{"id":4168,"date":"2024-01-31T17:53:56","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T17:53:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/?p=4168"},"modified":"2024-01-31T17:54:35","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T17:54:35","slug":"4168","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/31\/4168\/","title":{"rendered":"Reduce, reuse, refuse: tips to cut down plastic use in your kitchen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"plastic<\/a>
\u2018There\u2019s so much that we\u2019re producing in our kitchens that\u2019s environmentally and publicly hazardous.\u2019 Composite: The Guardian\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Our unequal earth<\/a>Plastics<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, we dump 10m tons of plastic into the ocean, and solving the problem will require regulatory action. But there are ways consumers can help<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cecilia Nowell<\/a>Thu 4 Jan 2024 08.00 EST<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cutting boards, non-stick pans, mixing bowls, even tea bags: in the kitchen, plastics can be hidden in plain sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s something that Jessica Brinkworth, an anthropology professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, realized once she began looking for ways to cut down on plastic use in her own kitchen after her workplace started doing the same. Although much of her lab\u2019s waste was unavoidable \u2013 plastics are key for the sterile medical research they conduct \u2013 it still made her uncomfortable. That discomfort was only magnified in her own home, where she knew plastics were \u201clargely a matter of convenience\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLarge macroplastics are a problem worldwide because we dump them on the shores of other nations,\u201d she says, where things like plastic bottles block access to food for coastal nations and kill about a million people a year<\/a> due to flooding, landslides and other environmental disasters. Much smaller plastics, like micro and nanoplastics, which are tinier than a grain of rice, \u201cpose a whole other level of problem. Many types of plastic are endocrine disruptors,\u201d meaning they disrupt the excretion and use of insulin, which can lead to obesity and reproductive health disorders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, we dump 10m tons<\/a> of plastic into the ocean, killing a million marine animals annually. That plastic can work its way into our bodies from both the food we eat (most of our seafood<\/a> contains microplastics) to how we cook in the kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPlastic pollution is one of the most visible signs of the environmental crisis we\u2019re facing with microplastics discovered on the highest mountains as well as in the depths of the oceans,\u201d said Paula Chin, a senior policy adviser on consumption at the World Wildlife Fund. \u201cThey\u2019ve also been found in our bodies with estimates suggesting we\u2019re consuming a credit card\u2019s worth of plastic each week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brinkworth says solving our plastics problem will require massive regulatory action and coordination by federal and world governments, but that there are important ways consumers can make a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s so much that we\u2019re producing in our kitchens that\u2019s environmentally and publicly hazardous. But the reason why it\u2019s in our kitchens is because that\u2019s been made available to us,\u201d she says. \u201cOne of the great acts of the plastics and petroleum industry has been to convince us that it\u2019s a personal responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, Brinworth notes that the climate crisis is happening now \u2013 and many people won\u2019t survive waiting for innovative plastics recycling solutions to save the day. She encourages people interested in combating plastic pollution to reduce, reuse and recycle \u2013 but most importantly to refuse, when they are able. \u201cConsumers can take responsibility probably in the most effective way by trying to affect government change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are Brinkworth\u2019s and other experts\u2019 tips on ways to reduce and refuse plastic waste in your kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shopping<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Plastics are omnipresent at the grocery store \u2013 think of the cellophane used to cover pre-chopped mushrooms, milk cartons, and packages of pre-sliced meats. It\u2019s difficult to entirely avoid them, but, Chin says, \u201cthere are ways to cut-back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first and most important way to do that, she says, is to simply buy less. \u201cMake a conscious choice to avoid buying products you don\u2019t need and when you do, look for products that are made from sustainably sourced natural materials.\u201d The more you cook from scratch, the less plastic you\u2019ll use from packaged or processed foods (think about all of the plastic used to wrap frozen vegetables, cover chopped produce and package frozen dinners).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When shopping, not just for groceries but also for kitchen appliances, Chin recommends first questioning whether you need something, then trying to reuse what you already have, before finally looking \u201cfor options which include recycled content.