Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to begin phasing out your plastic food storage containers.
Impact Ratings:
Level of Commitment: Baby Steps
Last time we talked plastics, I challenged you to start with drinking containers: glasses, water bottles, and bottled water. Now it’s time to move on to food. You can’t do much about the fact that you have to buy things like milk and cottage cheese in plastic (nos. 2 and 5 respectively, safer plastics), never mind all the plastic bags that food is stored in (no. 4, another safer option). But once you get home and make a wholesome meal, is it really worth it to put it in a plastic container? Click here to be reminded of the hazards of plastics.
In case you need more convincing, I came across a quote about BPA last week in Dinner Diaries by Betsy Block: “Few chemicals have been found to consistently display such a diverse range of harm at such low doses.” (from EWG, March 2007) Good grief.
Steps to Getting into Glass
- Take a wander through your cupboards. Make mental notes of everything you see that is glass or ceramic that has a lid. Try to default to using those first for storing leftovers, cut fruit, meal prep items, etc. BEFORE you open the plastic cupboard. Sometimes you’ll be acting out of the box; for example, you might use a casserole dish with a lid to store fruit slices, or a coffee mug to store soup leftovers.
- Keep all your glass jars from store bought items. I store soup, yogurt, applesauce and more in spaghetti sauce jars. Sunflower seeds for salads are in an olive jar. Homemade ranch dressing in a pickle jar. Pizza sauce in my freezer in salsa jars.
Free is a great price for “new” food storage containers! - Birthday coming up? IOU on a Mother’s Day present? Put glass dishes with lids on your list.
I received some great 1, 2 and 3-cup sizes from Anchor-Hocking, and I already owned a nice set of bowls made by Pyrex. Both are so helpful to have around, but I have had troubles with Anchor’s lids warping (just the 2-cup size), even with no microwave use. To their credit, the company has been more than helpful, sending me replacement lids without problem not once, but twice. They tell me they’re working on getting a new supplier for the lids, moving to an American company from a Chinese one. Props to them for taking steps (but you might not want their 2-cuppers until they make the switch!).
Both companies promise their lids are BPA-free.
Baby Steps to SafER Plastic Containers
I understand if you just don’t have enough glass containers or room in your budget to make this switch. Just do what you can with the steps above, and follow the guidelines below for the times you still use plastic (my plastic container cupboard is still full and in use, if you’re wondering. We live in a baby steps household!).
- Look at the recycle numbers on all your plastic containers. You must at least recycle or repurpose for non-food uses anything with number 3, 6 or 7 on it. (See this post for a mnemonic to help you remember the safe plastics.) I didn’t think #3 was actually used for anything until after my last plastics post, when I glanced at the bottom of my big container that I (used to) store biscuit mix in. Number 3!? Yikes! That container is now my compost catcher next to my sink…
- Be cognizant of what you’re putting into your plastics:
- Avoid putting steaming hot food into plastic. This is where you prioritize for glass dishes or at least wait until the food cools considerably.
- It would make sense that liquid foods (soups, sauces, beverages) would have more surface area touching the inexorable plastic container than, say, cut lettuce, rolls, or shredded cheese. I prioritize liquid and tomato-based meals to go into the glass dishes and settle for loose solid items in plastic.
- Be careful what you do with plastic containers filled with food: No microwaving your plastics! If I didn’t convince you to cut down on microwave use in general, at least make a firm commitment NEVER to microwave anything in plastic, ESPECIALLY those not made for mics like margarine tubs and plastic wrap. You’re just asking for trouble there.
Tupperware Note
I would be remiss if I didn’t address the fact that almost everyone has old Tupperware hanging around their cupboards. These usually don’t have recycle numbers on them. Here is a helpful article about Tupperware safety, where I learned that most (but not all - see link for a list) Tupperware products do not contain BPA.
Related Giveaway
Stephanie at Keeper of the Home has a timely giveaway ending this Thursday. Check out her post here to sign up for a stainless steel ice cube tray! I’m a big fan of freezing food in cubes, so this is something I am definitely going to look into.
Find more Kitchen Tips at Tammy’s Recipes.
If you missed the last Monday Mission, click here. Don’t want to miss another? Sign up for an email subscription or the reader.
More good stuff:
Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to begin phasing out your plastic food storage containers.
Impact Ratings:
Level of Commitment: Baby Steps
Last time we talked plastics, I challenged you to start with drinking containers: glasses, water bottles, and bottled water. Now it’s time to move on to food. You can’t do much about the fact that you have to buy things like milk and cottage cheese in plastic (nos. 2 and 5 respectively, safer plastics), never mind all the plastic bags that food is stored in (no. 4, another safer option). But once you get home and make a wholesome meal, is it really worth it to put it in a plastic container? Click here to be reminded of the hazards of plastics.
In case you need more convincing, I came across a quote about BPA last week in Dinner Diaries by Betsy Block: “Few chemicals have been found to consistently display such a diverse range of harm at such low doses.” (from EWG, March 2007) Good grief.
Steps to Getting into Glass
I received some great 1, 2 and 3-cup sizes from Anchor-Hocking, and I already owned a nice set of bowls made by Pyrex. Both are so helpful to have around, but I have had troubles with Anchor’s lids warping (just the 2-cup size), even with no microwave use. To their credit, the company has been more than helpful, sending me replacement lids without problem not once, but twice. They tell me they’re working on getting a new supplier for the lids, moving to an American company from a Chinese one. Props to them for taking steps (but you might not want their 2-cuppers until they make the switch!).
Both companies promise their lids are BPA-free.
Baby Steps to SafER Plastic Containers
I understand if you just don’t have enough glass containers or room in your budget to make this switch. Just do what you can with the steps above, and follow the guidelines below for the times you still use plastic (my plastic container cupboard is still full and in use, if you’re wondering. We live in a baby steps household!).
Tupperware Note
I would be remiss if I didn’t address the fact that almost everyone has old Tupperware hanging around their cupboards. These usually don’t have recycle numbers on them. Here is a helpful article about Tupperware safety, where I learned that most (but not all - see link for a list) Tupperware products do not contain BPA.
Related Giveaway
Stephanie at Keeper of the Home has a timely giveaway ending this Thursday. Check out her post here to sign up for a stainless steel ice cube tray! I’m a big fan of freezing food in cubes, so this is something I am definitely going to look into.
Find more Kitchen Tips at Tammy’s Recipes.
If you missed the last Monday Mission, click here. Don’t want to miss another? Sign up for an email subscription or the reader.
More good stuff: