Environmentally-Friendly Food Storage Alternatives To Plastic Containers
When we talk about reducing our plastic consumption, people usually think about bags and straws. Don’t get us wrong, it’s important to switch to reusable cloth bags and metal straws, but there’s more in our daily lives that we don’t always think about.
Food is, more often than not, shipped, sold, and stored in plastic. During your next grocery store trip, look at the items and how they’re packaged; aka, mostly in plastic. Unfortunately, some of the changes in how our food is sold need to come from legislature and companies, but there’s still something we can all do.
When storing food in your home, or even on the go, don’t go for plasticware. Sure it might be more readily available, but it has serious health and environmental impacts. But don’t stress; there are plenty of plastic alternatives for safely storing your food.
1. Bamboo
Bamboo is a fantastic sustainable resource. It grows super quickly and can be grown in virtually any climate. Products made of bamboo can be super durable. Use bamboo for cold foods only. Some glues used in the manufacturing process aren’t safe at higher temperatures.
2. Glass
Glass is one of the best food storage materials. It’s strong and can withstand a range of temperatures. You can put your lunch in a glass container in the fridge, then pop it in the microwave without fear of it breaking. For dry goods, air-tight glass containers safely protect food from external factors that could make your food go bad faster.
The best part? Glass is infinitely recyclable! Just make sure your glass is clean before you recycle it.
3. Stainless Steel
Stainless steel packages are more durable and lightweight compared to glass containers. Food-grade stainless steel is best for packaging because they are heat resistant and rust-free.
Food-grade stainless steel, glass containers, and bamboo containers are environmentally-friendly and cheap. In addition to these storage solutions, you should also avoid plastics with BPA, single-use plastics, and plastic takeout containers making the environment less friendly.