To Plastic Wrap or Not to Plastic Wrap

• July 31, 2012  |
• by Laurie David

I started thinking more about plastic wrap when I began to notice that Kirstin had what I would call, a “plastic problem.” Actually it was more serious than that, it was an addiction, heretofore undiagnosed, to saran wrap, that classic kitchen staple that conveniently covers food but ends up in landfills forever. Plastic doesn’t biodegrade! Every dish ever covered with the stuff going back to its invention around 1957 still exists!

Where was I? Oh, yes, as we were cleaning up after dinner I watched her wrap leftovers, and then to my horror, wrap them again, and again. There had to be another way. After the intervention, we started to come up with alternatives. Tupperware for sure, although we had plenty of bottoms but not as many tops, and glass bowls with plates placed on top as lids would work nicely. We also increased our beloved Ball jar allotment, those jars are great for everything and you have the added bonus of not having to worry about any plastic leaching into the food. Good old glass works great.

What about you? What reusable solutions do you use to avoid plastic wrap in the kitchen?

FIVE FACTS AGAINST PLASTIC:

1. Each year the U.S. consumes over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps. (EPA)

2. Four out of five grocery bags in the US are now plastic.

3. Plastic bags cause over 100,000 sea turtle and other marine animal deaths every year when animals mistake them for food.

4. Worldwide, an estimated 4 billion plastic bags end up as litter each year. Tied end to end that’s enough to circle the earth 63 times.

5. The average family accumulates 60 plastic bags in only four trips to the grocery store.