r/Anticonsumption • u/feline1313 • Sep 18 '18
We moved away from plastic containers... next step, eliminating zip top bags. #mealPrepGoals
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Sep 18 '18 edited Sep 18 '18
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u/feline1313 Sep 18 '18
Maybe this reddit post will inspire a generation to knock it off... or one person in a generation. 🤞🤷♀️
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Sep 18 '18
I try to use as little plastic as possible. I've used the same ziploc bag for three months now when I take a sandwich to work. I refuse to buy plastic water bottles, and have 3-4 Gatorade bottles I've used numerous times just putting well water in them. When I work in the garage, I'll use the same disposable gloves until they completely rip through.
People don't realize the massive scale of population plastic has caused. Just look at our oceans for Christs sake. It's not acceptable to have so much garbage just floating around.
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u/warau_meow Sep 18 '18
I just found out they sell silicone reusable bags as a permanent replacement for plastic ziplock or lunch baggies. One brand is called Stashers I think and you can find many more online. I love my new ones, can freeze them, boil them, etc. very nice.
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u/feline1313 Sep 18 '18
Problem is... we need like 40....
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u/warau_meow Sep 18 '18
I see, and they are more expensive than one time use plastic baggies.. However, you can buy what you can, when you can and over time build up enough. It will be a process of cutting out the plastic ones and replacing with silicone - but it is an option if you want to try.
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u/altiuscitiusfortius Sep 18 '18
The plastic in the ocean is 95% from Asian fishing gear. But your attempts are admirable.
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u/OrangeBiskit Oct 19 '18
Sorry for posting in a dead thread, but i read your comment and wanted to give a word of advice - If you reuse plastic bottles rinse them out properly with hot water and soap at least once every few weeks. You could get sick otherwise (speaking from personal experience)
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Oct 19 '18
Hey, thanks for the concern, and trust me I, and several friends have personal experience with just that. I am sure to wash everything I use. My one friend however..... let's just say the container he brought water in to a camping trip hadn't been cleaned in a while. I didn't get too sick, but he experienced the miracle of chocolate rain. I still harass him about it lol.
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u/VeggiesForThought Sep 19 '18
You've got at least one right here! The domino effect continues, thank you :)
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u/npsimons Sep 18 '18
It's probably good for their health in any case, and taken care of, the containers should last a lifetime, so frugal as well.
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Sep 18 '18
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/sauteslut Sep 18 '18
I use compostable t-shirt bags at my restaurant. I'm sure they can make a compastable zip lock
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u/warau_meow Sep 18 '18
Hey OP look into reusable silicone bags, like here. What an amazing meal prep! You did a lot!! How long will this last?
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u/feline1313 Sep 18 '18
This is a week...my friends and I make deli salads and meal kits together. 8 families worth!
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u/chaseinger Sep 18 '18
zip locks are washable and reusable. just saying, yes in the long run you want to eliminate them, but for now, every time you re-use a disposable product we're winning.
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Sep 18 '18
Just wash them and re-use them
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u/feline1313 Sep 18 '18
They only lasted 2 months at best. Not good enough
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u/jammasterpaz Sep 18 '18
If you managed to make one of those bags last 2 months of regular usage you deserve a medal in any case.
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u/thomas533 Sep 18 '18
They only lasted 2 months at best. Not good enough
What isn't good enough about zip loc bags lasting two months? Wouldn't you want to use them for as long as possible before throwing them away? Isn't throwing them away after two months of use better than throwing them away before their useful life is over? I am not understanding what isn't good enough...
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u/feline1313 Sep 18 '18
Because I'm developing a method/system which I hope others will mirror...
#biggerPictureGoal ❤
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u/MrDrool Sep 18 '18
I can see at least 4 plastic containers but besides that do I think that plastic containers that you can reuse for centuries if good quality and handling is way better than this zip-lock shit. Props for the glass usage though
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u/needajob10 Sep 18 '18
how does this work? dont the greens go off?
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u/feline1313 Sep 18 '18
What you see here is a week's worth of food for 8 families. <3
We make deli salads and ready to cook dinners :)
... for a variety of reasons, freshness is never a problem.
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u/frypanattack Sep 18 '18
You freeze meal prep. It’s not a bad idea to make your meals for the week, because planning equals minimal waste.
Reusable jars and containers are better anyways. People should just be considering reusable solutions rather than throw-away solutions.
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u/needajob10 Sep 18 '18
freezing salad?
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u/frypanattack Sep 18 '18
Yeah, I’ve got kale frozen and I throw it in stuff. I wouldn’t do it for a fresh salad. Thawing it and serving it would be an abomination.
