Let’s face it. Plastic is convenient. Especially when it comes to the packaging and storage of food. But research suggests that chemicals in combination with food or water can be hazardous to our health. We’re even creating our fossils with our heavy use of plastics – called plastiglomerate! (Read more in this NY Times article Future Fossils: Plastic Stones.)
What can we do in the meantime?
Five Ways to Reduce Plastic
1. Heat food in glass containers.
Heat is one of the most significant ways harmful chemicals leach into your food. Even if your food has been frozen in plastic, transfer to a glass container before heating.
2. Pack food in parchment paper.
It’s hard to pass up the convenience of disposable plastic storage bags. Thankfully there are companies such as If You Care that offer a parchment paper option. These may be a bit more costly in the short run, but they offer a much safer option. If you must use plastic bags, consider lining them with parchment paper before storing your food.
3. Use stainless steel or glass water bottles.
It takes anywhere from 400–1,000 years for a plastic water bottle to decompose. You can help the environment as well as protect your health by switching to reusable water bottles. Try carrying a cobalt blue glass bottle when you’re on the road and make your fresh water using filtered water. No worries about heat and plastic with glass bottles! (See How to Make Solar Water.)
4. Avoid receipts.
Bisphenol A (BPA) a chemical commonly used in plastics exhibits hormone-like qualities and has been linked with hormone disruption in humans. Many sales receipts are coated with a layer of BPA. If you don’t need the receipt, let the cashier know. If you do need it, keep it in the bag until you get home (unless the receipt is exposed to raw food). Keep your receipts in a closed container such as a paper envelope.
5. Think outside the box.
Don’t assume the status quo is the only way to live. Begin to think differently about the way you eat and live. Consider ways to bring fresh foods with you in non-plastic containers when you’re on the go. Try your hand at food fermentation, or check out a local farmers market (don’t forget your reusable grocery bag!).
Never underestimate the value of small changes.
The following websites offer more suggestions for reducing your use of plastics:
What changes have you implemented to cut back on plastic?
People at the grocery store and farmers markets comment on our mesh and cotton reusable produce bags from Ecobags (which frontier wholesale carries so we can get them cheap). I’ve never seen anyone else using them…not sure why. I love them and they’ve lasted a long time….
I keep forgetting my Ecobag! You’ve inspired me. 🙂
Thank you! I still have a lot of room for improvement on this topic!
Great Post! Lots of great ideas! Thank you!
I love all of these ideas. And i wish my butcher here in the UK would use waxed paper already!
But isn’t parchment paper coated with a plastic substance?
That’s a good question, Linda. If it is unbleached parchment paper it should contain no plastics. Here is a good explanation found on the If You Care website:
“When using IF YOU CARE® Parchment Paper and Baking Paper no greasing is necessary. The paper has been coated with silicone – a non-organic natural product – on both sides. Many parchment papers are coated with quilon. Quilon is a chemical containing chrome – a heavy metal – which when incinerated becomes toxic and leaves trace elements. The reason for the majority of parchment paper to be quilon-coated is the cost, which is substantially lower than silicone. So, in order to be environmentally friendly, the paper should be silicone-coated.”
As for silicone, they are talking about silicone which is derived from silicon found in sand/quartz/rock.
Hope this helps.
I love to have people give me glass jars and covers. I freeze in them also, put my home made soup in one, leave room at the top for the soup to rise as it freezes, lay the lid on the jar till it is frozen, the stand up nicely in the freezer also. I use these jars to send food to others, I cook a lot and give a lot a way, great way to not have to worry about returnable containers. I ferment in them also. Store beans, rice, etc in them. The less plastic the better.
At the store, I ask for paper bags, I reuse them in many ways at home. Now for a good water proof material that does not cost an arm or leg for the shower curtain.
Thank you for telling use about the receipts, great help.
Here is one of my solutions to less plastic – https://www.facebook.com/SuzysBeesWraps?ref=ts&fref=ts http://myfarmer.ca/My_Farmer/Suzys_Bees_Wraps.html
I notice that all your personal care products (from the link in the sidebar) come in glass packaging; way to walk the walk! 🙂
Thanks, Jesse. 🙂 Yes, I switched to glass for peace of mind and my customers.