and i have yet to find spills or leakage inside her or my husband's packed lunches. they have plastics tops though...
reusable cloth sandwich bags work really well for any dry stuff that we transport (crackers, rice cakes, nuts, muffins, granolas, etc.)
We usually bring leftovers for lunch, packed in Pyrex dishes with vent-able plastic lids. A 3 cup rectangular dish has ample room for entree and sides; the 2 cup bowl is great for a small salad or a fruit dessert. They freeze and microwave well. (We remove the lid when heating food, which seems to be our compromise for minimizing the worst kind of plastics exposure.) Target sells the Pyrex containers, but we found them for less at our local grocery store.
For soups, chilis and stews, we sometimes use a canning jar, but mostly rely on Corning mugs with lids - after years of use, still no problems with leaks. Again, we don't let the lid contact the food when microwaving, so I don't know that we'll look for a replacement for the soup mugs.
A friend of mine uses shower caps instead of plastic wrap to cover bowls temporarily on the counter (when dough is rising) or in the fridge. They are plastic but a washable/reusable alternative to plastic wrap.
Pyrex and canning jars are tempered glass, which can be put in the freezer, microwave, and oven. Other kinds of glass, including jars saved from salsa etc. might weaken over time if they're frozen and microwaved a lot, so be careful with those and consider using them just for dry storage.
I've just bought a set of glasslock storage containers, and they have #5 plastic lids (which are BPA free but as we know, plastic is plastic), and a tight gasket that seems pretty good at making a watertight seal. They are tempered glass as well so freezer-safe.
You can also make a canning-jar cozy with a thick wool sock and it'll keep your jar from banging around in your work bag (also a good potholder to take your reheated leftovers out of the microwave).
I use plastic wrap to cover leftovers to keep in the fridge & every time I'd do it, I'd feel guilty. So on my last trip to India I brought back with me stainless steel plate-like things that's used for the exact same purpose. I wish I had a link of them to paste. They're really so convenient and come in all sizes from 3 inches in diameter to probably 2-3 feet.
If any of you have friends that visit India, you should ask them to get back some. The added benefit is that you can stack your bowls of leftover in the fridge too.
Love the Weck's....I hate plastic, but as a single man living alone, it was unavoidable as there are always leftovers ..but hated the smell , and staining that Spicy Indian food left on these , and since we do not have a supply for canning jars around here ...I just re-purposed my wide mouthed Jam/ Pasta Sauce/Pickle Jars ..but cant use them for long due to the Tin Lids ..any ideas on how I can find lids that last ...or alternatives ?
I have these glasses from Crate and Barrel:
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/dining-and-entertaining/bar-and-drinking-glasses/working-glass-lid/f1693
You can buy lids (ok they're plastic, but not really touching your food!) that snap right on. They're perfect for single portion leftovers, the bigger ones for soups and sauces. And you can drink out of them! Dual use. I love it.
Check out Faith's posts from the Housewares Show: These silicone lids may be the answer for those glass jars ... until they find out that silicone is bad for you. Oy.
@pinky41 - the canning jar cozy is genius and not one i had considered. so HOT when nuked!
I use wide mouth pint canning jars for almost everything I bring to work, as well as for coffee while I'm there. I also have a few wide mouth half-pint jars for smaller servings of things like yogurt. I've crocheted a number of cozies for both jar sizes, which keeps my hands warm/cool as needed and also keeps the jars from clinking together during travel. I've been very happy since I started using them.
Is anyone else obsessed with Adam's Peanut butter jars? I actually make my own peanut butter now since I have a food processer, but I like the wide mouth Adam's jars so much that I have gone and bought more peanut butter just for the jars. They're nice for organizing the rice, beans, brown sugar, etc., in my cabinets.
It's Bonne Maman glass jars for me! We go through a lot of jam and I find the jars excellent for single servings of soup, pasta (crammed in), fruit salad, yogurt, etc. They're wide mouth so easy to fill and freeze left-overs in for lunch days/weeks later. I just had leftover brown rice pilaf in one container and broccoli and tomatoes in another. I heat them in the microwave just fine and find them a lot lighter than the pyrex food storage containers they're now selling. Portion control and they don't leak. Plus they're free!
I've just started the transition to becoming a more eco-friendly family and getting rid of (donating) the plastic was one of the first steps on my blog! I found a lot of great jars and glass containers at the Salvation Army. Our hardware store was a great source for cheap decorative jars as well. Now I need to go find jar cozies.
@jwillson
I love those glasses! My family has had them since before I can remember. Now that I'm grown up and on my own, I have my own set of them. They're perfect for a big ol' gin & tonic, too... :)
i've been using canning jars and re-using canning type jars from various foods (pasta sauce, etc.) they work well for work, as they can be heated in the microwave and eaten out of; they can go into the freezer; and the contents can be heated in a pan of simmering water (with a paper towel or other barrier on the bottom), since we don't have a microwave.