Plastic

[Hillbilly]

As it leaches all sorts of nasty stuff into your food/anything contained within it - what can I use instead?

I have already substituted baby's plastic bowl for a china one but I need help with things like - well e.g kids and DH get packed lunches which I make in the morning - the home made yoghurt goes in little tuppaware type pots with lids, the sandwiches inside a reused little plastic bag which in turn goes inside a tuppaware box type thing. What could I use instead?

Can you get measuring jugs made from anything else but plastic?

What about milk? Does it come in anything else but plastic containers (do NOT say a cow LOL!)

Re-using plastic food tubs (uh oh, them too!) for freezing left overs. Out now. What else can I use?


Your suggestions please...

TIA

[multiveg]

We have a glass measuring jug. Don't forget that milk was delivered to doorsteps in glass bottles, and the empty bottles taken back for recycling.

[Hillbilly]

Wow - how bad is that!? I forgot that even here we used to get milk in bottles. They don't cover this part of the country now though :-(

Glass measuring jug. Ok will look out for one of those. Thanks :-)

[ina]

Greaseproof paper for sandwiches - you can then stick them in a plastic bag, but at least they are not in direct contact. And yoghurt in screwtop jars.

[Shirley]

Pyrex do glass measuring jugs - they've got them in the co-py!! Strong too.

You could use greaseproof paper for sandwiches. I've got a couple of glass 'boxes' - they do have plastic tupperware type lids but they don't come into contact with the food. Not sure what sizes they do though.

I guess you could line the boxes with greaseproof before putting food in so that the food itself doesn't come into contact with the box... should be ok to reuse a few times too so long as the food isn't messy stuff.

You can get some rather nice glass bottles for using for baby and also for kids with sports bottle type tops... or of course you could use the sigg type ones... I bet they also do a range of metal food containers too for camping etc.

Grow banana trees lol... and use the leaves to wrap the sandwiches.

There are some plastic bottles that allegedly don't leach out the bisphenol A... http://www.babybfree.com/Default.aspx?pid=256

[Hillbilly]

ina, shirley - thanks!!! will get some greaseproof paper! not sure about glass jars with lids for teenagers taking to school - might be a disaster. Will have a think about that one..

tnx link on baby bottles too!

[Millie]

I know at our local schools they do not permit any glass containers or bottles on site.

[Hillbilly]

OOh thats a thought - didn't even think they wouldn't be allowed...

[Tigerhair]

We still get our milk delivered!

[ina]

Btw, I use pasta bags for sandwiches etc, too - that's not "proper" plastic, is it?

[AnnetteR]

I like to use small canning jars for myself, probably not a good idea for young children and schools that don't allow glass containers.

[Stonehead]

Be wary of greaseproof papers - some have a coating of petrochemical wax on them and all are made by extensive grinding of chemical pulp residues. Also, they don't rot down in the compost and they can't be recycled with other paper.

Unbleached baker's parchment will do the job, but watch out for silicone impregnated baker's parchment as well.

For non-soggy sandwiches (ie no tomatoes, mayo etc), then unbleached paper bags aren't bad either.

My favourite would have to be a Sigg lunch box - anodized aluminium, with rubber seal and snap locks. But, they cost...

There are some plastic containers/bags that don't leach chemicals, but they are still plastic. (Although the Sigg of course uses aluminium, which uses a lot of energy.) The longer you keep them, the better.

Anyway, some links:

Plastics

Debate over a leaching chemical heats up

Plastics and the Microwave

More Unappetizing News About Plastics in the Kitchen

And loads of science from Professor vom Saal, one of the leading researchers in this area...

vom Saal articles list

Stonehead

[Shirley]

Be wary of greaseproof papers - some have a coating of petrochemical wax on them and all are made by extensive grinding of chemical pulp residues. Also, they don't rot down in the compost and they can't be recycled with other paper.

WOW I didn't know that... won't be buying that again then (but what will I cook my chips in a bag in??)

Unbleached baker's parchment will do the job

- ahh at least there is an alternative!

My favourite would have to be a Sigg lunch box - anodized aluminium, with rubber seal and snap locks. But, they cost...

But they should effectively last a lifetime??

Interesting links... I've bookmarked them for a closer look later.

[Stonehead]

My favourite would have to be a Sigg lunch box - anodized aluminium, with rubber seal and snap locks. But, they cost...

But they should effectively last a lifetime??

Yes, in other people's rucksacks! I've had three stolen over the years.

Stonehead

[Hillbilly]

AW *expletive* *expletive* *expletive* - I just spent £1.29 on greaseproof paper!!!!

Sigg are good, we use their stuff for hills but only the bottles - however yer, aluminium - isn't that worse? (alzheimers etc)

Will look at bookmarks tomorrow - thanks :-)