Earlier this year I changed my mindset about using plastic bags to store things in the fridge and freezer.

I bought a glass container to store cheese in (instead of a plastic bag), glass containers for leftovers (no more clingfilm needed), and I use existing plastic containers to store vegetables. I have one sturdy plastic bag for carrots that came wrapped around a 1.5kg carrot purchase ages ago, which I just reuse for carrots over and over again.

Instead of using (new) plastic bags for freezing, I now use recycled ice cream containers and any other plastic container I already have or that can be recycled for that.

It's been amazing and I think how ridiculous that I used all those plastic bags for years and years, regularly buying boxes of them. Same for clingflm. I'm especially delighted with the glass containers I bought for things like leftovers - they're just so beautiful to use. I bought some Pyrex (heat and store but I just use them for store) [www.briscoes.co.nz] and I particularly like the round ones [www.briscoes.co.nz]

It would be interesting to hear other people's stories about reducing their use of plastic and finding new, exciting, clever and better ways of doing things.

I find I need to use plastic bags for freezing awkwardly-shaped items like loaves of home-made bread, but I wash and re-use them until they are no longer air-tight, when I use them to store vegetables in the fridge, where air-tightness isn't an issue. So I haven't bought new plastic bags for a few years (apart from the rubbish bags the Council requires us to use) I also wash and re-use re-cycled plastic containers for freezing left-overs, soups, etc etc.

If I buy groceries such as icing sugar, salt and brown sugar in plastic bags (I try not to but don't have a Binn Inn handy) I carefully cut the top open, put the contents in containers then wash the bag for reuse. I also have bought some silicone pouches that are great for freezing stock and some silicone sheets in various sizes for covering things instead of plastic wrap.

I think I'm behind the 8-ball on this issue! I didn't even know about silicone pouches. I see there's ones like this [www.dicksmith.co.nz] and then these ones (Australia) look good [www.biome.com.au]

(Hmmm, now all the pop-up ads on my foodlovers page are for biome......funny that.... )

Gosh, I've been looking at some of the things the biome website has and look at these! Silicone wraps!
[www.biome.com.au]



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/08/2019 07:09PM by J1.

I’ve bought silicon pouches which I’m still experimenting with. They’re great for cut avocado, so that’s plastic wrap replacement in my kitchen. I’ve also got a selection of silicon “discs” which I use as lids for frying pans, glass jugs and bowls in the microwave and in the fridge. The more I use them, the more I do. It took me a while to remember them. I have silicon squares that the demos make look very efficient as they stretch them for a plastic wrap replacement. I haven’t found them worth buying, but guess I should try again. I didn’t find them easy to use at all, and tore one as I stretched. The heavier ones that’s just sit on top are much easier. They’ve been available for ages and often are in the shape of flowers.

OMG J1!! Just had a look at the biome site and I can't believe how expensive the pouches are! Outta my budget, so I'll keep doing what I've done the last few years - reduce/reuse/recycle. Can't help thinking that if this sort of stuff was much cheaper, more people would be able to afford it, and then the reduction in plastic product use would drop much faster.

IMHO I think the silicone is going to end up like the non-stick/teflon. I ditched it all a while ago and overtime have replaced everything with stainless steel, cast iron and glass. Dont buy processed foods or do rarely, which means low use of soft plastics. I do use plastic bags in the freezer and do not reuse etc.

As an aside, the bigger your kitchen, the more options you will have, so not all solutions are suitable for all households.

Heather F Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OMG J1!! Just had a look at the biome site and I
> can't believe how expensive the pouches are! Outta
> my budget, so I'll keep doing what I've done the
> last few years - reduce/reuse/recycle. Can't help
> thinking that if this sort of stuff was much
> cheaper, more people would be able to afford it,
> and then the reduction in plastic product use
> would drop much faster.

Totally agree, the sometimes outrageous prices won’t entice me to buy. I do my bit the way I think fit. Looks to me that the packaging industry needs to do more to help reduce our pastic waste and why haven’t we started building our own plastic recycling plants ages ago if as a country we are committed to plastic waste reduction.

Chris Wrote:

> Totally agree, the sometimes outrageous prices
> won’t entice me to buy. I do my bit the way I
> think fit. Looks to me that the packaging industry
> needs to do more to help reduce our pastic waste
> and why haven’t we started building our own
> plastic recycling plants ages ago if as a country
> we are committed to plastic waste reduction.