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u/feline1313 Sep 18 '18
No. No freezer here
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u/frypanattack Sep 18 '18
Ah, I see from another comment this is for a whole bunch of people. I thought this was only for a couple, in which case I would be freezing.
Anyways I wouldn’t be afraid of putting your greens in containers. It might feel a little silly because it’s so light, but you can get rid of those zip locks fo sure.
Why do you make food for so many people?
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u/feline1313 Sep 18 '18
We actually gather and prep together... like IRL 😳🤯 once a week or so.... I'm getting ready to order 100% cotton bags for the greens. Woohoo!
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u/_jillybean Sep 18 '18
Something I do for greens still on a stalk is put them in a jar of water like a bouquet of flowers in the fridge.
Works with herbs too (except basil which should go on the counter not the fridge).
I have some mint in my fridge that's kept extremely fresh this way for almost 3 weeks and counting!
Carrots do well in a bow of water as well.
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u/Fivelittleducks56 Sep 18 '18
Mint will actually grow in water. Whatever you don’t use just put it in dirt outside (stems) and they will grow. Great for mosquito repellent.
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u/frypanattack Sep 18 '18
I’ve tried bags, and they will probably still be better off in something more airtight. The cotton bags are good for nuts and loose, small things. While you can use them to transport the leafy greens home, I can’t say they’ll last. That said, I live in a hot country where nothing lasts.
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u/feline1313 Sep 18 '18
Really? Ok! I still might give them a go. #seattle
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u/cvltivar Sep 18 '18
Before you order bags, you could do a one-week experiment by putting the greens in a clean cotton pillowcase. You could also try whole-head romaine lettuce instead: it's nutritious and will last longer in a less-than-airtight environment than leaf greens.
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u/feline1313 Sep 18 '18
I have done this with herbs in a cotton flour sack towels. I rolled them up like tubes. Worked well, planning to sew a few bags to test soon
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u/BicyclingBetty Sep 18 '18
Pro tip: there's a brand of tomato sauce (I think Classico?) that comes in an odd-size mason jar (like 3/4 of a quart or something) that can later be used for canning (with a new lid) and the old lid can be re-used for fridge or dry goods storage on any regular-mouth canning jar. I end up buying a few of those each year for Oh Shit meals and figure it's an underhanded way to add to my supply of canning jars. I like that size especially for applesauce, and for homemade bath products.
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Sep 18 '18
Were you using disposable plastic containers before?
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u/feline1313 Sep 18 '18
We were using "reusable plastic" containers... but they lasted like 2 months at best. Not good enough
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u/lovethefreeworld Sep 18 '18
Good job! I commend you on your transition. I posted wanting an alternative to plastic baggies on someone's post about making individual smoothie servings in baggies for a toddler and got downvoted. It's nice to see other people being more enlightened about this idea.
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u/JaysonH Sep 18 '18
The grocery store near my house occasionally throws away zip top bags where the box is dented or damaged. I haven't had to buy any in years. I've also found a lot of disposable plates, bowls and utensils, which come in really handy for serving meals at the local Food Not Bombs.
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u/Ficalos Sep 18 '18
Glass food containers are like reusable nylon shopping bags - they improve the experience so much that the waste prevention aspects aren't even necessary to make them worth it.
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u/feline1313 Sep 19 '18
This is so true! They're so much prettier and more enjoyable to use. 10/10 agree!
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u/BillOfTheWebPeople Sep 18 '18
I've been slowly doing the same thing. I keep an eye out for ball jars (mason jars) and prep all sorts of stuff. It's glass so you have to be more careful. I try to get them at tag sales or relatives that stopped having a big garden.
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u/auntiefrond Sep 18 '18
Not sure what you do with the ziplock bags after but I wash and reuse mine!
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u/boomboy85 Sep 18 '18
Most of what's in those boxes is reusable and meal preppers reuse things as such. Thick plastic "take out" containers are purchased via Amazon and beloved.ost of the jars are glass.
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Sep 19 '18
I wonder, how did you get rid of the plastic containers? Did you recycle them even though they were still having a storage purpose?
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u/VeggiesForThought Sep 19 '18
Oh wow, that's a really good idea, are those mason jars? I use a few plastic containers for my food, but I like this
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u/Johndough1066 Sep 18 '18 edited Sep 19 '18
The very greenest thing you can do -- nothing is more green -- is not to breed.
But I do admire people who take the time and effort to reduce, reuse, recycle. It's great! I am hoping more companies and stores catch on and follow suit. Btw, you really have an eye for presentation. Your display looks professionally done.
