Eco-Pleasant Options To Freezer Baggage To Know

Searching for to cut back your plastic waste? Try these clever eco-friendly alternate choices to freezer baggage – from beeswax wraps to silicone baggage and a complete lot further.

Actually one in every of my prime meals waste concepts is to make associates alongside along with your freezer. Freezing meals not solely reduces meals waste and lowers your meals funds however moreover significantly benefits the setting.

In any case, meals waste is answerable for 8% to 10% of greenhouse gasoline emissions worldwide. To position that decide into perspective, the aviation commerce contributes spherical 2% of the world’s carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.

Meals waste has an infinite impression on the planet, and any steps we are going to take to minimise it’s only a very good issue. Nonetheless along with freezing your meals, it is also attainable to help the setting by reconsidering the best way you freeze your meals.

Take freezer baggage. Yearly, we get by way of billions of freezer baggage throughout the UK alone. These useful nevertheless usually single-use plastic baggage contribute to air air pollution and waste. Plus they’re constituted of plastic, which is derived from non-renewable fossil fuels.

Luckily, there are various eco-friendly alternate choices to freezer baggage on the market that not solely help the planet however moreover maintain your meals up to date. Let’s try straightforward strategies to make freezing greener.

Sustainable Choices To Freezer Baggage

In a position to battle meals waste and plastic waste on the same time? Listed below are my prime sustainable alternate choices to freezer baggage to know. Use the hyperlinks to skip to a selected a part of this put up, or maintain scrolling for the put up:

Plastic Freezer Baggage & Tubs You Already Private

I on a regular basis advocate that you’ll want to certainly not bin points throughout the establish of sustainability, so most likely essentially the most sustainable selection is on a regular basis to utilize what you already have.

So when you could have a stash of freezer baggage, then remember that they’re typically reused various cases. Whereas they aren’t made to be reused indefinitely, in the event you occur to cope with them, they’re going to ultimate for for much longer than their single-use nature. That’s somewhat extra environmentally nice than binning your discipline of luggage, and searching for one factor new.

To clean your freezer baggage flip them inside out (to have the ability to get into the entire nooks and crannies) after which wash them using cool or warmth water, washing-up liquid and a sponge or cloth. Scorching water can damage the plastic, so it is best averted.

As quickly as clear, you’ll want to then permit them to air-dry. I uncover placing them over a wooden spoon helps the air to circulate into. It’s biggest to then retailer them flat, fairly than scrunched up, to help further lengthen their life.

The an identical goes to your outdated plastic Tupperware containers. You presumably can maintain using these to freeze your meals until they break.

Glass Containers

I’ve been using glass storage containers for various years now and situated they’re going to come up all that my freezer can throw at them. I’ve tried various utterly completely different producers and really payment the glass storage containers on the market at John Lewis.

They’re extraordinarily sturdy, freezer-safe, reusable and non-toxic. The protected lid helps to keep up your meals up to date and free from contamination. Plus, they’re easy to clean and may be utilized for various capabilities previous the freezer – and would possibly even be used throughout the oven (as a lot as 250°C, excluding the lid) and microwave.

The first issue I like about them is that, in distinction to plastic Tupperware, these storage containers don’t sort out the colour of regardless of meals you’ve been storing in them. So in the event you occur to’ve saved meals that accommodates turmeric, it doesn’t stain yellow, and in the event you occur to retailer meals that accommodates tomato then it doesn’t flip pink. Gamechanger!

The one issue I don’t love is that they take up barely further room throughout the freezer and your storage cupboards, compared with freezer baggage.

Reusable Silicone Baggage

Silicone baggage have gained fame as a sustainable numerous to plastic baggage. Constituted of food-grade silicone, these useful baggage are reusable, dishwasher-safe, and freezer-friendly – applicable for long-term storage (as a lot as 12 months).

They arrive in quite a few sizes and kinds, allowing you to retailer every solids and liquids with ease. Furthermore, silicone is a sturdy supplies which will stand as much as extreme temperatures, making it absolute best for freezer storage. Plus, they’re less complicated to retailer than cumbersome tubs.

There are pretty various utterly completely different producers available on the market offering reusable freezer baggage:

I’ve been using Stasher baggage for pretty some years now, and I like them. I benefit from them for every kind of meals storage – from freezing meals to popping lunch in after I’m out and about, to storing chilled or dried meals in. I pop them throughout the dishwasher after they should be cleaned, they often on a regular basis come out making an attempt good.

Merely guarantee they’re completely dry sooner than storing them to forestall mould progress. I sit mine on an upturned glass until it’s completely dry.

They’re extraordinarily versatile, so I even use them after I’m travelling. Proper right here I pop liquid merchandise throughout the baggage, paying homage to sunscreen, to comprise any potential leakages.

There’s zero learning curve with silicone freezer baggage. Merely use these as you may a daily freezer bag, and wash after each use.

No matter heavy use, my baggage aren’t exhibiting any indicators of damage and tear. Due to this whereas the upfront worth was somewhat greater than a pack of unusual freezer baggage, I really feel common the value per use has been rather a lot lower. Plus, that worth per use will proceed to lower the additional I benefit from them.

Beeswax Wraps

Beeswax wraps are a pure and eco-friendly numerous to plastic wraps and freezer baggage. Constituted of cotton materials coated with beeswax, these wraps are washable, reusable, biodegradable, and compostable.

