Having a green kitchen means many things: composting, using food scraps to fight food waste, and eating less meat among them. How you store your food also factors in, and there are plastic-free storage options for everything imaginable in your kitchen, from pantry staples to dinner leftovers.
The scoop is out: Plastic isn’t the best option for the planet or our health. If you are in the market for some new storage containers for your kitchen, there are many plastic-free alternatives to your stained old takeout containers. Plus, you get the added benefit of investing in these products once and using them for years as opposed to single-use plastic alternatives.
Related Reading: The Best Eco-Friendly Reusable Straws
Read on for seven storage options for your home and on the go that are gentler to your health and the health of the planet.
Glass Storage Containers
Best for: Leftovers, pantry storage, meal prep
Sur La Table
Tried and true, Pyrex and other glass containers are a comparable alternative to your average plastic box or canister. They also have an added bonus: With many glass containers, you can cook directly in them, and then pop a lid on for the leftovers. While they are a little heavy to take on the go, glass containers stack easily in your fridge.
8-Piece Glass Storage Container Set with Pen, $29.95 from Sur La Table
A must-have for meal prep and leftovers.
Silicone Bags
Best for: Leftovers, lunches, snacks, sous vide
Stasher
Stasher makes our favorite version of the silicone-based bags that are a great eco-conscious alternative to your plastic-baggie addiction, with benefits. They can go from the microwave to the freezer to the oven to the dishwasher, and you can even use them to sous vide! They are perfect for tossing half an avocado in or cut up veggies, freezing fruit for smoothies, taking snacks on the go, and so much more. And, though I’ve had mine for years, if your bag breaks, you can send it back to them for recycling into playground pebbles.
Stasher Reusable Silicone Bag Starter Kit, $86.99 from Stasher
Save 5 percent when you buy this 7-piece starter bundle.
Stasher Silicone Storage Bags, $9.99-$19.99 from The Container Store
Or purchase a la carte.
Ceramic Bowls
Best for: Leftovers, lunch on the go
W&P
If you are looking for a plastic-free container to bring your lunch in, W&P’s ceramic Porter Bowl may be the option for you! It comes in a variety of fun colors, is microwave and dishwasher friendly, and you’ll be the most stylish person in the office (when you’re finally able to go back).
Glass Jars
Best for: Leftovers, pantry storage, lunches, homemade sauces and condiments, and drinks
Ella Olsson / Unsplash
There are so many uses for jars—and food storage is certainly one of them! Whether you pick up a case of Weck jars, use mason jars you have on hand, or reuse jars you already have from tomato sauce or peanut butter, they’re great for lots of things. Think: storing leftovers in the fridge, bringing a salad along with you, portioning out ingredients for meal prep, or drinking your coffee, green juice, or smoothie (at home or on the go, if your jar has a tight lid).
Weck Glass Jars (9.8 ounces), 6 for $29.95 from Williams Sonoma
The ideal size for little odds and ends.
Ball Glass Mason Jars (16 ounces), $6.99 from Amazon
For larger portions, including leftovers, lunches, and drinks.
Related Reading: 12 Clever Ways to Use Mason Jars Beyond Canning
Cotton Drawstring Bags
Best for: Shopping for produce and bulk items, storing veggies
Food52
Forgo the plastic bags you use in the bulk bin or produce section of your grocery store for reusable organic cotton produce bags, like the ones from Ecobags. They are an easy way to load up your loose spinach at the farmer’s market or to take snacks wherever you’re headed, and they are endlessly machine washable. Plus they weigh next to nothing, so you can keep a couple in your bag at all times for your unanticipated zero-waste needs (like walking by a bakery and needing to grab a cookie).
Aplat Reusable Cotton Food Storage Bags, $25-$48 from Food52
These pouches serve a variety of purposes.
Recycled Bamboo & Cork Canisters
Best for: Pantry storage
Food52
If you are looking for storage options for things you keep on your kitchen counter like salt or coffee, these recycled bamboo and cork canisters are as eco-friendly as they are eye candy. With a variety of colors for every aesthetic, they will make your kitchen pop while you feel good about taking care of the planet.
Ekobo Recycled Bamboo & Cork Canisters, $24-$28 from Food52
Store your beans, grains, and baking ingredients in these.
Stretchy Silicone Lids
Best for: Covering leftovers
Food Huggers
Sometimes you make a bowl of guacamole you can’t finish, or are soaking beans overnight and don’t have a lid for your pot or bowl. Instead of turning to plastic wrap, grab reusable bowl covers such as these Five Two silicone lids, or these Food Huggers lids that are made of glass and silicone, so you can see inside the bowl!
Food Huggers Lids, 4 for $29.99 from Food Huggers
These tempered glass and silicone lids let you see what's inside your bowls.
Faberware Food Huggers, 8 for $28 from Food52
These silicone covers fit tight around small containers or food itself, like cut lemons and limes.
Need more inspiration? Check out your local zero waste store or shop online at stores like The Zero Market.
Header image courtesy of Food52
