We’ve all been there. After a few weeks of not-so-good eating choices (perhaps too many holiday cookies), the desire to eat healthy hits hard. You meal plan, head to the grocery store, and pick up all the vegetables that will fit in the fridge. The week starts strong, but by Wednesday, the avocados turn brown, the lettuce wilts, and the dream of your perfect, healthy week rots. You’ve just experienced a food storage fail! I know there is no shortage for tips to “keep your lettuce crisp” (cue the infomercial!), but there are specific eco-friendly food storage options that will help you prevent waste.
In the United States alone, researchers estimate that food waste makes up thirty to forty percent of our food supply. This waste alone is sad, but it’s even more heartbreaking to recognize that there are people in America who suffer from food insecurity. In 2019, roughly 10.5% of American households didn’t have consistent access to the food they needed.
While I can’t individually solve world hunger, I do know that my choices matter: choosing eco-friendly food storage, saving my dollars to give to others, and making food for people if I have too much. So, let’s start with finding ways to save our food without piles of plastic wrap!
Stasher Bags
Stasher Bags are a staple in the sustainable community. They are reusable, silicone bags that are “better for you and better for the planet.” The material, platinum silicone, is free of BPA, BPS, lead, latex, and phthalates. Aside from being safe for food, they are also incredibly durable and heat and cold resistant. While there are lots of reusable zipper bags out there, I think that Stasher Bags are the superior choice.
I love storing cut-up vegetables in Stasher Bags; they truly keep vegetables fresher so much longer! Some more surprising uses include storing salmon in the freezer, keeping medication and toiletries safe during travel, and using them as a pouch for school supplies. I could never go back to regular plastic bags, especially when you consider that over 100,000 marine animals die due to plastic bags ever year.
Beeswax Paper
If you’re looking to join the sustainable hive, no better place to start than with beeswax paper. This is a wonderful alternative to plastic wrap that provides similar convenience. The company, Bee’s Wrap,Ā combines organic cotton with jojoba oil, beeswax, and tree resin to create their signature paper. No more struggling with clumps of plastic wrap. Instead, beeswax paper is reusable and washable.
For my vegan friends, this company also provides a vegan alternative that uses candelilla wax instead of beeswax! Both options promise long lives of up to a year with good care. And not to worry, these wraps are also compostable!
Silicone Lids
Silicone lids provide the durability of Stasher Bags with all the convenience that beeswax paper offers. These are another positive alternative to plastic wrap, since silicone is non-toxic. This means that should you need to dispose of a lid, you could just burn it and compost the ashes.
Easy to throw over bowls, silicone lids are a great option if you just have a little pasta left in your bowl that you can’t quite finish. The little lids can also be used as produce keepers to cover half a piece of fruit. There are many sustainable companies that sell silicone lids, but here’s a great option if you’re in the market.
Food Huggers
Ah, the avocado, the pickiest of all fruits (yes, it is a fruit). If you’re an avocado eater, you know that there is the smallest window of time when an avocado is perfect to eat. It’s unripe for days, ripe for 10 minutes, and then immediately brown and squishy. I don’t know how it does it.
Overall, it’s difficult to keep fruit fresh once it’s been cut. Enter Food Huggers. These are little silicone lids in the shape of various fruits, specifically designed to keep fruit halves fresh. Definitely a good on-the-go option if you frequently only eat half a piece of fruit, specifically for avocados. My one complaint is that there really isn’t a “one size fits all” when it comes to fruit. Even though this company offers many different sizes, I think it can still be difficult to get the perfect fit that stops fruit browning in its tracks.
Glass Containers
When it comes to sustainability and eco-friendly food storage, glass is a first-class option. Why, you ask? First of all, glass can be recycled and reused an infinite number of times without losing its clarity and purity. Have you ever noticed that plastic containers start to take on the smell and coloration of the food you put inside? It’s pretty gross. On the other hand, glass isn’t porous, so it won’t absorb the characteristics of the food it’s storing.
The problem with glass food containers is that they often have plastic lids. Honestly, most of my glass containers do! One of the best solutions for this has been the introduction of bamboo lids. It’s also another chance to use a silicone lid since the glass container often outlives the plastic lid. Though I prefer buying from smaller companies, Amazon sells for many small companies like Greener Chef (Greener Chef is a tiny, family-run company that only sells through Amazon). They offer a sweet little collection of glass containers with bamboo lids that you can buy on Amazon.
Weck Jars
Another popular glass option is using Mason Jars or Weck Jars. While both are eco-friendly food storage options, the Weck Jar is a little more versatile in my opinion. I use Mason Jars for many things in my house, but they really are best for drinks and canning. In addition, Mason Jar lids contain either BPA or BPS in the white undercoating on the lid. The tin-plated lids also are prone to rusting and warping if used multiple times.
I appreciate that Weck Jars have a wider mouth on all their designs, which makes them better equipped for food storage. They also have a glass lid instead, which has a much longer life. Weck Jars are the perfect food storage system for dry pantry goods like baking items and spices, but they are also freezer safe and perfect for smoothies.
Stainless Steel
If you’re a parent of little people, you are probably picturing glass shattering around your kitchen. I do understand that children and glass generally don’t mix. So, let me recommend another sustainable option that is child-proof: stainless steel. This is the best choice for lunchboxes, and there are also wonderful stainless steel containers for leftovers.
The perks of using stainless steel include durability, tightness of lids, easy dishwashing, and lack of chemicals. Stainless steel is also safe for the stove-top, fridge, and freezer. When compared with glass, the downside is that it’s not recommended for the microwave and can be a bit more expensive. That said, it has the longest life and is great for a cold lunch!
These little eco-friendly lunchboxes sold at the Tare Market are so cute anyway that sustainability doesn’t sound that bad!
Eco-Friendly Food Storage Wrap Up
Trying to keep avocados fresh may still be a bit of a guessing game, but I hope that some of these ideas will take the guesswork out of your produce game! Did you know that between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, Americans waste 25% more food than the rest of the year? With this fact in mind, this is the perfect season to address sustainability. And if you do find some food going bad, make sure you figure out how to compost your organics!
If you’re in the market for some new green kitchen supplies, keep an eye out for my next blog post. I’m excited to share some other eco-friendly kitchen supplies beyond food storage.
Keep snacking, friends, but don’t be wasting!
Be Well. With Love.
merridee benham says
Maggie, This was so informative; especially the “notorious
avocado which for me does not yet have a good solution.
Thank You!
Maggie says
Those avocados are definitely pesky! We’ll win someday! Glad you enjoyed this post.
With love,
~ Maggie š