I grew up in a household that was low waste without trying. Because we were not well-off, we reused everything possible, storing leftover food in a variety of old jars and plastic containers. Bringing lunch to junior high in an old margarine container may have raised a few 80s kids’ eyebrows but it was just how my family did things. We didn’t have money for items that we were just going to throw away.

Eager to be bougier than my humble beginnings, young adult me filled my kitchen drawers with Saran Wrap, Ziplocs, and a variety of disposable food storage supplies. These were convenient but also added up to a lot of waste. Even though I reused baggies and did my best to conserve, I still needed to buy a new package every few months.

I am pleased to say that we haven’t bought cling wrap, plastic baggies, or other disposable food storage for more than a year and a half. It is definitely possible to stop using these items – even if you have kids, even if you prep freezer meals, and even if you have a limited budget.

Reimagining Tupperware

Does anyone else remember when Tupperware was super expensive and one of the only options for reusable food storage? My mother used to get invited to parties but rarely came home with anything because, while durable and useful, Tupperware just wasn’t in our budget.

We now have affordable disposable food storage containers in every store, making it easy to get into a buy and toss cycle. I have been using glass containers with plastic or bamboo lids instead. We have had these for about two years and they continue to work well. They can even go in the freezer or the microwave without an issue.

I plan to buy bamboo lids instead of plastic ones as this set wears out, to further reduce my waste. However I am really happy with these containers!

Replacing cling wrap

A lot of Americans are hooked on cling wrap and it’s easy to see why. Cling wrap makes it so easy to put food away and is cheap enough for any household. Even now, we have a drawer of the many things needed to replace it.

There are a lot of alternatives to plastic cling wrap but you’ll need a multifaceted strategy. We have a small collection of cute beeswax-embedded cloth wraps, which seem to be increasingly available. I have seen vegan versions on Amazon as well if you are opposed to apian products. I also bought stretchy silicone bowl toppers seen here but those are not as useful. We also sometimes just put a plate on top of the serving bowl before throwing it in the refrigerator. It’s not exactly the same but it’s enough.

Replacing baggies

Replacing baggies is a more expensive endeavor than replacing other food storage. We have a set of reusable silicone bags that is about two years old. While we saved money over the long run with these bags, we had to pay $30 upfront for the set. That was a lot of money for us at that time and will be the same for many families at the lower end of the income spectrum.

Despite the initial investment, I have been pleased with how well our baggies have held up. They have been through the freezer and dishwasher without any cracking or other change. In fact, I plan to buy even more, this time from Stasher, because I can see that this is a great solution for my family. We are hoping with Stasher bags that we won’t need the clips at the top of the bags seen here, which are annoyingly easy to break and/or lose.

I also have made my own baggies using scrap cloth and beeswax. While these aren’t completely airtight and thus won’t work for the freezer, they’re great for lunches and very cute. I used material from a hand me down shirt that was getting close to worn out, so this is a very low waste option. You can read more about it here.

Our other replacement for baggies has been bento boxes. I have a variety of them and we take them for lunches, on car trips, and more. I also find that bentos encourage variety just because there are so many compartments to be filled. When we aren’t using them for school lunches, they perfectly on a child’s lap for long rides.

Reuse what you have

We try to minimize plastic in our grocery shopping, but, for the meantime, there is still plastic that makes its way into our home. We wash and reuse these bags and containers until they are unusable. While your kids might not appreciate bringing lunch to school in a margarine container or bread bag, their peers are probably not going through your freezer or cupboards to see how you reuse your containers.

We are lucky to live in a time when there are so many low waste options for food and doodad storage. Are you trying to wean off single use plastics? What strategies have worked for you?