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Ideal Bite - Safe Food Storage Containers - Where does all the plastic go after the party's over? SEARCH OUR TIP LIBRARY INVITE FRIENDS TODAY'S TIP DAILY TIP SAN FRANCISCO NEW YORK CITY LOS ANGELES CHICAGO BITER GEAR BITER BAGS BITER TEES BITER BOTTLES BITER MUGS BITER ONESIES TIP LIBRARY DAILY TIP SAN FRANCISCO NEW YORK CITY LOS ANGELES CHICAGO TOP TEN SEARCH SUBMIT A TIP BLOG MY BITES TIP SIGN-UP DAILY TIP NEW YORK CITY SAN FRANCISCO CHICAGO LOS ANGELES SEATTLE SIGN-UP FOR DAILY TIPS BANG FOR THE BITE If 10,000 Biters used alternatives to sandwich bags every work day fora year, we'd keep 2.5 million plastic baggies out of landfills. COCKTAIL FACT In 1954, Tupperware Party-originator Brownie Wise was the first woman to grace the cover of Business Week. SAVE TO MY BITES FORWARD TO A FRIEND: RATE THIS TIP: How useful is this tip to you? (5 is the highest) 1 2 3 4 5 home › tip library › Safe Food Storage Containers Where does all the plastic go after the party's over? The Bite Ever since the first Tupperware Party, people have been happily storing food in plastic. But baggies are piling up in landfills quicker thanyou can say "zip lock," and toxins in plastics are no picnic. Reduce waste and your daily plastic intake by storing lunches and leftovers in readily available, safer materials. The Benefits Less landfill. Those baggies have a long lifetime - as long as 1,000 years.Many alternatives last longer. Ceramic and glass are great for food storage because they're non-reactive and go from fridge to microwave and back. Stainless steel is also great when you're not zapping.Plastic by numbers. Some plastics, like PVC (#3), polystyrene (#6)and polycarbonate (#7) contain hormone disruptors or other nasty chemicals. Stay healthy with plastics #1, 2, 4 or 5. As for microwaving food in plastic…just don't: it can leach into food. Personally Speaking Heather generally uses washed takeout food containers to store her leftovers, and just crosses her fingers on the whole "leaching plastics" thing. Jen pilfered half of her mom's Pyrex collection over the years of getting goodies from her. Wanna Try? Most home-use cling wraps are no longer made from PVC. Still, to be safe, remove fatty foods like deli meats and cheeses from plastic and wrap tightly in waxed paper before placing in an airtight container for storage.Pyrex - 10-piece glass food storage set is refrigerator, oven and microwave safe ($22).To-Go Ware 2-Tier Stainless Steel Food Carrier - portable, lunchable, toxin-free storage center ($16).Wrap-N-Mat- reusable, machine-washable cotton wrapper folds around sandwiches or snacks, secures with Velcro, and unfolds into a placemat ($7).Bag-E-Wash - if you really gotta go with plastics, save big by cleaning and reusing those baggies in the dishwasher ($10).Green Guide’s “Plastics at a Glance” Chart - print and tuck in your wallet for more informed plastic purchasing. Jul 25,2006 Sponsor All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy. SIGN-UP FOR DAILY TIPS SEARCH CATEGORIES Play Entertainment Holidays & Gifts Sex & Romance Volunteer Work Food & Drink Drink Food Apparel Accessories Care Clothes Personal Care Beauty Health & Fitness Home & Garden Garden Home Money Charity Investing Kids Pets Technology Travel & Transportation Transportation Travel Free ARCHIVES April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 RSS FEED LINKS Add to My AOL Add to My Yahoo! blog RSS feed RECOMMENDED SITES Biter Picks: Stop Global Warming Plenty Grist Treehugger Joel Makower Earth 911 The Meatrix Founder Faves: heather Cainer Gawker Stalker jen Hoops and YoYo Sludgie Staff Faves: toshio NPR's This American Life sara Google Earth World Changing anna Biter's MySpace GoFug Yourself Biter Tee Models Lifehacker The Onion Plastics - a blessing and a curse Is the word "advancement" an oxymoron in and of itself? Will whatever form of life that is left in 500 years look back and laugh hysterically at us for inventing things like plastic and the Hummer? Why is it that progress always mean "more" - not necessarily universally better?Okay, I think I have wax-paper poetic long enough on this topic. But it is something on my mind a lot -- I think of how great things like pesticide and factory farms were thought to be when they were first invented.. getting more yield, faster, cheaper. Plastic is one of those things too that has helped advance our society a lot, especially in the medical field. I just feel like we, as a society, take things too far. Like, "oh great plastics rule and are cheap to make so let's hurry up and find a zillion applications for them and skip a lot of the testing (like what they do to food when heated up in the micro)." Seems we are so smart on the invention side, then so rash on the application side. And quite honestly, we could be much MUCH smarter on the invention side.. like designing things that are continually reused - a concept called "cradle to cradle." Right now things are designed with the "cradle to grave" (ie: landfill) mentality. But we were talking about plastic baggies and such. So here's the thing.. they usually smell evil, taste yucky, and have