I want to reduce kitchen plastics. Need suggestions.

[jmbar2]

I recently learned that containers such as those for cottage cheese, yoghurt, blueberries and baked goods are actually not recyclable, at least where I live.

Suddenly, I am much more aware of how many food items come in nonrecyclable plastics.

Any suggestions for reducing plastic, especially for tub-type containers such as cottage cheese? All ideas are appreciated.

[Voltaire2]

1. Glass bowls with reusable covers.

I’m trying to do the same. At this point all use of plastics is suspect, even if it’s not single use, and especially around food.

[Think. Again.]

2. It's funny, I've developed a real hatred of packaging for some reason....

...beside the obvious amount of wasted materials of all sorts, the building up of- and need to handle all that waste, and the health risks involved in synthetic chemicals that so much of that packaging is made from, I just get really bothered having to physically fight with all that packaging just to get to whatever the object is that I wanted.

Waste of any kind gets under my skin though. I like things lean and clean.

[Scrivener7]

8. I feel the same way. I resent it and the terrible damage it does.

[GreenWave]

3. I use a few of those containers for ant control otherwise they own all my fruits.

I drill some holes in the side. Mix white sugar with borax. Ants enter holes and report the bonanza back to ant hill headquarters. Here they come! Back to the queen with the food. The queen will get her final meal this way.

[jmbar2]

13. Brilliant!

I don't have ants, but will keep that in mind. Thanks.

[hlthe2b]

4. Good question. There used to be coops (and even Whole Foods for a while) that would let you

bring your own (sanitized) glass or other jars to buy in bulk--peanut butter, nuts, seeds, some spices and other similar. I even seem to recall when you could do so with certain cleaning products, white vinegar, and baking soda.

That is certainly a diminishing proposition... while plastic is an ever more explosive issue...

There is a local dairy near me that will still deliver in glass bottles--a tremendous benefit, but unfortunately, delivery fees have become too expensive.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. 25 years ago they told us alcohol in plastic bottles was no good for you

Now you can hardly find glass.

Buying the largest containers of food probably reduces the volume of plastic per unit of food.

There is no solution to this problem. We're married to plastic. It's cheap, it doesn't break, and manufacturing is geared up for it.

Aseptic packages are available here or there. Paper and plastic.

[Chipper Chat]

6. I can remember how pretty milk was in glass bottles.

It was fascinating to see the cream risen to the top of the bottle. And you had to shake it yourself to homogenize it (or you could pour off the cream and use it on blueberries or whatever.)

[zeusdogmom]

7. Nearly every food we buy is in a plastic container of some type

I get around some of it by making things from scratch. Yogurt is very easy. Cottage cheese a little more effort but not horrible. Baked goods - always at home from scratch. Bulk purchases as much as possible. It is tough though to avoid plastic packaging. Takes lots of detective work to find what you want and frequently more $$$

I will admit I don’t make my own cottage cheese but I do use the empty containers for up potting garden transplants.

Good luck on your quest to reduce plastic in your life. Every bit helps.

[jmbar2]

17. Cottage cheese and yoghurt are probably my two most frequent plastic waste purchases.

I know that you can make your own yoghurt - haven't tried it yet. Never heard of making your own cottage cheese, but now gotta look it up.

Thanks for the ideas!

[Scrivener7]

9. Some foods you just can't avoid it, so you have to decide whether you'll give up that food. For

example, you might switch the cottage cheese for fresh mozzarella from an Italian pork store and ask for it in wax paper rather than plastic, then store it in a glass container at home.

Stores like Italian pork stores and local butchers are much more expensive, but much easier to avoid plastic.

For takeout, I am slowly converting my local restaurants. Most now offer the paper cartons like you used to always get in Chinese food places as an alternative to the plastic. Enough have changed over that I now only use them. Now I ask before I order and if they say they don't have the cartons, I say, "That's a shame. I'll come back when you do."

For milk, I now buy the half gallons in cartons rather than the gallons in plastic. Again it's more expensive, but it's worth it to me.

For meat, bring a separate reusable bag and don't have them pack each meat product in a separate plastic bag. I find I really have to watch the checkout people because they have habits of using tons of plastic bags.

It's hard. Just about everything has some plastic, but you can reduce it. And, while I still recycle whatever I can, I think it's mostly a sham.

Also, consider going to only natural clothing fibers going forward. Plastics in clothing are a big problem too.

[jmbar2]

16. I've never heard of an Italian pork store.

I live in a small town on the Oregon Coast, so we don't have pork stores. But we do have fresh fish and crab that can be purchased without plastic.

I've pretty much quit buying clothes unless absolutely necessary. Trying to pare down everything I own as I get older. Must admit though, my T-shirts are getting raggedy.

[Scrivener7]

18. It must be regional. They're pretty awesome. Lots of fresh Italian stuff.

[LearnedHand]

10. I NEVER put loose fruits/veggies in the plastic bags provided by stores

I just put them in my basket and the checkers bag them in paper bags (still an option at my grocery). I really wish they’d stop prepackaging fruits/veggies in plastic clamshells though.

[Scrivener7]

11. Me too!!! Just give me a paper bag!

[jmbar2]

14. They usually have paper towels close to the plastic veggie bags

I have a reusable mesh bag that I use when I remember it.

But for unplanned grocery runs, I'll often just take some paper towels and put all my veggies on them until checkout, then just throw them into the paper bag.

[twodogsbarking]

12. Have reusable plastic containers but use Mason jars for many things.

Store nuts, snacks, leftovers, candy and so much more.

[jmbar2]

15. Whoever gave me the hearts - thank you!