Alternatives to single use plastics that aren't (literally) rubbish

[GoGoGadgetShoes]

Trying to be a bit greener and decided to reduce the single use plastics in my kitchen.

Bought beeswax wraps - they are rubbish. Went mouldy almost instantly, then sticky and nasty and had to bin them. Really horrid.

Bought reusable fabric produce bags - veg in fridge quickly went mouldy and manky inside the bags. Still have the bags but unsure what the point is!

Bought a selection of silicone pot covers. They are great unless there is a milligram of grease anywhere on the container, at which point they spring off and refuse to adhere ever again!

What can I use that actually works? I'm annoyed, trying to use less and ending up being more wasteful.

I am interested to hear replies on this too OP!

Yes I found beeswax wraps a total waste of money too!
I have a sandwich bag I bought from Amazon from a company called roll'eat which is great - it goes in the washing machine so I can re use it countless times. For keeping food fresh in the fridge I have a collection of pyrex dishes with lids and some little tuppaware containers - obv they are plastic but I've been reusing them for years so much better than single use sandwich bags or cling film.
I also have some small cotton squares I sometimes use for wrapping food - they are marketed as an alternative to kitchen roll and I use them for all sorts - they can go in the washing machine too

Get milk from milkman in bottles
Keep takeaway containers and put leftovers in those in the fridge
Tin foil (recyclable) instead of cling film
Buy Kilner jars and similar storage containers from ikea or tkmaxx and take them to the refill shop
Wash and reuse ziplock bags
Take washing up liquid bottles etc to refill shop

That should cut your single use plastics by half.

Good on you for doing this. We are by no means eco heroes but we definitely use far less plastic these days.

I reuse plastic, thereby making them into multi-use plastic. For example the containers that curry is delivered in, we just wash them and use them again for picnics and food containers etc.

I agree with the beeswax wraps. Haven't tried the silicone covers, though. Rather than trying to find alternatives, I just try and reuse what I already have.

I reuse the plastic containers with lids you get from the takeaway. I use them for packed lunches and put the sandwiches in them. I will also decant food into them for the fridge.

I try and buy glass jars instead of plastic.

I don't bother with the veg bags, food just put my veg in the fridge/veg rack.

I'm pretty sure the produce bags are only meant for actually purchasing the veg, then taking it out and putting the veg in the fridge at home.
You can keep jam jars to store food in the fridge
Tupperware for packed lunch (I have proper old tupperware that used to be my mums, just the plain square ones, different heights but same lids, they are awesome)
Tupperware replaces most things for me, like foil/ cling film/ sandwich bags
I use a glass baking tray as I was fed up of non stick ones peeling after 6 months.
Most produce doesn't actually need a bag, so I just don't pick one up now in the supermarket.

Yeah I put all those ends of cheese or leftovers into takeaway containers in the fridge too.

I've had a lot of success with Klean Kanteen water bottles, we have one each now. Plus I bought some very good stainless steel lunch boxes from a brand called Hotsan on Amazon which are fantastic.

I have Tupperware for the past 25 years. It's awesome

I've bought glass containers with plastic lids. So not perfect but a lot better and they will last longer
A waterdrop glass bottle for water
Swapped to reusable cotton pads which I love

@WineIsMyCarb

You say that but not all areas have milkman or refill shop. Mine doesn't!

You need to get a good quality beeswax wrap and a wax block to top up. Wiped down with luke warm water. Our last set lasted over two years.

Veg bags aren't supposed to be used in the fridge. They are for taking to the green grocer/supermarket. Although I've never really seen the point.

We use glass jars and tupperware/old take away containers for storing food in.

We also have a refillable milk bottle that we fill from a milk machine that's on the way to my DPs work.

I use a moon cup rather than disposable San Pro. Also have washable face pads rather than cotton wool.

We a lucky to have 3 eco stores locally so gwt out laundry, cleaning and washing up liquids as refill.

I’ve never understood the point of beeswax wraps. They replace cling film right? But everything that cling film does can be done by foil (recyclable), a Tupperware/takeaway type box (reusable) or a bowl with a plate on. Similar for silicone covers.

I get fruit and veg from the greengrocer in paper bags and take my own box to the butcher - we eat very little meat, but what we do eat is local. I think Morrison’s let you go this too.

I freeze tag end of left overs - grated cheese (great for cheese sauce) , lemon (use instead of ice in drinks or defrost for juice). I have two freezer bags, one which I put left over veg (cooked or raw) and one which I put salvageable bits of discarded apples, pears, plums and berries in. One forms the basis of soup, one forms the basis of crumble!