And am in total agreement with both Heather and Chris. I know as consumers we should do what we can do, However why isn't as much onus being placed on manufacturers? Fizzy drinks are still flying off the shelf in plastic bottles. Hair products are being sold in plastic bottles. If you buy a razor or say a toothbrush, I realise for safety reasons they need to be securely packed, but the amount of hard plastic covering goods like these. A lot of cardboard packaging is glossy, which isn't suitable for recycling. And the amount of pamphlets/real estate glossies that once again aren't always recyclable.

But it is Joe Bloggs at the end of the line who has the guilt trip placed on them

"But it is Joe Bloggs at the end of the line who has the guilt trip placed on them"

Precisely, and that these products are "flying off the shelves", shows that consumers don't care as much as made out which is why manufacturers have no incentive to change.

We have an enormous amount of power and influence by shutting our wallets.

You are so right, Irene. It’s Jo Bloggs who will pay. It’s the usual, privatise the profit and socialize the cost. Our short-sightedness and habit of not facing issues and procrastinating makes me sad at times.

I do agree that alternatives are really expensive.

I have adapted too in a variety of ways from the old fashioned plate on top of a bowl scenario, re-use of bread bags often, bees wax wraps, various containers.

I do need a couple of lidded salad bowls for transfer of salads to summer BBQ.

I totally agree that it is just too easy to put the guilt on Jo/e Bloggs.
I reuse the ice cream containers wherever possible and I agree that in most cases they keep food in a much better condition than using plastic bags.
The smaller very thin plastic bags that are still in use for fruit and vegetable are used here to line a little bathroom tidy. I have the mesh ones that Helen once included with part of a gift package and they are used too.
I read of innovative ways where plastic is recycled into such things as roading material. If it works then that sounds a great thing.
I wont post it because of the length but like this very apt piece of a writing.
Google " We Didn't Have the "Green Thing" Back In My Day"

Cheese Lover Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
.
>
> I do need a couple of lidded salad bowls for
> transfer of salads to summer BBQ.

My little tips for covering salads and leftovers - which is not PC I guess. But whenever I stay in Motels/Hotels I always take the shower caps, and if staying longer than one night, take one so they are replaced. I use them to cover leftovers at home and actually wash and recycle and wash and recyle until they die. If going to BBQs and a bowl needs to be covered, out comes a shower cap. A new one and not a recycled one

100% agree that the guilt is put on consumers. Not to say we shouldn't try to reduce our own use as well, but the amount used commercially is absolutely horrendous. My personal bugbear is the way pallets of goods are almost universally wrapped round and round with plastic wrap in the factory. They must use literally miles of it every day or even every hour. When I think about how much wrap I'm saving compared to that...

What made me laugh was an advert for glass containers, that said "get rid of the plastic from your cupboards". Basically they were advocating throwing out all plastic to make your pantry plastic-free... surely that's just creating more waste? I have heavy duty plastic containers which I've had for years, I'm not throwing them out to make way for glass, I'll keep using those plastic containers until they can't be used anymore!

I do the same. I keep re-using the (large quantity of) plastic containers that I have and try hard not to acquire any more. I also resist buying new stuff like silicone bakeware and containers, or anything else for that matter.

Our main plastic problem is Jimbo's cat food containers. They are very solid and useful and last for a long time but there is a limit to how many we can use/store. I know the answer would be to feed the cat on meat intended for humans, but of course that comes packaged in plastic too.

Plates, I agree with you and I don't have any silicone bakeware, etc, except for one red spatula. This [www.mindbodygreen.com] is pertinent to our thoughts. I even have doubts about recycling plastic bags, something I once wouldn't do because the plastic wears and tiny bits constantly relocate to our food. I can handle this for the veg in the fridge because I wash them prior to eating but freezer food doesn't get washed so what plastic particles are adhering to it, we end up ingesting. No matter what we do, we end up being contaminated in some way by our environment (air, water, food, buildings, cars, toiletry items, medicines......)

Tpandav, I have the same problem with the Jimbo containers. I emailed the company - they're Australian - and asked them if they had any plans to change their plastic to No.1 or 2 and they basically said they had no plans to do so and it wasn't their problem that NZ didn't have recycling facilities for plastics 3-7. I tried getting our cat to eat more environmentally friendly options but he hasn't been cooperative at all so far.