To utilize them, merely wrap your meals throughout the beeswax wrap and use the warmth of your palms to mould it into type. The wraps create a breathable barrier that helps shield the freshness of your meals whereas reducing plastic waste.

You presumably can freeze meals that has been wrapped in a beeswax wrap. By trial and error, I’ve found it’s biggest for short-term freezer storage. Intention for no a few month, to help shield the integrity of the beeswax.

Beeswax wraps are very simple to make – I’ve obtained a useful tutorial on straightforward strategies to make beeswax meals wraps. Nonetheless don’t worry in the event you occur to’re not DIY-minded, they’re easy to pick out up on-line. A couple of of my favourite areas to pick out up beeswax wraps embody:

To help your wraps ultimate as long as potential, I’ve put collectively a useful info on straightforward strategies to take care of beeswax wraps. This talks you via all my prime methods to carry them in the simplest state of affairs.

Vegan Meals Wraps

In case you observe a completely plant-based lifestyle then beeswax shall be a no-go to you. Don’t worry, you presumably can nonetheless embrace the enjoyment of reusable meals wraps as many producers provide wraps constituted of vegan waxes, fairly than beeswax.

These are reusable, washable and freezable and work the an identical means as beeswax wraps, merely with out the beeswax. As soon as extra, I would use them for short-term freezer storage solely (no a few month).

Places to pick out up vegan meals wraps embody:

Stainless Steel Containers

Stainless-steel containers, like this set from Elephant Subject (on the market at Buy Me As quickly as), are one different sustainable and eco-friendly selection for storing your meals throughout the freezer.

These containers are sturdy, lightweight, and resistant to rust and corrosion. They’re moreover on the market in quite a few sizes and types, making them applicable for storing quite a lot of meals. Merely go away a distinct segment on the prime to allow any liquids space to extend as they freeze. And as many producers aren’t leakproof, make sure you retailer your containers upright throughout the freezer.

No matter being a sustainable numerous to freezer baggage, to be honest they don’t seem to be the storage reply that I flip to first.

They’re typically expensive to buy and ponderous to retailer. And in distinction to glass storage containers, you presumably can’t use them throughout the oven or microwave to reheat your meals. In order that they positively lose components on practicality. Nonetheless, in the event you occur to’re looking for a completely recyclable and plastic-free numerous then it’s an avenue to find.

Glass Jars

Glass jars aren’t just for jam! Most jars can also be used for freezer storage. Jars are reusable, dishwasher-safe, and can be found various sizes. This makes them good for storing all of the items from soups and sauces to vegatables and fruits.

Choose wide-mouthed jars for easy filling and entry to your frozen gadgets. I’ve found that outdated peanut butter jars and vegan mayonnaise jars work notably correctly, and indicate you don’t need to buy one thing new.

I’ve found that there are 4 golden tips within the case of freezing meals in glass jars to steer clear of breakages:

• Solely use wide-mouthed jars. Bottles are a no-no, as they don’t provide ample space for meals or liquid to extend as a result of it freezes.
• Do not overfill your jar. Go away spherical two inches of headspace, to produce space to your meals to extend as a result of it freezes.
• Make certain that your meals is totally cooled sooner than placing it throughout the freezer. This avoids any temperature shocks which will put stress on the glass.
• When you first put your meals throughout the freezer, place the lid in your jar loosely. As quickly as completely frozen, you presumably can then tighten it. This affords space to your meals to extend.

Recycled Tin Foil

For objects which may be too cumbersome to fit in any reusable storage containers, wraps or jars, then a further eco-friendly numerous to freezer baggage is recycled tin foillike this one from Bower Collective.

Recycled tin foil is constituted of recycled aluminium, reducing the need for virgin provides. Plus it makes use of 95% a lot much less vitality to supply than standard foil manufacturing, making it a further sustainable selection than regular tin foil.

Recycled tin foil affords an environment friendly barrier in opposition to moisture, micro organism and air, serving to to keep up meals up to date with out the need for plastic. It is applicable for freezing most meals in the long term (as rather a lot as 12 months) – except for one thing extraordinarily acidic, paying homage to citrus fruit.

Nonetheless, it’s not my prime selection. Whereas it is constituted of recycled provides, tin foil is often dealt with as a single-use product. However it might be fastidiously washed and reused as soon as extra. And no matter being recyclable, various tin foil does end up in landfill. Truly, better than one in 5 (22%) UK adults do not recycle household aluminium.

Ponder recycled tin foil your ultimate resort if not one of many completely different decisions are applicable.

To Sum Up

Freezing meals is an efficient method to battle meals waste and its impacts on the setting. Nonetheless, you presumably can go further and help the planet far more by considering what you freeze your meals in.

Plastic freezer baggage don’t have to be your first choice within the case of freezing your meals. There are heaps of eco-friendly alternate choices to standard plastic freezer baggage available on the market. Whether or not or not you go for glass or steel storage containers, silicone baggage, meals wraps, recycled foil, or budget-friendly glass jars, there are heaps of learn how to kick single-use plastic to the kerb.

PS: Check out my info to eco-friendly bin bag alternate choices and sustainable alternate choices to kitchen roll for further strategies to cut your plastic utilization throughout the kitchen.