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Try these kitchen storage alternatives instead of single-use plastics

April 4, 2023

The environmental issues caused by single-use plastics are plentiful: The items have short lifespans, don’t biodegrade and require fossil fuels to produce them.

Reducing the reliance on single-use plastics at home is a challenging task, however. Take the kitchen as an example, where single-use plastics are frequently the default materials used in food packaging and storage.

“In the 1970s, we started using single-use plastic for everything, and it’s just become the nature of our consumer market,” explains Emily Parker, coastal and marine scientist for Heal the Bay. “It’s hard to find products that aren’t made out of disposable plastic that are useful. That’s a major hurdle, that a lot of these products just don’t exist.”

However, it’s becoming easier to find replacements for items like plastic baggies and plastic wrap, which can’t be recycled and pose major problems when they enter our waterways.

“What’s tricky about plastic films and thin plastic bags is that they are hard to see, hard to clean and they’re often easily mistaken for food,” says Parker, noting that this can harm animals like sea turtles, who feed on jellies. “These plastic bags are easily mistaken in the wild for jellies and are then consumed and they can cause all kinds of problems for the digestive tract, which is majorly problematic.”

There are alternatives. Food-grade silicone storage bags from Stasher, which come in a variety of sizes and colors, can be a good, long-term substitute for plastic bags. Beeswax wrap, which has become more accessible in recent years, can take the place of plastic wrap.

The drawback, though, can be the upfront cost.

Julie Darrell, owner of Bring Your Own Long Beach, holds up a large, green Stasher bag during a recent Zoom call.

“This one here is $22,” she says. “It’s really expensive – but then it’s made from food-grade silicone, so you’re using it for several years, probably ten years minimum if it’s taken care of.”

While the cost might make sense in the long run, it’s not necessarily something that everyone can afford to budget right now, especially if you need multiple bags. But as both Darrell and Parker point out, there are other options.

“You can use simple things like a jar, a pasta jar, instead of plastic baggies,” says Darrell.

“In my home, I try really, really hard to reduce the amount of single-use plastic that I use. Instead of using things like Ziplock baggies or wrap,” says Parker. “I keep all the containers from the grocery store that my food comes in, the ones that are keepable, I wash them and I reuse them over and over again.”

To cover food, beeswax wrap and food huggers — food-grade silicone caps that fit snuggly over cut fruits, cans and jars and are sold at BYO Long Beach — are worthy alternatives. But like Stasher bags, they might not be the most budget-friendly option for people who want to reduce plastic waste at home.

Parker points out that DIYers can make beeswax wrap at home. For beginners, there are plenty of tutorials available online. As well, Darrell holds up a plate and a bowl as the easiest, environmentally-friendly solution for covering food. “Instead of putting Saran Wrap on your bowl, just putting a plate on top before you put it in the fridge is the most simple thing you can do that costs no money,” she says.

Another area where you might want to make a plastic-free swap is around the sink. Darrell uses a loofah instead of a sponge. Her dish brush, which is sold at BYO Long Beach, has a wood and metal handle with a replaceable head that can be composted.

Both Darrell and Parker stress that the most important thing is using what you already have on hand at home.

“We don’t want you to go home, throw everything away and start all over plastic-free,” Darrell says. “Use what you have first and then you can make those small steps to make replacements along the way, instead of spending the money to replace everything at once. It’s just small steps.”

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In fact, when people stop by BYO Long Beach to refill dish soaps and shampoos at the store, it is sometimes with plastic bottles left over from previous purchases. “We encourage them to bring whatever container they want,” says Darrell.

Parker points out that sustainability at home can take shape in many different ways. “People think of reuse culture as this sort of white-washed, Instagram-perfect kind of behavior, but it doesn’t have to be,” says Parker. “You can be incredibly sustainable and opt to use refillable products in a way that costs little to no money,” she says.

And it doesn’t have to be stressful. “If you’re feeling stressed about reducing plastic in your home. Take it one step at a time,” says Parker. “The most sustainable thing you can do is use what you already have.”

Orange County Register

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Try these kitchen storage alternatives instead of single-use plastics

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