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Photo: Getty Images / VioletaStoimenova
From keeping food fresh to cleaning up messes, plastic is an extremely versatile material that’s especially useful in the kitchen. It may be too useful, in fact, because plastic production exploded in the last 20 years, with only a small fraction being recycled, according to astudypublished inScience Advances. According tosome estimates, nearly a third of all plastic waste ends up in our oceans or landfills where, as it breaks down (which can take thousands of years), it leaches toxic chemicals into the environment and our food supply.
“Plastic pollution has emerged as one of the biggest threats facing our planet today,” saysErin Simon, head of plastic waste and business for theWorld Wildlife Fund. “We also know that the way we manage plastic waste can have negative health implications for humans,” she says. Preliminary research has found that toxins in plastics causecellular damageand have been linked tohigh cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, among other chronic conditions. While further research is needed to determine the specific effects on humans of consuming these chemicals, it doesn’t hurt to cut down on plastics in your kitchen—and it’s surprisingly simple to do.
How to Cut Back on Plastic in Your Food and at Home
1. Invest in a high-quality water bottle and reusable straw.
“The more uses you can get out of one product, the lower its environmental footprint becomes,” says Simon. So ditch the bottled water and invest in astainless-steel or glass bottleyou can refill—some even have built-in filters. Ditto coffee or tea mugs and even straws. Many places have begun banning plastic straws, so it helps to keep a stainless-steel or silicone one on hand.
2. Switch to glass storage containers for food.
If the controversy over bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical known as an endocrine disrupter which mimics the effects of certain human hormones, didn’t make you trade your plastic containers for glass ones, what are you waiting for? Plastics tend to be more volatile than glass when heated, and can potentially leach chemicals into the food they’re holding.
The Best Food-Storage Containers to Break Your Plastic Habit
3. BYOB at the grocery store
4. Ditch plastic wrap.
Single-use plastics—things that are used once and discarded, like plastic bags, wraps and films on packaging—are the biggest focus of conservationists, so much so that last year, theU.S. Department of Energyearmarked $14.5 million to fund research into reducing waste from them.
“Due to their size, these products tend to be more difficult to recycle and can often slip through the cracks, ending up leaking into our environment,” says Simon. “The good news is that these products are mostly unnecessary and can be easily avoided, making them a great place to start if you are looking to cut back on your plastic consumption.”
Instead of plastic cling wrap, try Bee’s Wrap, a pliable and reusable product made from organic cotton, sustainably harvested beeswax, organic jojoba oil and tree resin. Similarly, Stasher makes silicone baggies that are airtight, as well as microwave-, dishwasher- and freezer-safe.
I Spent Months Testing Reusable Food Storage Bags—This Is the One I Still Use In My Kitchen
5. Replace your kitchen sponge.
It’s easy to overlook but pot scrubbers are usually made at least partially from nonrecyclable and nonbiodegradable plastics such as polyester or polyurethane. And because they can harbor bacteria, it’s recommended to replace them regularly, which can be environmentally disastrous. There are plenty of natural alternatives, from knit cotton washcloths for wiping up spills tococonut fiber or coirsponges for scouring.
6. Rethink your shopping list.
7. Clean up your cleaning list.
The 13 Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products for a Sparkling Home
8. Cook more.
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