Buying in bulk can be a great way to stretch your grocery budget, but it does mean figuring out proper storage for all your food items. One home cook took to Reddit for advice on more eco-friendly freezer storage.
The r/PlasticFreeLiving community is dedicated to minimizing the amount of plastic used in everyday life. It can be hard to find the perfect products, but this subreddit has great advice.
One poster asked: "Hey all! I buy meat in bulk once a month and then portion it out into Ziploc freezer bags. I want to eliminate the plastic storage as well as all the waste! Any suggestions?"
Eliminating plastic storage is an admirable goal. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, "14.5 million tons of plastic containers and packaging were generated in 2018, approximately 5.0 percent of [municipal solid waste] generation."
Reducing plastic food storage can save you money while helping the planet. According to our guide, you can save around $25 a year by switching to silicone bags while keeping several pounds of trash out of the landfill.
Swapping out your plastic bags may also be beneficial to your health. A study from 2024 found that plastic sandwich bags in the United States had very high levels of PFAS. These forever chemicals have been shown by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to have several adverse health effects, including increasing cholesterol and potentially making people more susceptible to certain cancers.
Fortunately for us, there are many plastic-free alternatives for food storage, including glass containers, silicone bags, and beeswax wraps. When it comes to freezer-safe options, the commenters had plenty of suggestions for the poster.
"We tend to wrap things in compostable parchment," one person suggested. "And then I put it in reusable silicone bags."
Someone else shared their method: "I wrap in waxed paper first, then a layer of foil. No sticking and no freezer burn once defrosted. No plastic needed!"
Commenters also suggested Compostic, which makes compostable cling film and resealable bags. According to its site, the products break down "within 24 weeks in your compost at home, or within 12 weeks in a commercial compost facility."
Freezing in glass is also an eco-friendly option and generally safe — just make sure you leave enough space for things to expand.
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