Promoting Zero Plastic by shopping is good, but getting home how do you go about keeping everything well?

The purpose of this article is not to demonize plastic to the point of wanting to throw away all plastic containers and opt only for glass containers. A kind of "rebot" to start again on a healthy basis.

My advice is to use plastic containers until their end of life and then opt for more durable materials, usable for life, through recycling or second-hand purchases. The purchase new as a last resort because remember that the manufacture of glass, for example, is a very energy-intensive technique.

The glass jar

Ideal for storing dry foods such as legumes, pasta, rice, flours, etc. Its transparent appearance is very practical to know at a glance what is inside.

When buying this type of food especially in bulk (because they are not or less treated than their conventional counterparts) care must be taken that there are no food moths. These undesirables are harmless but proliferate rapidly. Thus, glass jars with a seal are better for storing this type of food. This is because they are more airtight than glass jars with screw-on lids. It is therefore difficult for small animals to enter.

The glass box

Very practical for storing food in the fridge. Multiple boxes can be stacked on top of each other. This saves space when doing batch cooking, for example.

The glass bottle

Very often recycled, the glass bottle is ideal for storing all kinds of liquids. In winter it is an essential ally of soups to keep in the fridge or to freeze. Moreover, speaking of freezing and glass, I advise you to always fill your containers to 3/4. Full glass containers put in the freezer break. Indeed, by freezing the mass of the food becomes more important. It is therefore necessary to leave empty space to avoid finding cracked containers.

The flat cover charlotte

It replaces the plastic stretch film in your kitchen, one less waste! The flat cover charlotte is waterproof, machine or hand washable and reusable. It adapts to all sizes and shapes of dishes. Its little plus unlike the bee wrap is that it can be used for raw or cooked food (vegetables, dishes, meat, fish...). We use the charlotte dish cover for preparations to be kept in the refrigerator or to transport them outside. It can even be put in the freezer to keep a loaf of bread for example.

reusable freezer bag

It allows raw or cooked food (vegetables, bread, meat, fish, etc.) to be stored safely in the freezer, which also prevents them from picking up odors. Food is protected thanks to the impermeability of the fabric and its practical and airtight zip.

The reusable freezer bag is an alternative to plastic freezer bags for one step closer to zero waste. Practical, robust and easy to maintain. Once the contents have been consumed, wash by hand or in the washing machine at 40/60 degrees depending on what the bag has contained then it's off again for reuse!

You can freeze both solid and liquid foods. For liquid foods, do not fill the bag to the brim and do not lay the bag flat but always upright in the freezer to prevent the liquid from getting lodged in the zip. Once the liquid is almost hard, you can lay the bag flat if you wish.

Hummingbird Tip

Opt for second-hand glass containers via sites such as Le Bon Coin, garage sales or resellers such as the Emmaüs associations.