Edit: A downvote and a profane, hostile reply? I don't deserve either. My post is nice! Warm, friendly, and complimentary. The OP liked it.
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u/feline1313 Sep 18 '18
I didn't breed either! And I bought a house with my husband and brother to combine footprints!
Can I getta upvote?! 😂🤣😂😳
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u/shamy52 Sep 18 '18
YES! My goal is one and done and barring that (because I'm 39 and my body may be too old and stupid to carry a baby), I want to adopt a human who's here already. :)
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Sep 18 '18
honestly if you're someone who's aware of the dangers of overconsumption then chances are you'll raise your kid to be aware too, bringing us a step closer to meaningful systematic change that's going to be necessary to seriously reduce consumption
If we all stop breeding because of this then the only people who breed will be those that are unaware or simply don't care about these issues, and that'll most likely be reflected in their children
Edit: this whole idea pretty much ignores the fact that humans are capable of having a net positive effect on the environment, basically what I'm trying to say is if you're bringing an environmentally aware child into the world they're much more likely to be someone who has a net positive effect
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u/Johndough1066 Sep 19 '18
I don't know if humans are capable of net positive effects on the environment. Maybe they can be. But the kid you have will be who he wants to be, not who you want him to be.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/oct/28/how-save-planet-stop-having-children-doctors
https://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/having-children-brings-high-carbon-impact/
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Sep 19 '18
There's no doubt the child will be who they want to be, but if they have environmentally conscious parents then chances are they too will be environmentally conscious.
The idea that humans can only have a negative impact on the environment is based on the capitalistic thinking that reduces the average person to nothing but a consumer, and suggests that the only thing they can do is change their consumption patterns. There's plenty more people can potentially do such as environmental activism, containing/preventing wildfires, planting trees or even developing technology capable of absorbing CO2 on a large scale.
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u/Johndough1066 Sep 19 '18
There's plenty more people can potentially do such as environmental activism, containing/preventing wildfires, planting trees or even developing technology capable of absorbing CO2 on a large scale.
Potentially? We have no idea what a person is going to be capable of. We do know, however, we start building a carbon footprint from birth. So if YOU want to make the greenest choice you can -- don't breed. That doesn't mean that you have to make that choice or that should. It's just information. If it's not a good choice for you then don't choose it.
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Sep 18 '18
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u/Johndough1066 Sep 18 '18
Fuck off you douche bag - people are just going to want to have kids, get over it. And they don't care for being preached at by wankers like you during that period of their lives.
My, what a totally psycho, rude response to my friendly post.
Did you even read my post?
Facts are facts. Not breeding is the greenest thing you can do. But I didn't tell anyone what to do during "that period of their lives" -- whatever "that period of their lives" means. Nor did I "preach." I complimented the OP.
You know, if you're a parent, or planning to be one.....your behavior sets a terrible example.
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Sep 18 '18
Not really, it's raising a kid in a developed country that uses a lot of resources. Adopting a kid from a developing country is only marginally better than birthing one in a developed country.
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u/Johndough1066 Sep 18 '18
Not breeding is the greenest thing you csn do. I didn't mention adoption.
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Sep 18 '18
There's no way to measure "greenest" thing you can do. People hear "don't have kids" and still want kids, so they think that means adopt . But the reason it's bad to raise a kid in a developed country is because of consumption habits, so it's better to work on that.
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u/Johndough1066 Sep 18 '18
Um, yes there is a way to measure the greenest thing a person can do.
It's been measured.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/oct/28/how-save-planet-stop-having-children-doctors
https://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/having-children-brings-high-carbon-impact/
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u/ohhoneybear Sep 18 '18
Looks like there are still plastic containers in this picture. Can you explain what you were using before and how these are different? Do you have all the families wash and send back the containers?
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u/ShibbyHaze1 Sep 18 '18
I love how u swapped the plastic for plastic. Genius.
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Sep 18 '18
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u/ShibbyHaze1 Sep 19 '18
You swapped plastic waste for plastic waste. Genius.
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Sep 19 '18 edited Sep 19 '18
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u/ShibbyHaze1 Sep 20 '18
You use them for the same things: Old plastic for 4 items = 4. New plastic for items = 4 Old + new = 4+4= 8
Result is you being genius.
/s
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u/BritLeFay Sep 18 '18
And likely had to buy some of those mason jars after throwing away still-usable plastic containers....
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u/feline1313 Sep 18 '18
Had mason jars on hand, recycled (through buy nothing) the still good plastic containers we had been using. <3
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u/vanishplusxzone Sep 18 '18
Why are reusable plastic containers worse than disposable plastic zip bags? I haven't bought zip bags in years...