Breaking Down the Plastics

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There are really two categories of plastics that we use: disposables and non-disposables.

The disposable plastics would be items such as zipper-seal bags, wrappers, and plastics that are used once and then thrown out. I could say that my goals are to reduce the amount of disposables I use to an absolute minimum. I just can’t see getting totally away from zipper-seal bags. As Michelle pointed out, in this day and age, when we are able to preserve foods through freezing (a healthier alternative to canning), the ziploc bag can be a great benefit. So, I intend to be more intentional about whether or not a kitchen task requires a plastic bag at all. If I can get around using the plastic, I will. But, if I feel I need a zipper-seal bag, then I will try to reuse it as much as possible. I hardly ever bother to reuse them by washing and drying them, but now I’m determined to do it.

In the case of the non-disposable or non-consumable plastics, here I’m thinking of such things as serving spoons (not silverware, but utensils for stirring soups, etc.), bowls, cups, measuring spoons, measuring cups, sprout trays, food storage buckets, or water pipes. These are items that we use over and over and don’t intend to throw out. Some of these things I can phase out of using right away. Some will have to wait to be replaced at a future date. Take my sprout trays. I can’t believe such a useful tool in my kitchen is plastic! And that I bought them, without a second thought. Can I sell them? I suppose I can. The Sproutman proposes using bamboo baskets or hemp fabric bags for sprouts, so I know I’ve got easy alternatives there.

Now, did you notice I mentioned water pipes? Yes, water pipes! This has just been brought to my attention this weekend, because we are embarking on re-doing much of our water system. We will be relocating and replacing the pressure tank, adding a water storage tank, and re-laying water pipe to the house. (We will not be changing the PVC pipes in the house, unfortunately.) The plastics issue is very timely. Jeff asked me to look into what to use for our pipes and my first thought was, is PVC food-safe? It turns out that PVC is not a truly food-safe option, although its manufacture has improved in the past decade. The safer alternative — yet, still plastic — is black “poly pipe” (high density polyethylene, or HDPE). We could also choose clay or steel but those are very heavy and cumbersome to install, so we are choosing a plastic, but a safer plastic than regular PVC. Read more: “Is My PVC Pipe Dangerous?” and “Safe Pipes Mean Safe Water”

The food storage buckets we use are also HDPE. I use about a dozen of them, to store beans and grains. I do not see any way around using those. There are no other critter-proof containers, to my knowledge. The only way to avoid the plastic buckets would be to stop buying foods in bulk, which would mean we lose the financial benefits of shopping this way. In addition, we would spend more money on fuel to make more frequent shopping trips.

I have a handful of smaller plastic storage containers in my cupboards. I am replacing them with glass as I am able. Quart size mason jars are not quite big enough for the food quantities I keep. However, I just found an excellent price on glass gallon size jars — at Azure Standard. With lids, the jars come to $3.16 each. They come in cases of 4. I ordered 6 for myself and 2 for a friend last week. They are due in today; I hope they come in. They will be for Kombucha and also for food storage. I plan on buying a case every month until all my smaller plastic containers are replaced.

At this point, the goals I’ve set for myself and placed out there as a challenge for you, are overwhelming me. I look around me and see plastic, plastic, everywhere. For much of it, I am the guilty party. I brought it into our home. But I cannot let this get me down. It is onward and upward, right?

Here is my mission then, as I have clarified it for myself over the weekend — 1) Be thoughtful about the disposable plastics in my life and reduce their use as much as possible, and 2) Be thoughtful about the non-disposable plastics in my life and replace their use as I am able.

What are your thoughts, now that you have been thinking about this challenge for a few days?