\u201d That won\u2019t save you the health risks of plastic use, but it can have a significant environmental impact. According to a 2021 report<\/a> from the World Economic Forum, reusing just 10% of plastic products, could prevent almost half of annual plastic ocean waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you haven\u2019t already gotten in the habit of taking your own bags to the grocery store, start \u2013 and while you\u2019re at it, consider adding your own reusable produce bags. But shopping at traditional grocery stores isn\u2019t your only option: more zero-waste shops<\/a> are springing up across the country (where you can bring your own containers or use non-plastic ones the store offers to take home exactly as many lentils or bunches of broccoli as you\u2019ll use) and plenty of farmer\u2019s markets allow customers to bring their own glass jars or produce bags so you\u2019re not toting home plastic cartons. Depending on where you live, you might even be able to swap plastic milk cartons for glass bottles (and rekindle the nostalgia of a visit from the milkman) by opting into a milk delivery service<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cooking<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You might not think there\u2019s very much plastic in your kitchen if you\u2019re only thinking about clear packaging, but almost every household is home to at least some plastic kitchen appliances. Think about your cutting board, mixing bowls, non-stick (Teflon-coated) pans, spatulas, blender or food processor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plastic appliances can release high levels of micro and nanoplastics, says Brinkworth, especially if we\u2019re heating with, chopping on or blending in them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this year, researchers at North Dakota State University published a study<\/a> that found that chopping on plastic cutting boards can release millions of microplastics each year. Other recent research has counted the microplastics released from using plastic mixing bowls<\/a>, blenders<\/a>, kettles<\/a> and non-stick pans<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best way to avoid that? Switch your plastic appliances out for metal, glass or wooden ones where possible, says Brinkworth. But be careful when looking at wood or bamboo appliances that you consider the glue used to hold them together. Even just the glue used to seal a tea bag<\/a> can release billions of microplastics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Plastic wrap has easily one of the greatest impacts on the environment: we only ever use it once and it can take close to 1,000 years to decompose in landfills. And plastic packaging \u2013 think cling wrap, sandwich bags and candy wrappers \u2013 makes up almost half<\/a> of the plastic waste that ends up in the ocean. It\u2019s so convenient that it can be difficult to imagine any good alternatives, but Brinkworth encourages consumers to try reusable alternatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The price point for reusable cling wrap can be high, which is why Brinkworth and her family made their own. It\u2019s pretty simple: cut cotton fabric to the sizes you\u2019d like your cling wrap to be, lay them out on a baking sheet in the oven and cover them with beeswax (Brinkworth recommends adding jojoba oil to make the wraps more flexible), and bake for two to three minutes. If all that sounds like too much work though, you can pick up reusable beeswax cling wrap<\/a> at many grocery stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brinkworth says the reusable cling wrap is easy to clean, but will eventually start to flake. \u201cHonestly, a simpler solution for most people would be just to use mason jars,\u201d which you can find for about a dollar a piece at many thrift stores. In general, switching to glass jars (or glass storage containers, if they\u2019re in your budget) is better for the environment and your body. Plastic containers can leech<\/a> cancer-causing and hormone-disrupting chemicals into your food<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cleaning<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you thought you had cleared your kitchen of plastics, the prevalence of plastic in your cleaning routine might surprise you. Dishwasher pods get the worst rap (the polyvinyl alcohol wrapping doesn\u2019t break down<\/a> in water treatment plants), but if the interior of your dishwasher is made out of plastic, it\u2019s releasing microplastics with every wash. Few dishwashers have no plastic whatsoever, says Brinkworth, but she recommends splurging for a stainless steel interior if you can afford it (or hand washing when your life allows).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Handwashing won\u2019t get rid of all the plastics in your kitchen though either \u2013 if you\u2019re using liquid dish soap, it\u2019s likely packaged in a plastic bottle. Fortunately, a few brands have started selling dish soap bars and liquid dish soap packaged in cardboard. Most sponges are made of plastic too, but more stores are selling natural sponges and dishcloths as demand increases. Those can be worthwhile alternatives to keep plastic out of your own body and from slipping down the drain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a9 2024 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. (dcr)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our unequal earthPlastics Every year, we dump 10m tons of plastic into the ocean, and solving the problem will require regulatory action. But there are ways consumers can help Cecilia NowellThu 4 Jan 2024 08.00 EST Cutting boards, non-stick pans, mixing bowls, even tea bags: in the kitchen, plastics can be hidden in plain sight.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t Read more<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[717,250],"tags":[925],"class_list":["post-4168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-microplastics","category-plastic","tag-plastic-polluition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4168"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4168\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4170,"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4168\/revisions\/4170"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}