I try and by food in glass containers where I can and save jars for storing leftovers. I’ve had milk delivered in glass bottles for decades (we live 3 miles from the farm!).I save jars to make jam (we live 2 miles from a huge PYO fruit farm). I always take out a bottle of tap water and never buy bottled water or soft drinks in plastic bottles (glass bottles, cans, Tetrapaks if you must). Yorkshire Tea have recently become plastic free! And we have a coffee machine, but not one that uses pods.

Bar soap, bar shampoo instead of shower gel, hand wash and shampoo.

Well made, good quality clothes replace fast fashion!

That's a shame @QuestionableMouse

You can still take your boxes to the butchers and have them fill those instead of buying packaged meat from a supermarket. Supports local / small businesses too.

Ive really, really tried with bamboo toothbrushes, and just can’t get on with them. They make my mouth feel weird. I bought an electric toothbrush instead, so I only have to replace the head.

still plastic, but Wilkinsons plastic boxes with lids go from freezer to microwave to dishwasher dozens if not hundreds of times. Cling film and tinfoil are gathering dust.

onions and potatoes are stored in the poundland opaque bags. Same thing available at a multiple of the price from Lakeland or Amazon.

I already do that. We did have a food weigh house but it closed.

I don't actually use that much plastic in general anyway but I've yet to find anything as good as cling film for covering bread dough. I've used cloths before and find it either sticks or dries out.

Thanks all. Definitely sounds like tupperware/reausing boxes is the easiest solution. I have some great non-plastic storage boxes (made of some bamboo stuff or something) that I should use more often.

And now I understand for the produce bags. I did use them for buying fruit and veg at first, but realised they were heavy (plastic toggles) so stopped doing that. Thought they'd be useful for keeping fruit and veg separate in the fridge...guess not!

Also agree for bread, plastic stops it from drying out. I have a collection of very old big ziplock bags that I use for bread. Tried a linen bread bag but the bread just went stale very fast.

As for foil, I had thought that wasn"t very eco friendly either so was trying to avoid that except when completely necessary (roast turkey!). Good to know it can be recycled - I'll have to check if it's recylcable where i live (not UK).

I wonder why the beeswax wraps are so popular? Maybe because they are pretty? It's interesting that you need to keep them waxed - I didn't know that. Although the ones I got went mouldy the first time I used them (couldn't get the mould off, was right inside the fabric), so maybe they were just poor quality (expensive though!).

One thing I do miss is milk delivery. As not in the UK, that's just not an option. Used to love glass milk bottles... We don't drink much though, and recycle the cartons. So not too bad I guess.

I reuse the beeswax but mainly just to wrap my cheese in the fridge so maybe that keeps it less mouldy!
I also use the reusable veg bags but most stuff comes out of them in the fridge (some stuff stays in though and doesn't go off any quicker but maybe I just eat it too fast!). Some have no toggles and even the ones that do I use for big heavy things anyway like apples where a couple of grams won't make much difference. I think they should knock a discount off for us being good!
My first bamboo toothbrush was terrible but my current ones are amazing and do not go weird immediately so worth another try.
Soft plastics can be recycled if they are clean so bread bags go there (we have a dump bin at our supermarkets in Oz- not sure if it is the same there?)
Otherwise most stuff goes in Tupperware which I know is still plastic but at least not single use...

I love my stainless steel clothes pegs. They are actually great.

Oh and for bread dough I just put it in a really big bowl with a damp cloth over so it isn't touching the bowl and oil the bowl so it doesn't stick so much

@Mrbob yes, have been confronted with no clingfilm when cooking and baking a few times! Wrapped pastry dough in an old ziplock that could be reused, which seemed to work.
Used a teatowel over the bread dough too, seemed to rise OK though the teatowel did get covered in dough!

You need a bigger bowl then, @Gastropod

I agree with EmpressJewel that it would be better to try to repurpose what you have rather than buy new.

My veg is always loose in the bottom of the fridge. I use beeswax wraps on things like cut melon. A lot of things like leftovers can go in a bowl with a plate on the top to seal.

The beeswax wraps you can wash in warm water but can also pop in the oven to re-wax (I made my own so have beeswax pellets available).

Fur bread dough, I rub oil on the inside of a plastic carrier bag and put the bowl in that. The dough does not stick. I keep the oily bag in a box in the fridge and use it a few times, then give it a good wash.