Safe, Plastic-Free Food Storage
Written by:
Maia James
07/07/2016
As I’ve mentioned a bunch, my husband and I recently bought a property in Lancaster, PA, which we are renovating to be a non-toxic retreat. Because I’ve lived in New York City my whole adult life, it’s been fun to spend so much time in the ‘burbs–I love sending the kids out to play in a yard, the drive-through Starbucks, and the crazy wide aisles in the grocery store.
But the very best part of the #burblife might be Costco, where I get jumbo bags of organic grapefruit, a year’s-worth of toilet paper at once (and here’s why I secretly don’t by the recycled kind), and….Ziploc bags! While Ziplocs don’t have BPA or phthalates, plastic is plastic, and Ziploc baggies are obviously not an earth-friendly purchase. So here’s what I want to know: what do you guys use instead of plastic baggies? (My issue with most of the reusable ones–like this–is that they have a plastic liner.)
Other than Ziploc baggies, our food storage is plastic-free.
Plastic-Free Food Storage Ideas
Instead of plastic wrap:
Bees Wrap has been a game-changer in our house for wrapping bread, cheese, and vegetables…or covering bowls of leftovers.
Instead of Tupperware:
I like Pyrex and Wean glass containers to store leftovers, especially since they can go straight from fridge to stove or microwave.
For packing lunches:
Felix gets his sandwich in this Bee’s Wrap, his yogurt in this Eco Vessel, and berries, carrot sticks, or pasta in this LunchBots stainless steel container. His water goes in this Pura Kiki.
Please comment below with what you use in place of Ziplock bags, and other plastic-free food storage ideas!
Stay sane,
Maia, Founder & CEO
P.S. I recently learned about Stasher silicone bags…could this be a solution for plastic-free breast milk storage? If you’ve tried them, let me know!
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My daycare is asking I don’t send my kids food in glass (because it breaks) but I need something that can be microwaved that isn’t plastic. Ideas?
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Hi! Wondering if you have had any feedback about using stasher bags from breastmilk storage vs. traditional bags? Thanks!
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Hi Elizabeth,
It’s a great question. I have not heard any feedback and Stasher has not made any statements about using the bags for breastmilk.
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About the silicone sandwich bags you pictured above, I’ve read that they mold in the tiny crevices and it is hard to clean them. I thought they looked like a great alternative, but not if they are too hard to keep clean. By the way, I just found your blog and am loving it. I’m having to eliminate toxins from my life and am finding a lot of great information here. Thanks!
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Dear Maia,
How do you feel about Food Saver systems? They claim not to have BPA, made from polyethylene and the outer layer is nylon. Thoughts?
Thanks so much for your time,
Jessica-
I found these sandwich/snack bags at Target. They are called lunchskins (recyclable, food safe & toxin free) but then I read an article about PFAS. I am now wondering if these bags contain them. Could you help?
Thanks,
Katie
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Hi Maia,
How do you feel about the reusable polyethylene ziploc-type bags for kids lunches? How about vs silicone?
Thanks 🙂 -
Do these containers seem safe to you? The Member’s Mark Glass Containers.
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Does anyone have suggestions for breastmilk storage? Anyone use the stasher bags? Or is glass the way to go?
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Check out http://ca.soyoung.ca for kids backpacks and lunch boxes. They’re made of raw washable linen. Pvc and phthalate. lots of celebs are now sporting them ☺. I just bought my son the lunch box.
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Why do you think silicone is less toxic than plastic? Please read the following article http://www.safbaby.com/is-silicone-in-baby-products-and-bakeware-really-safe
Silicone is silicone!-
Hi again. While I love Safbaby and agree with most of what they publish, this particular article doesn’t link to any scientific studies. More importantly, it’s talking about silicone bakeware, which I would not recommend. My research leaves me comfortable with silicone for cold food and drinks–I use these items for both of my own children’s lunches. But I am all in favor of my readers doing (and sharing!) their own research, and am certainly not pushing silicone products on anyone.
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What do you recommend for storing homemade baby food in the freezer? Thanks!
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I like Wean Cubes: http://amzn.to/2adYCIh
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I use small mason jars for breastmilk storage. The lids are plastic, but lined with removable silicone inserts, so no plastic ever touches the milk. I even sterilize the jars and silicone liners with my glass baby bottles. You can buy the lids on Amazon in sets of three. A little pricey, but they’ll last forever. The jars actually have a fill line for freezer use, so you can leave room for expansion. I can put these directly in the bottle warmer, too, if I don’t have time to let it defrost in the fridge.
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