awful by products from the production process. Plus, lots of plastic can only be "down cycled" - you can't turn a plastic bottle of water into another plastic bottle.... it has to go down a step, like into a park bench or speed bump. My goal is to give up plastics entirely... and I started by replacing my Tupperware plastic waterbottle with a stainless steel one from SIGG, washing the plastic bags I do use with the Bag-E-Wash - and like the tip mentioned, I tend to, um, acquire food storage things from my mom. So what is left? The big storage boxes that I have my winter clothing in are plastic, my horse buckets are still plastic, and I am sure some other things are too but it is hot and I can't remember every tiny thing.Off to get my teeth polished by my Biter bro... ironic, he is a dentist, and gives everyone the Ideal Bite. From HotLanta, Jen Biter Comments... I wonder if there is a newer version of that "Plastics at a Glance" chart. This one is 5 years old and may not be correct/up to date. It looks like a great reference, though. Posted by: Kim | July 25, 2006 at 07:38 AM Ok, now im confused. I thought #7 was the safest of all the plastic. That is the plastic that newwave enviro uses for its drinking bottles and water container. They say its the safest non-leaching glass-like non-porous plastic. whole foods and all the major retailers sell their bottles. please clarify www.newwaveenviro.com Posted by: Atali Carrr | July 25, 2006 at 08:52 AM I don't think any of us truly sees household life absent plastics. Their light weight, flexibility, portability, break-resistance, and capacity for air-tight/water-tight seals have earned them myriad places in our lives. I do, however, agree that we can all be much more judicious in their use, AND REUSE/RECYLE! Don't send to landfill! For example: refuse to buy yoghurt in #5 containers if your local recycler doesn't take #5! I refuse to buy eggs in styrofoam! (Or coffee, for that matter!) Posted by: Kate | July 25, 2006 at 10:24 AM The plastics at a glance sheet is on the older side, though still helpful. Thanks for posting it. I'll keep it in my coupon carrier for when I'm shopping. I recently became a "bag lady" after purchasing reusable shopping bags from chicobags.com. I get a few odd looks now and then but it has also sparked some good discussion about why I bring my own bags. Posted by: Alotta Errata | July 25, 2006 at 10:38 AM I think the only thing missing in your discussion of storing foods in plastics is one word: disposable. That is the convenience that most people look for when they use plastic baggies and throw-away plastics. Are there any alternatives that are similarly waterproof and disposable which will biodegrade in a more rapid and sound manner? If not, I fear that I will continue to use baggies for lunch as I have no intention of returning home with more dishes to do. Posted by: Kelly | July 25, 2006 at 11:26 AM Biodegradable & convenient: waxed paper. I just recently started using waxed paper and, my favorite, waxed paper baggies. I started using them because of my health concerns about plastic leaching into food. The waxed paper baggies are great for anything I used to put in plastic bags. And I can just use a bit of tape to secure the waxed paper over a plate or bowl. I use a brand called "Natural Value". It's cheap, landfill safe, nontoxic, and made from unbleached paper. Enjoy! Posted by: Darlene | July 25, 2006 at 12:15 PM Kelly, I rarely do dishes at home, but when I've eaten my lunch from my reusable glass container, I just wash it out at work. That way, I don't feel like I'm creating more dirty dishes at home. If you still want to do the disposable thing, I would suspect that you could purchase disposable paper food containers from a restaurant supply store. Posted by: Darlene | July 25, 2006 at 12:20 PM Atali- Check out Coop America's Plastics Resource page at http://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/realmoney/articles/plastics.cfm #7 can leach bisphenol-A, an endocrine disruptor. At this point, bisphenol-A's in a ton of products and people have been using it for years - but a phase out is starting in places like San Francisco and the EU, which have banned it in children's toys. The Bite at http://idealbite.com/tiplibrary/tip.php?tip=20060228&title=Bottled_Up has a little more info and some alternative water bottle options. Posted by: Toshio | July 25, 2006 at 12:29 PM It seems no matter how hard I try to do it better...I've been buying good meats in bulk and then individually bagging each piece so that I can easily thaw just enough for my needs. Of course zip-lock type plastic bags work well and I'm not sure I could ever wash the baggie out enough since I'm dealing with raw meat. What other containers would work well for freezing such as individual chicken breasts? Using feezer paper seems like a huge production that I most likely wouldn't do. Do they make freezer paper bags? Posted by: Cyndi | July 25, 2006 at 12:33 PM I agree with Cyndi- it really is discouraging when you think you are doing something "better" then there is a major downside. I do use zip lock bags as they are mega convienent but I am trying to use them