Easy, Eco-Friendly Food Storage: The 20-Minute Environmentalist

Transitioning to eco-friendly green food storage containers for your kitchen is a great way to save the environment and money. Using reusable food storage containers is a green option that will save you a lot of money over time since you will no longer need to purchase disposable, single-use baggies and food storage containers. With the eco-revolution in full swing, eco-friendly green food storage containers and other eco-friendly food storage options are becoming more widely available and more affordable. Follow these five quick, easy suggestions and help save the planet (and money) with these earth-friendly options.

Extend the life of your produce - Invest in Debbie Meyer Green Bags, Evert-Fresh Bags or Extra Life Disks and limit produce waste while saving money. All of these products (and lots of others) are available at amazon.com. Take 20 minutes to go online and order a set, then start saving money and the environment by reducing spoilage and limiting food waste.

Stop using plastic baggies - Plastic baggies may be convenient for you, but they are horrible for the planet. Remember, plastic does not biodegrade - it photodegrades, which requires air and sunlight (not abundant in landfills) and takes upwards of a thousand years. If you use sandwich baggies for homemade lunches, to store food in the freezer or fridge or for other handy purposes around the kitchen, imagine how many bags you are contributing to landfills every year. Spend 20 minutes picking out a set of reusable food storage containers and then pat yourself on the back for taking this huge step towards limiting waste.

Use reusable food storage containers - Disposable bags, baggies and containers spend a couple of days in your kitchen and centuries in landfills. Reusable food storage containers will last you a lifetime (think big savings over time) and are convenient for packing lunches, storing food in the freezer, fridge or cupboards and for taking food to picnics or parties. Glass containers are probably the best option, but if you want plastic-y containers for their weight and convenience, look for products that do not leach chemicals, such as some containers by Farberware, Gladware, Rubbermaid and Tupperware.

Buy eco-friendly, biodegradable bags - If you must use food storage bags, check out biodegradable, compostable options like BioBags, which are sold as food waste bags, but are actually great for food storage. BioBags are made from corn-based bioplastic, how cool is that?

Reuse take out containers - Unless you are dining exclusively at restaurants with corn- or sugar cane-based take out containers, it's likely that your leftovers are coming home in less-than-eco-friendly plastic, foam or coated cardboard containers. Reuse the container as many times as you can and then recycle if possible. The only time this will take is the amount of time it takes you to clean the container after each use.