This year I decided it was time to pay attention to how much plastic I was using and focus on ways to make cooking greener in my kitchen. Unfortunately, in the cooking industry we use lots of plastic, so I wanted to come up with some ways to reduce that.
The first step is to stop using plastic bags while grocery shopping. A few years ago, Chicago recycling centers stopped accepting plastic bags of any kind. So all those bags are now going in the trash. If you put your recycled goods in a plastic bag of any kind, they will most likely go in the trash as well. The city has lots of information online as to what exactly should be going in our recycling. Please educate yourself!
With the Chicago bag tax in place, there has been a reduction in the amount of plastic bags being used, but it is also key to also include your produce bags. When I go to the store, I throw a few produce bags into my cloth bag and it’s easy to make the switch. My local farmer’s market has even gone plastic free this year, so it’s been great to have the bags on hand for all the berries, tomatoes and beans available now!
There are many places to buy reusable bags, including The Chopping Block.
Most stores will also now sell branded ones if you forgot yours at home. If you want to save some money and are handy with sewing, save up some old t-shirts to make your own bags. It’s fairly easy. It's also easy to make reusable beeswax cloths for your kitchen; here's how!
Tips for plastic bag reduction:
- Bring your own cloth bags for groceries. Store a few in your car or purse so you get in the habit of bringing them with you.
- Invest in reusable produce bags. Not only can you bag up loose produce, you can also use these with your bulk bin purchases instead of the plastic containers some stores provide.
- If you have plastic bags, reuse them. They are great for storing items, pet waste or a quick lunch bag. Try to reuse a bag as many times as possible.
- Return plastic bags to stores. Check with your local store if they collect used plastic bags. Some Target stores and Mariano’s still do.
- Avoid produce that is plastic wrapped or bagged. Support businesses that let you use your own bag to reduce plastic use.
Every little bit counts when it comes to reducing our plastic usage. According to the Chicago Tribune, “On the current pollution trajectory, researchers say plastic refuse in oceans could exceed fish, ton for ton, in three decades. Or, as one scientist chillingly notes, for every pound of tuna taken out of the ocean, people are dumping two pounds of plastic in.”
Stop in our stores to see our really cute selection of reusable bags, and do your part to keep plastic out of our oceans.
If you are interested in learning more about reducing your plastic use, here are a couple of helpful websites:
