Making changes around the home can be challenging, anything that throws off the equilibrium, or is cause for added effort. Transitioning to a (mostly) plastic free kitchen has certainly not been without its challenges in my home. I wouldn’t even say I’ve arrived at my end goal yet, but I thought this might be a journey we could take together. Finding sustainable ideas has been challenging, and finding ones that work for my family even more difficult.

Here, we’ll collaborate (judgement free) on different products and ideas. There is no one solution that will work for everyone. Some things will be easier to change than others, and they all cost a bit of money. When something doesn’t work, it’s disappointing and can feel like a failure, but we’ll just keep trying until we get it right!

Bagging Plastic Bags

First, let’s talk about bags. From grocery store bags, to small plastic baggies, they are everywhere. Many places have plastic bag bans in place, or in the works (our’s just went into place in January) though I already feel over run with reusable grocery bags. I have bags in bags in bags. Replacing plastic baggies however, was been a bit more challenging.

Initially, we tried silicone bags for snacks, lunches, sandwiches, etc. They were expensive (this was probably about 5 years ago), but I was excited to get off the plastic bag train, which made it all the more disappointing when they just didn’t work well for my family. Cleaning them was not easy enough for a daily task, and while they were dishwasher safe, we don’t have to run the dishwasher everyday and we didn’t have enough to get through several days. It just wasn’t a good fit. Instead, the wax paper snack bags, and bees wrap have been great lunch time substitutions, with the usage of the bento style boxes mixed in. I don’t love how much space they take up, and they don’t easily fit in many lunch boxes, so we use them less, but they are pretty handy in a pinch, especially if lunch includes leftovers.

Those big, heavy duty silicone bags I purchased in every size (seriously, from snack bag size to gallon size) they are absolutely wonderful for the freezer! I can even freeze and store casseroles in them for an extra easy meal. My husband also likes to use them for the sous vide. The smaller bags I use to freeze things like fresh herbs, soups (pro tip: lay the bag flat on a cookie sheet while it’s freezing for much easier storage) zests, all sorts of miscellaneous things that are just too small to justify using a big bag.

Canning Plastic Containers

An easier switch to make in the kitchen is all of the plastic containers since glass containers have been widely available for a while. The glass ones also nest very nicely inside one another, without having a cabinet of mis-matched pieces exploding all over the place. I have had my set for well over ten years, I have found the secret to really making my set last is I absolutely do not microwave the lids. Do they go in the dishwasher? Yes! But the microwave is a plastic lid monster, so they aren’t allowed. There are many options and configurations available, round, rectangle, square, in addition to bowls. I have one glass set of nesting bowls, and a metal set. I’ve had them for so long, I love how clean and concise it keeps my cabinets, and I have yet to come across a situation where I don’t have what I need where food storage is concerned.

A set of glass jars (i.e. canning jars) are also tremendously helpful. They are great for miscellaneous odds and ends, dressings, sauces, little bits of leftovers too small for larger storage.

Saying “That’s a Wrap” to Plastic Wrap

Bees wrap, kitchen towels and parchment paper are huge kitchen savers! Most of the time, when I find myself perplexed by how to do something sans plastic, parchment paper is the answer. Need to pound some meat? Surprisingly enough, parchment paper is your go to! A quick note about parchment paper, nothing sticks to it…Nothing; which is both it’s greatest asset and it’s most frustrating characteristic depending on the goal.

If covering food is the objective, look to bees wrap, silicone covers, or an alternative storage method. Making homemade pasta yesterday, the recipe called for wrapping the pasta dough in plastic wrap for 30 mins to allow the dough to rest, I used the bees wrap instead and it worked beautifully. I also used the bees wrap to cover the cut, uncooked pasta until I was done rolling it all out and it worked perfectly, none of it was dried out, and I didn’t have to fight with plastic wrap to keep it from sticking to it’s self.

Sometimes there are those dishes that are tricky to cover, where nothing else will work and that is when I will either use foil or…..the plastic wrap still sitting in my drawer (pour one out for the sea turtles). That said, it now takes me an average of 3 years to go through one roll of plastic wrap, I’m certainly not perfect, but I am trying to improve.

My final answer to plastic wrap is….kitchen towels! It’s time to bolster your arsenal of amazing kitchen towels because they are so often the answer you are looking for. Need to cover something to rest? Need to let bread rise? Want to keep pesky flies off the food outside? Kitchen towels are the answer! Personally, I don’t think we give enough credit to the kitchen towel, they’re good for so much more than drying.

I’m sure there are many, many other plastic wrap replacements, and I would love to hear about what works (or hasn’t worked) in your kitchen! Please comment below so we can all help each other get away from plastic wrap.