Issues > March/April 2001 (#88-89) > Solutions: What you can do to reduce plastics and toxic exposure

Solutions: What you can do to reduce plastics and toxic exposure

Packaging

• Avoid single-use, disposable packaging.
• Bring cloth bags to your supermarket to carry groceries home.
• Buy in bulk, whenever possible. Purchasing the least-packaged option sends a clear message to manufacturers and retailers alike.
• Choose refillable containers. Glass, for example, can be reused for food storage.
• Choose packaging that's made from truly recyclable materials: paper, glass, metal cans. (Purchasing recycled paper products completes the recycling loop.)
• Bring your own container to salad bars, yogurt shops, etc. -- any place you'll be served in plastic.
• For wrapped foods, choose butcher paper, waxed paper or cellulose bags. Reuse aluminum foil whenever possible.
• Choose #1 (PETE) or #2 (HDPE) whenever plastic cannot be avoided. These are the most commonly recycled plastics.
• Avoid plastics that aren't readily recyclable: #3 (PVC), #4 (LDPE), #5 (PP), #6 (PS), #7 ("Other").

Storage

• Choose storage containers made of glass, ceramic or stainless steel (where appropriate). These can be reused endlessly.
• Microwave foods and drinks in oven-proof glass or ceramic and cover with an oven-proof glass lid or plate. Never let plastic wrap touch food while in the microwave!
• Avoid plastics that leach questionable chemicals: #3 (PVC), #6 (PS), #7 ("Other," usually polycarbonate).
• Avoid plastic cutlery and dinnerware. Use stainless steel utensils and look for recycled paper products.
• When purchasing cling-wrapped foods from the supermarket or deli, slice off a thin layer where the food came into contact with the plastic and store the rest in a glass or ceramic container, or non-PVC cling wrap (see Products).

* In addition to shopping with these things in mind, you can also write a letter to manufacturers of food and drinks packaged in plastics, indicating your concern about plastics and how they negatively impact our health, children's health, and the health of our environment - especially if their packaging is #3, #6, #7. Tell them you are actively seeking products packaged in safe, reusable glass, metal, recycled paper, as well as bulk-packaged items that use resources most efficiently. Contact manufacturers by calling their toll-free question/comment number, usually listed on the back of the product. Ask for a mailing address. Toll-free numbers may also be found by calling the toll-free directory at 1-800-555-1212.