less and less all the time. Reuseable containers for transporting food to school, work, picnics and potlucks helps. I also use wax paper when I can and the wax paper bags work great for sandwiches and baked items brought from home. When I do use zip locks I try to reuse them many times. What drives me crazy is recipes that advise to marinate in zip locks ect so you won't have to do so many dishes- I mean really if you are home and the sink is right there how hard is it to wash out a glass bowl? One thing that I do do is if I buy a bag of frozen chicken breasts I pour the marinade right in there. That way the bag that would get thrown away anyway gets used. Also actually butcher paper is not that hard to use to divide up bulk meat to freeze. It prevents freezer burn and is easy to write on so you can label and date things. Yes I do cook a lot- I have 3 kids plus usually 2-3 extra around my dinner table. I am also the designated "snack mom" for most school trips. Posted by: KimPatrica | July 25, 2006 at 02:28 PM I have made my living in plastics recycling since 1988. Over the years I have found that there are many misconceptions about plastics and landfills and what goes on there. Modern landfills are designed to be long-term storage facilities since they are lined w/ plastic (to keep leacheate from contaminating ground waters) and sealed (keeping most oxygen out). Hence to say that plastics will last for a long time in a landfill is certainly correct. But so will newspaper and even a slice of pizza (which should be composted anyway). You may want to check out how a landfill works (a good primer) at http://www.plasticsresource.com/s_plasticsresource/sec.asp?TRACKID=&CID=135&DID=240 And you may wish to read about the Garbage Project and it's surprising results from Dr. Rathje at the U of AZ at http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE6DA163CF936A35754C0A964958260 Fascinating reading--guaranteed to change your ideas about what happens in a landfill... It will make you want to reduce, reuse, and recyle more than ever! His book is available at Amazon.com. As a solution to the landfill problem we have worldwide, I would also suggest you check out this start-up company in Washington state and what they believe will be a huge solution to the problem: conversion of standard landfill waste to diesel fuel. See: http://mmdnewswire.com/content/view/352/5/ or go to their website at http://www.cleanenergyprojects.com/. If they ever go public, I will be in line to buy their stock... Posted by: Bruce | July 25, 2006 at 02:29 PM Instead of using Zip-Lock sandwich bags try Reynolds Wrap/cut-rite waxpaper sandwich bags. They can be shipped to your door too! D.B. Traverse City, Michigan Posted by: denise | July 25, 2006 at 03:26 PM i see nothing wrong with plastic, if it's reused (like storage tubs- great for keeping things dust/moisture free) i've focused on things i throw away- plastic grocery bags, and plastic containers. two very easy things to do when shopping: bring your own canvas bags, and buy in bulk. i've cut out a ton of waste, plastic and otherwise, by purchasing dry goods (pasta, flour, tea, etc) and even shampoo and laundry detergent from my co-op's bulk section. Posted by: brigid | July 25, 2006 at 05:11 PM Check out this Workplace Dish Set from Vessel http://www.vesselinc.com/prod_table_work.html Posted by: Xanthe | July 26, 2006 at 07:39 AM here's a few more tips... i will buy a product packaged in glass before plastic, even if it costs more (pasta sauce, salsa, juice etc...) and save and reuse those bottles for leftovers and various jarring forever. I buy one large h20 bottle every once in a while and then refill it with brita filtered water a few times a day. smaller plastic containers (like tofu)can be used to grow herbs and climbing vines (which will grow up plastic straws!). why buy more tupperware when the yogurt came in it for free!! great tip. Posted by: bethany joy | July 26, 2006 at 06:05 PM Wax paper bags are great; so is the convenience of zip lock. I put food in wax paper then fold or tape and slide into zip lock. No health concerns about plastic and you can reuse the zip lock bags a multitude of times without washing. Posted by: Ann Marie | July 27, 2006 at 08:19 AM Plastics certainly have their place in our busy lives. I use and re-use the larger ziplock-type bags, quart size and up, then wash in the washer & dry in the dryer. They don't come out as clear as new ones, but are certainly just as usuable. And as for sandwich bags, if that's what was in it, and the sandwich wasn't messy with something like mayo, then they can also be used many times over. After that, use them over open dog/cat food cans, instead of those other plastic covers you have to buy, with a rubberband to hold the bag onto the can. Works for me! As for using waxed paper, well, we have two dilemmas here: Paper comes from trees, which are a renewable resource, it is true. But how much gasoline, i.e. oil is used in the manufacture of those parafin (an oil product) coated paper bags? No one has mentioned how much oil it takes to produce all this throw-away plastic that we consume, either. And the price of oil isn't