Eco Green Tips

photo credit: wrestlingentropy

Now you know the meaning of the mysterious numbers at the bottom of most plastic containers and you’re anxious to go shopping and replace the ones you already have but are not quite sure about.

Here are some shopping and usage tips to make the process easier:

• Avoid storing food with high content of fat, such as cheese or meat, in plastic containers or wraps.
• Wash reusable plastic containers by hand with a non abrasive soap; microwaving and using a dishwasher and harsh detergents can scratch the plastic making it more attractive for bacteria.
• After buying food wrapped in plastic, remove it from the wrap and store it in a glass or ceramic container.
• When using a microwave it’s recommended to remove the food from its plastic wrap or container and heat it up in a glass or ceramic dish.
• Labels such as ‘microwavable’ or ‘microwave-safe’ mean that the plastic containers should not melt, crack or fall apart in the microwave. It doesn’t mean, however, that they don’t leek chemicals into the food. Therefore, FDA recommends placing microwave-safe plastic wrap loosely so it doesn’t touch your food and the steam can escape easily. And USDA urges not to microwave food in single-use plastic containers, such as take-out boxes.

To minimize the amount of plastic used in your daily life, take these few easy steps:

• Avoid single-use, non-recyclable or Styrofoam containers, such as coffee cups, meat trays, take-out boxes etc.
• Choose plastic containers that are recyclable.
• If possible, buy food in glass or ceramic containers.
• Use wooden or stainless steel utensils instead of the plastic ones.
• Replace plastic cutting boards with wooden ones. To keep them bacteria free, you can spray them with vinegar, followed by a mixture of hydrogen peroxide.
• Take you own container to a restaurant if you expect to have leftovers.
• Ordering take-out that you’ll consume at home, skip the plastic cutlery and the condiments packages.
• For shopping, bring your own reusable bag and recycle the plastic ones if you happen to forget your bags.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 4th, 2008 at 5:22 pm and is filed under Products, Shopping, Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.