If you want to live a zero waste lifestyle, one easy idea to live greener is to swap your plastic kitchen storage for glass. Learn how and why you should make this switch.
We switched to mainly glass water bottles years ago and pitched all of the plastic ones. In continuing down that path, one of the goals I set for myself this year is to get as much of the plastic out of our kitchen as possible.
Plastic can leach chemicals into your food, and some plastics can even have an estrogenic effect on your body. That’s not something I want for anyone in our family, especially our young girls.
I also hate how plastic seems to absorb the smell and color of food, and you can never really wash it all the way out. If it’s absorbing material, I really fear the leaching factor. So we agreed to move away from it this year.
We got rid of the plastic kids plates and bowls a few months ago, and now they’re using the same plates and bowls we are. Since Kaylee, our youngest, is almost 4, that transition was relatively easy since we didn’t have to make any new purchases.
Next thing I wanted to tackle was the plastic food storage containers. We’ve had the same ones for a few years, and they’re pretty beat up. They have scratches and some discoloration, and I just don’t like eating food that has been stored in them.
So we took the dive and got a few different sets of glass food storage containers and a few other goodies to help us achieve our goal of getting the plastic out of our kitchen.
I love these tempered glass food storage containers from Anchor Hocking (made in the USA). The TrueSeal fit lids go on easily and seal well. I also love how the top of the bowls don’t have a huge lip, so you could easily use them as serving dishes as well.
If I still worked in an office, I’d be packing my lunch in one of these containers every day! They’d be great for a salad or leftovers (that’s my leftover Slow Cooker Orange Chicken below).
The lids are made from a combination of #5 plastic and #2 plastic, so they’re labeled with the #7″other” recycling code (since it contains 2 types of plastics). These plastics are BPA free. I am so happy to be able toss out my old plastic food storage containers!
We also got 1-quart and 2-quart Bistro Pitchers made by Anchor Hocking, also in the USA. These pitchers are perfect for serving up fresh squeezed juice with breakfast, homemade tea, filtered water or even Kombucha.
The Bistro Pitchers have a really cool design, giving them a more unique feel than a standard pitcher. Like the food storage containers, the pitchers themselves are made from glass, and they have a a plastic lid. You can use the lid when keeping your beverages in the fridge, and then pop it out to pour if you want to eliminate all contact with plastic.
I recently got a new set of measuring cups, then realized they’re plastic, and I was left wondering why I bought them. So I was thrilled when I saw a set of Anchor Hocking Glass Measuring Cups on special. They are a very heavy weight tempered glass, so they seem very durable, like they’ll last for a very long time! They are also printed with non-toxic inks.
If you’ve been wanting to make the swap from plastic to glass in your kitchen, take the dive! Even if you only swap one item at a time, your family will be better for it.