Plastic Free Food Storage Containers For Your Freezer and Refrigerator
Plastic can be found in homes everywhere! In the bathroom, in the bedroom and yes even in the kitchen. We are going to take a look at some plastic free food storage options that will not only be more environmentally friendly – but also healthier for your family.
As mom, I find plastic containers – the re-usable kind – are a hard item to go without. A lot of my child-free friends have converted to glass, but between its heavier weight and the risk of breaking when handled by little hands, transitioning away from plastic has not been easy!
While the low risk of breaking and the lightweight are important pros, plastic does come with cons – and lots of! First, there is the ‘toxic’ issue – especially when these containers are used for heating meals up – something I now avoid. Secondly and most importantly, it’s the issue of plastic pollution!
When I saw the EPA statistics that shows 26.8 million pounds of plastic were sent to landfills – I knew I needed to make this change!
Effects Of Plastic On Health
Many are not aware that there can be health related issues that can stem from the use of plastics for storing and reheating food so I wanted to make sure I talked about this. First it is important to note that there are a variety of different plastics out there but the ones we are concerned with contain phthalates and BPAs.
These items can essentially “leach” into your food from the containers and if you are reheating foods in these plastic containers – that makes the issue a bit worse.
These chemicals have been shown to interfere with human hormones which with long term contamination can have effects like diabetes, obesity and more. While these are not common – it is not a risk worth taking in my opinion.
But there are plastics that are safer than others as shown below.
Safe Plastics
#1 Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is one of the most common and are used for water, dressings, mouthwashes etc.
#2 High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) are clear plastics that can be used for juices, milk etc.
#4 Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) are most often found used for squeezable type bottles due to their soft consistency.
#5 Polypropylene (PP) containers are often butter, yogurt, syrup bottles etc. Many reusable containers are made from this type of plastic too.
Not Safe Plastics
#3 Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) you might recognize because it is most commonly used in pipes in your home and some children’s toys. It contains DEHA which is a possible human carcinogen and can leach out of plastic. While plastic wraps you buy from the store do not generally use this material – some deli shops still do.
#6Â Polystyrene (PS) is often found in styrofoam type plastic containers that hold your coffee or leftovers. This plastic can leach styrene into your food.
#7Â Polycarbonate is basically a catch-all for other plastics that do not fit other materials. Typically they do have BPA’s so are best to be avoided.
Plastic Free Food Storage Options
So now that we understand why plastics for food storage may not be the best option, let’s take a loot at some great options for storing foods of all kinds.
Below are the options we found that are good for you – good for the environment and can go in the freezer or refrigerator!
TAVVA Stainless Steel Food Storage Containers
No products found.
Brandenburg Food Storage Containers – Set of 5 with Leak-Proof Lids
No products found.
Final Thoughts
After learning more about the better options I decided to change all of my plastic containers out to either glass or metal. So far I have tried the Klee containers above and love them!
Have you stopped using plastic to store food? Have any tips, tricks or suggestions to help others that are ready to make the move?
Last update on 2024-09-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
