No More Plastic Baggies

[Guest57]

Okay, I decided that in order to have less trash, I have to buy less things that are disposable...So, I hit the thrift stores, antique stores, and yard sales to buy all those neat glass containers with the lids that our grandmother always had...all the leftovers go in those in the fridge and I have no more 'blobs' in foil, plastic wrap, plastic baggies and no more trash when I use the leftovers.
For hubbies lunches, he carried a vinyl lunchbox (Batman, if you can believe it!!) and I pack his food in the reusable plastic containers that lunch meat now comes in. It isn't much, but its a lot at our house and I love saving money NOT having to buy more sandwich baggies!!

[frugalfranny]

I can give up the plastic grocery bags, the plastic wrap, the large plastic garbage and lawn bags but will have a really hard time with the baggies. I do use 'containers' in my refer but I like my baggies and aluminum foil.

[vickilynn]

same here.. I inherited the glass containers (be careful not all were made to go in the microwave, guess how I know?). I keep baggies on hand, but try to use smaller plastic containers. We definitely have cut back on the number of baggies we use.

[Momto2Boyz]

I don't think I have bought baggies in at least 5 years. I had to borrow one at the end of the school year becuase my son had a field trip and needed to have his lunch completely disposable. So I went to my one neighbor who I knew wouldn't think I was crazy for asking to borrow one baggie (didn't make sense to buy a whole box, when I only needed one)!

We were at the pool yesterday eating lunch with some friends and they all made comments about how good we were. I had water and lemonade in resusable bottles, sandwiches in the "take along" tupperware, and chips and crackers for the kids in old recycled containers (sour cream and butter containers).

As long as you have enough plastic containers, you don't miss the baggies at all. And I bought the rubbermaid "take alongs" that are suppose to be fairly cheap and disposable and they have lasted me a year already. So they are well worth what I spent on them!

[Monner 1]

Truthfully I am trying to do away with 90% of my plastics. I just think glass and other things are better health wise. I am stuck on plastic wrap but I am working on it. I use wax paper to wrap my sandwiches in and am buying glass bowls and such at the garage sales. The less plastic around my foods the happier I am. It is an uphill battle but I will make it.

Monner

[nuisance26]

~If anyone needs a great deal on glass containers: http://frigidaire.stores.yahoo.net/anhoseset.html . I bought 4 sets of these in April and gave 3 set away as gifts. They're beautiful, huge and freezer, microwave, oven and dishwasher safe. ~

[Grainlady]

WAXTEX, waxed paper bags are still available.

http://mybrands.com/Product.aspx?pid=6729

We always wrapped lunch things in waxed paper when I was a kid.

[lotsadebt]

I do the reusable plastic containers to pack the lunches and snacks, and left overs. Do not use very much foil and plastic wrap. Baggies for field trips when everything is disposable. But I do store alot of stuff in the deep freeze in plastic bags. But I wash them out and resue them till there is a significant hole in them.
I will have to think about those glass containers, they would clean nicer than plastic. Mine are so old they are stained and marked all up.

[Guest57]

If you have stained plastic containers, make a paste using baking soda and water, then leave on over night...all stains including spaghetti sauce should come off easily!!

[Grainlady]

If you have stained plastic containers, make a paste using baking soda and water, then leave on over night...all stains including spaghetti sauce should come off easily!!

Good tip. To avoid tomato sauce stain to begin with, spray your plastic containers (the lid, too) with Pam (or similar spray).

[caribooliving]

I haven't used plastic baggies for years but then I don't have any children just pets.

But I have another question with regards to trying to eliminate plastic. I use my cloth bags religiously at the grocery store and I am now buying a lot from the bulk bins. Has anyone come up with a great idea on what to use to hold the bulk supplies besides the plastic bags?

Oh, and thanks for the tip on stained spaghetti containers. I will try to the baking soda thing tomorrow.

Jackie

[mauimagic]

great ideas!! We've cut our use of plastics and foil way down and reuse whatever we can - it all helps.

I remember the waxed paper bags - had a cheeze whiz sandwich on white bread for lunch everyday for 8 years - and I had to bring the paper bag home until it fell apart. Oh the good old days

[pollypurebred39]

Oh I remember those waxed bags! I still use wax paper to wrap my sandwiches. My husband thought it was so odd when we first were married and I started packing his lunches. I perfer wax paper and it has to be better for you and the Earth.

[nuisance26]

Has anyone come up with a great idea on what to use to hold the bulk supplies besides the plastic bags?

Jackie

~I know some people make drawstring bags out of tulle or cheesecloth. Obviously these would not be good for things like flour or sugar but would be more for fruits, veggies, dried beans, nuts, etc.
I wonder if you could talk to the store manager about using mason jars. If you always carry an extra empty jar for them to weigh first it should work ok.~

[caribooliving]

That's a great idea nuisance26 about the bags for the fruits and veggies. I will definitely do that. Unfortunately my grocery store won't let me bring in a jar to weigh first, I had already asked them. But at least cutting down on the other bags should help and then I'll just use these plastic bags for something else. I really appreciate the suggestion though.