Some Green Talk about Plastic

At times it can seem like our world is just about made of plastic. You shop and a huge portion of what we purchase comes wrapped up in plastic. Toys are plastic, furniture can be plastic, we sit in cars surrounded by plastics, our dish soap comes in plastic and on and on. We pick out wonderful organic produce and pop them in a plastic bag to be weighed. Most folks store food in the fridge in plastic storage containers. Our landfills are full of plastic, and on a windy day, plastic bags fly about like tiny kites without strings.

We made the decision a couple years ago to store food in glass containers. To take cloth bags to the store with us, and to shop carefully, limiting the amount of plastics we bring home.

Here are some good suggestions for reducing the use of plastics in your home.

Crate and Barrel has some great glass food storage containers, some with glass lids too.

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/kitchen-storage/kitchen-accessories/1

Solutions:

What you can do to reduce plastics and toxic exposure
by Pamela Lundquist

http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/88-89/lundquist5
Packaging
Avoid single-use, disposable packaging.
Bring cloth bags to your supermarket to carry groceries home.
Buy in bulk, whenever possible. Purchasing the least-packaged option sends a clear message to manufacturers and retailers alike.
Choose refillable containers. Glass, for example, can be reused for food storage.
Choose packaging that's made from truly recyclable materials: paper, glass, metal cans. (Purchasing recycled paper products completes the recycling loop.)
Bring your own container to salad bars, yogurt shops, etc. -- any place you'll be served in plastic.
For wrapped foods, choose butcher paper, waxed paper or cellulose bags. Reuse aluminum foil whenever possible.
Choose #1 (PETE) or #2 (HDPE) whenever plastic cannot be avoided. These are the most commonly recycled plastics.
Avoid plastics that aren't readily recyclable: #3 (PVC), #4 (LDPE), #5 (PP), #6 (PS), #7 ("Other").
Storage
Choose storage containers made of glass, ceramic or stainless steel (where appropriate). These can be reused endlessly.
Microwave foods and drinks in oven-proof glass or ceramic and cover with an oven-proof glass lid or plate. Never let plastic wrap touch food while in the microwave!
Avoid plastics that leach questionable chemicals: #3 (PVC), #6 (PS), #7 ("Other," usually polycarbonate).
Avoid plastic cutlery and dinnerware. Use stainless steel utensils and look for recycled paper products.
When purchasing cling-wrapped foods from the supermarket or deli, slice off a thin layer where the food came into contact with the plastic and store the rest in a glass or ceramic container, or non-PVC cling wrap (see Products).

our home in the green of summer