going down in the forseeable future! Lastly, I think the Plastics Chart was a great idea, until I found out how small the print is! My almost-59 year old eyes with their trifocals are really having a difficult time reading it!! The one omission that I was able to make out was WalMart/Sams Plastic Wrap. I'm sure that it's been around for more than five years, and there's a WalMart, at least, in most large cities and an awful lot of smaller ones, too. I'd really like to know, as it's economical and easy to handle. Well, happy recycling, everyone! Posted by: Sherri Petersen | July 27, 2006 at 10:58 AM I am the owner and president of Bag-E-Wash Co., a dishwasher accessory that allows consumers to wash and dry their plastic food storage bags in the dishwasher. While not at all an expert, I have done some research on plastics and on plastics and leaching. Idealbite asked me to share this info with you. I hope you find it helpful. Also please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or any info of your own to share. What I have learned from my research is that the biggest concern with plastics and leaching comes from Bisphenol A or BPA. BPA is in a lot of plastics including disposable containers, deli containers, sealents for teeth, etc, etc. Plastic food storage bags made from polyethelene do not contain any BPA. Also important to note they do not contain dioxin. I have found that the freezer style bags are built super tough and it is ridiculous to think of them as single use. Our test bags went through over 50 washings and dryings and some of those are still in our own personal use! One fact I like to cite is one box of 30 gallon sized bags washed and dried (with Bag-E-Wash) and used 50 times each keeps 1,500 bags out of the landfills and saves $150. That is pretty amazing. I know I find plastic food storage bags very convenient. Since I have been using the same box of bags for literally years I don't feel like they are contributing to the waste cycle near as much as many other disposable products. I hope this info is helpful to some of you out there grappling with this issue.You can find many articles about plastics and leaching on our website on the FAQ page. www.bag-e-wash.com I am so happy there are forums such as this one wherein people can share info and learn from each other. Best green wishes to you all. Posted by: Jeannie Piekos | July 29, 2006 at 12:50 PM A good book to read on this topic is Garbage Land by Elizabeth Royte. Posted by: Eric Benson | August 06, 2006 at 07:53 PM I bought 7 sandwich boxes from Tupperware for my kids lunches. You can use them over and over again. They are dishwasher safe, come with cute designs ( my son loves the Nascar hologram one and my daughter loves her hearts). Best of all they keep the sandwiches from getting squished. Posted by: Nanci | August 18, 2006 at 08:13 AM I happen to be a Tupperware consultant and I disagree with some things in this article. While Tupperware may be plastic it most certainly isn't diaposable. When it cracks or breaks, if people are properly educated about it, tupperware can be given to any responsible consultant where it's taken to a local distributor and sent back to corporate where it is the recycled and made new again. Also, in TW's defense...when you lose a lid you can order another! The entire bowl does not have to get thrown away because of it. Even if it's 20 years old. Posted by: Jessica | October 03, 2006 at 09:16 AM Finding Pyrex dishes at garage sales is cheap and easy. I store almost everything in them and sometimes wrap a rubber band around the lid to ensure a tight fit. And they are colorful and cute! Posted by: Jane | October 03, 2006 at 01:18 PM What about laptop lunch boxes (http://www.laptoplunches.com/)? They are made of plastic but seem like a good option. Thoughts? (I don't have one yet.) Posted by: Kate | October 04, 2006 at 09:24 AM I read the plastic info and then proceeded to buy the wrap-n-mats (as suggested on Ideal Bite) -thought I was doing a good thing but now they've just arrived and they're lined (part that touches the food)with PCV! Isn't PCV one of the bad ones??? Confused! Posted by: Erin | December 19, 2006 at 08:16 PM Hi, I was wondering, are plastic baggies recyclable? Because I know that other plastic bags are.....aren't they? Cora Posted by: Cora | January 29, 2007 at 01:44 PM I agree with Jessica -- Tupperware is a wonderful product. I have bowls that are over 20 yrs old (I've replaced several lids over that period of time). My mom has a cake taker that is almost as old as me! Now, that's certainly not a 'disposable' product. Posted by: Virginia | May 30, 2007 at 08:38 AM Newsflash -- SIGG bottles are coated inside with BPA (bisphenol-A) epoxy resin, which leaches into foods and liquids. As are all soda and beer beverage cans, and all canned food. The only safe metal food cans or bottles are made from stainless steel. Bisphenol-A is also found in Nalgene-type bottles, water cooler-type bottles, and large clear rigid plastic containers (almost all clear grocery containers which used to be glass, and are now plastic, to save on producer costs). 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