Trying to get all the plastic out of the kitchen is really hard!!!

[me&thegals]

I hear that one of the bigger manufacturers of metal drinking bottles lined their bottles with the same plastic ingredient that was determined to be unsafe in plastic bottles. It was on the national news on NBC a week or so ago. Oh well..........
I found frying eggs in a non-teflon pan is easier if done over really low heat. But those non-stick pans are so convenient.

We got the stainless steel with the bottoms some other better-conducting metal. It really took some getting used to. One thing I love with this new waterless cookware is I don't have to keep the stove nearly as hot, it just conducts so well. I thought I would never get over teflon, but really changes do just grow on you.

I didn't think much about all those teflon flecks in our eggs until friends started telling me what we were actually eating. Oops.

 

[Blackbird]

I hear that one of the bigger manufacturers of metal drinking bottles lined their bottles with the same plastic ingredient that was determined to be unsafe in plastic bottles. It was on the national news on NBC a week or so ago. Oh well..........
I found frying eggs in a non-teflon pan is easier if done over really low heat. But those non-stick pans are so convenient.

We got the stainless steel with the bottoms some other better-conducting metal. It really took some getting used to. One thing I love with this new waterless cookware is I don't have to keep the stove nearly as hot, it just conducts so well. I thought I would never get over teflon, but really changes do just grow on you.

I didn't think much about all those teflon flecks in our eggs until friends started telling me what we were actually eating. Oops.

Heh, yup! If you leave some scrambled egg in the pan for a couple hours then flip it over, you'll see that sometimes the bottom will be gray from the pan, depending on how much moisture there is. Num!

In this household, I end up using plastic here and there, more than I like, but not as much as I would otherwise.

M&TG, where do you get your SS drinking bottles?

 

[Lady Henevere]

For school lunches, I have bought some of these and they are really great so far:

Sandwich wrappers: http://www.reusablebags.com/store/wrapnmat®-set-of-3-p-137.html
Reusable snack bags: http://www.reusablebags.com/store/reusiestrade-snack-p-1672.html

I suppose the inside of the sandwich wrapper is a type of plastic though, so it might not fit your needs. But I would think you could make something similar from water-resistant cloth. (Does such a thing exist without weird chemical additives? I don't know. Maybe freemotion will try the beeswax-on-cotton thing and let us know how it goes. ) Wax paper is good for sandwiches too.

I haven't tried these stainless steel food containers or snack boxes, but they look like good options: http://www.reusablebags.com/store/lunch-bags-more-food-containers-c-4_20.html

As for the nonstick pans, my mom bought me a very nice set many years ago as a gift, and I have never seen any indication at all that the teflon is coming off in the food (no staining, flakes, etc.). I have had cheap ones where the teflon does come off, so there may be some benefit to having quality pans versus cheap ones.

 

[TanksHill]

I have an article saved somewhere that cam from John Hopkins university. Talked about the dangers of plastic in the microwave and how it is related to cancer. I will look for it.

I removed all plastic storage container from my kitchen. Replace with Pyrex. The kids use the aluminum bottles for water at school. But I am still using sandwich bags. I have a couple of those little sandwich boxes, but have you ever tried to fit a sandwich made out of homemade bread in one? Talk about not conforming!!

I have cast iron, stainless as well as the non stick. I really don't need to use the non stick. I should get rid of them.

As for the freezer, I still rely heavily on the zip locks. My aunt uses butcher paper for her meats but I have never tried it.

I used my first mason jar in the freezer last week. I filled it with chicken stock and set it on the shelf. It survived. Whoo hoo.


I just finished reading that link to the MEN article on the endocrine disruptors. Talk about scary. What I wonder now is about the PVC. All of our exterior water, come to think of it even the water pipe that comes from the curb to my house is PVC. I water my gardens with a hose hooked to PVC pipe!!! How do you avoid this?

 

[punkin]

I use plastic mainly as storage, but I don't reheat in it very much.

When my dad comes up for supper, I send leftovers home in plastic containers. He washes them and brings them back up to be used again and again. He usually puts his food to be reheated on a plate to reheat.

I do use alot of plastic in the freezer. This year for the cut-off corn, I used plastic containers instead of ziplocs. No waste when I get it out. For the corn on the cob, I do have to use the gallon ziplocs.

I have used non-canning jars in the freezer. I learned the hard way to leave plenty of headspace.

 

[me&thegals]

M&TG, where do you get your SS drinking bottles?

You know, I should really take a closer look at them. I think they are a bit light to be SS, but they are some sort of metal. I got them at a sporting goods store. They were about $20 apiece, but my health insurance gives gift cards to that store for families who exercise and document it.

 

[freemotion]

A lot of the drinking bottles are not stainless steel, but are aluminum.

I worked on replacing all my bakeware with stainless a few years ago....back then, it was hard to find stainless, but I replaced it all. I think it is even harder to find now. All I see on the shelves is non-stick coated stuff. Now they have that scary floppy silicone stuff for baking with. Eeek.

As for pvc pipes in the house, we got a point-of-use water filter for the kitchen sink. Yes, it is made with plastic, too, but the water spends much less time in there, so I figure it is the best I can do. We used a refrigerator pitcher, but that is water sitting in plastic all the time. Now we run the water through the filter at the sink for a minute, then fill glass bottles for the fridge. It is working out great. It is a lot easier to fill a pot, too, rather than waiting for the pitcher.

You cannot eliminate it all, but you can reduce it a LOT.

I guess I will have to try the waxed cotton thing for y'all, unless there are any sandwich-eating volunteers out there!

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Check it out. I found this place this morning!
http://lifewithoutplastic.com/boutique/

And wow at the selection of stuff... Prices aren't terrible, especially when you consider the price you'd pay for having the plastics in your life.

 

[keljonma]

We use glass refrigerator containers, canning jars unless the leftovers are going with dh to work - then plastic is safer.

Maybe homemade oilcloth for messy sandwiches and cotton napkin style squares for not so messy ones?

 

[TanksHill]

Ok I just found a new business. I checked out that Life Without Plastics web site. They were selling hemp and organic cotton bags. For sandwiches and stuff. I bought some really nice organic bamboo hand towels for Christmas gifts. I was going to embroider on them. I think now I am going to cut a couple down and turn them into sandwich bags.

Oh and how about this.... http://lifewithoutplastic.com/boutique/hemp-cotton-sandwich-foldable-napkin-p-314.html


With a couple little snaps your off and running. How much fun would those be???