Those Jimbo containers are really useful especially when taking food somewhere, as you don't have to worry about bringing the container home, but how on earth do you get the labels off? It's rather off-putting taking food to share in something labelled pet food! I have scraped off the name but am left with a white scrappy "under-label". Any suggestions?

Lynette, when I was sorting out what to do about Jimbos containers, I read on their website that their label is INSIDE the plastic:
[jimbos.co.nz]
"One of the first things you will notice about our new packaging is the label. The design and content is of course a bit different, but you will also find that the label is actually set inside the plastic of the container. This means the containers are a single footprint rather than having plastic, a separate label and adhesive. The technology to do this is state-of-the-art, and we are really excited about this innovative achievement.
If you were hoping to remove the label, don't panic! We have created some really groovy Label Templates that you can print off and stick over the top of your Jimbo's label to make a completely personalised container!"

If you are interested in their label templates, they're here [jimbos.co.nz]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/11/2019 02:37AM by J1.

I use the Jimbo containers for my winter soup 'collection'. I usually make 2 or 3 litres of each of 6 or 7 different types of soup at the beginning of winter. I find theses containers (small ones) an ideal size for single-serve soups and they stack nicely in the freezer. Being on my own, I don't care about the label around the container, I just put a white stickly label on the lid with the variety name, which sticks nicely in the freezer and peels off quite well after a soak in water when reusing the containers the next year.

Thanks J1. I must have very old containers as the labels are quite a different shape and are on the outside - to the detriment of my fingernails!

Lynette, my old cat who died three years ago at the age of 18 would only eat Jimbo Veal and I saved many of the containers over the years. I've just had a look at the ones I have left after having a clear out a while ago, and I have the containers of both types of labels - removeable and 'embedded'.

I gave a tip somewhere else about removing labels from jars, etc: Use a hair dryer to blow inside the container till it is hot and the labels are able to be removed cleanly. Don't hold the hair dryer right against the opening or the heat will be blown back into the drier and possibly cause it some damage. Hold it about 5-10 centimeters away.

Oomph spray from Bunnings is a great product for removing all types of adhesives from surfaces and fabrics. I also use it for oily marks on clothing.. fab stuff.

Thanks Lorna - I will try that. Our dog is now on a different diet for his dermatitis (the things we do for our pets ) so we no longer buy Jimbo. Still have a stack of containers though and use them a lot.

I laughed about the Jimbo containers. I love them, and sometimes our cat has Jimbo so I can have the containers! They are a great size and seal well. The only problem is that Emma thinks it's DISGUSTING to use pet food containers. Haha. I ignore her. I'm going to look at the labels.

Lorna, try peeling off the labels as soon as you take them out of the freezer. I find they just peel off with no residue, but they can't "thaw" or they stick and have to be soaked/scraped off.

I think the only way to really reduce plastic is to stop buying stuff at the supermarket that comes packaged in plastic, but that's a huge ask and creates an enormous amount of work to create replacement foodstuffs and cleaning products. Only then will the suppliers take note.

Briscoes had silicone bags as well as reusable bamboo 'paper' towels. I just bought some of these bamboo towels for 50% off in their Boxing Day sale. I have a lingerie wash bag hanging in the kitchen to put the used ones in and then the whole thing can go in the wash. I'm going to make a drawstring bag with an elasticated opening to store the washed ones.

GrabOne also sometimes has silicone bags of a different design. I love the look of those Biome wraps. I've got some thicker silicone sheets that can be stretched over dishes in place clingfilm but they're awkward to use. Does anyone know if New Zealand has the facilities to recycle silicone?

Solid shampoos and conditioners are widely available from Lush and Ethique. I use a solid hair wax from Lush. Lush is one of my favourite shops for reduced packaging. They are great for free samples and if you return 5 of their pottles for recycling they give you a full size pottle of a face mask of you choice for free.

I put fruit and vege directly into the produce bin with no plastic bags. I use my own mesh bags when I buy produce. I also use a Blue Apple ethylene absorber to keep my produce fresh. I used to use a NZ product called Extra Fresh but when I went to buy them last month their website had disappeared.

I find it funny that people are saying to wash and reuse food packaging as state because I thought that's what Kiwis had always done.