Nowadays, people have become plastic-addict and to preserve food item they use plastic wrapping. Whether it is tomato sauce or cashews, everything is covered with plastic. Even a silver lime is covered with aluminum foil.
Algalita, marine research organization, 185 pounds of plastic is thrown out by Americans every year. After that National Geographic reported that only 9% plastic was recycled worldwide in 2017. Plastic bags for the sandwiches were first introduced in 1657 and nowadays people don’t know how it feels to live without them.
If you are living in a place which offers to recycle products, then the aluminum and plastic foils can easily be recycled. Last year a study was published in the journal Science Advances and according to that study, almost 60% of the plastic that has been produced since its invention is still filling lands.
The only solution to this problem is to figure out how to reduce the independence of plastic. When we talk about the use of plastic and aluminum in the kitchen, we need to focus on three things – how we cook, how we shop, and how we store. Following are some ways with which you can keep plastic and aluminum away from your kitchen.
Shop More Often
When you buy in bulk, there is always a risk of storing that extra food and that’s where we need plastic and aluminum. If you are buying a week’s family before, try shopping for groceries every day as you will also get fresh food items with this. If you are living in an urban area which is full of grocery stores, then there should be no problem shopping every day.
Take Into Account Zero-Waste Option
If you plan to recycle the plastic or aluminum, then give TerraCycle a try. This box is available in different sizes and you can buy one according to your requirement. The company will help in recycling your plastic products by melting the metals and then reshape the plastic to form new products.
Clean Out Storage Room
People who live in humid areas tend to use more plastic and aluminum foils as they want to keep nuts and dry cereal fresh. If this is the case with you, try using storage containers instead. With the help of these containers, you will be able to free up plenty of space in your refrigerator.
Try Using Beeswax
Try using food wraps coated with beeswax. Such food wraps include Etee, Abeego and Bee’s Wrap. As soon as you are used to these wraps, they work really well. You can also wash them with cold water, avoid using hot water as it would melt down the wax. The only downside of these food wraps is that by looking at them you can’t actually guess what’s inside. But stick-on label can fix the problem as well.
Use Alternatives For Plastic Sandwich Bag
The above-mentioned food wraps work well but if you want something more useful then an alternative would be reusable silicone bags. These bags come in a variety of sizes and made of pure silicone. And you can easily move these from oven to freezer.
Improve Storage Of Fresh Food
To store food items like onions, apples, lemons you can use silicon disks powered by Food Huggers. These disks prevent food item from drying out and also available in avocado shape as well. On the other hand, to store greens and veggies, you can use bag made of cotton. You can preserve food items for weeks with these bags.
Make A Transition To Bamboo
Stop using a paper towel but instead use a bamboo paper towel. The biggest advantage of this is that you can use the same sheet 100 times. Just rinse it out and dry after every use. The fibers of bamboo break down quickly and have high sustainability as well. You can use bamboo paper towels of different brands like Bambooee, Caboo, and NatureZway.