Alternatives for plastic?

Question

We're trying to get rid of all plastic in our house. One problem I'm running into is zip lock bags. I make my own pet food for three furbabies. That's a LOT of food, and it can take upwards of 6 hours to cook, mix, and store it all for just two weeks to a month. I know very little about canning, but it seems that if I were to can their food, it would take even longer...ugh! So, I just put it all in zip lock bags and freeze. Any suggestions?

We use zip lock bags for other things, too, but we keep finding ways to cut back on using them for things other than the pet food.

Answer 1

If you want to get rid of plastic altogether, then maybe you should try canning the food like you mentioned. You would need a pressure canner, which can be a significant investment, but you can use it for other things like making meals for yourself and other humans. Ours cost about $250, plus the mason jars, lids and rings. Not cheap, but we will have it for a lifetime.

We can vegetables, tomatoes, fruit, pickles, jams, soups and stews, chili, baked beans, etc. It preserves the produce from our garden or stuff we get cheap in season and it is so convenient to come home from work on a busy night and open a bottle of our own homemade food, reheat it and eat in minutes.

I never tried making pet food, but we have had success with corned beef hash and stewed meats, which I imagine would have the same consistency.

It does take some work, but not that much more than freezing it, and you could do up a ton at once and be done with it. We can do up to 19 pint bottles in our canner at once, and bigger ones hold even more.

Just a thought. But if you do use a canner, be sure and follow the directions EXACTLY to avoid botulism.

Good luck!

Answer 2

The above suggestion about tupperware is good, but that is still made of plastic, and yes, it becomes very gross over time.

I use glass food storage containers. But I've never had to freeze mine, so you may want to double check.

You can buy them pretty much anywhere and they come in all different sizes, and they are fairly durable (unless you are clumsy and prone to dropping things alot!).

Answer 3

You could try for tupperwear- it's reusable and you don't throw it away. As long as you continuously use it for the same thing it should be ok, cuz I've found that tupperwear sort of absorbs smells over time. :/ It's a bit foul personally, however it is a less wasteful alternative to plastic baggies. :)

Answer 4

There is a difference in using plastic that you purchase on a one time basis, and buying throw away plastic containers that you don't recycle.   Why not  freeze cubes of food, place in a plastic container that is reused.

Answer 5

rubbermaid type storage containers