Best Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Ziploc Bags
Below you’ll find the best eco-friendly alternatives to ziploc bags.
Ziploc bags are super convenient, they are great for storing things, for freezing, and for holding snacks and lunches. Unfortunately, ziploc bags are made of single use plastic that is harmful to our environment. Ziplocs most likely end up in the landfill and take decades to decompose.
As you journey to a more sustainable life, you might want to rethink those convenient little ziploc bags. The good news is there are many great alternatives to ziploc bags that are eco-friendly.
1. Reuse Old Ziploc Bags
This is the simplest and cheapest way to have an eco-friendly alternative to ziploc bags is to just reuse the ones you already have in your home.
If you are still in the beginning stages of your zero waste journey, or a friend recently gave you something in a ziploc, don't throw them away, they can be reused.
The best thing we can do for the environment is use whatever we already have for as long as we possibly can, saving old products from going into the landfill and eliminating the need (at least for a short period) for new things to be produced, shipped, and bought (which creates more waste).
If you have ziplocs that are in use now, you can wash them by hand and reuse them. If you feel uncomfortable with using them to store food in, you can always use them to store other things in, like toiletries while traveling or small household items.
2. Upcycle Old Jars
So many grocery and pantry items come in glass jars, from pasta sauce, to coconut oil, pickles, and more. Don't be so quick to get rid of those glass jars, they make great storage containers and are an eco-friendly alternative to ziploc bags.
There are many great reasons why you should save a glass jar. Usually people choose to buy something in glass rather than plastic because they are less toxic and can be recycled over and over again, unfortunately many cities have stopped accepting glass in their recycling programs since the countries that normally take our recycling have stopped accepting it.
When glass is no longer recyclable, it can be even more harmful than plastic. Glass can take up to a million years (yes, 1 million) to decompose in the landfill, while plastic takes decades to hundreds of years.
Don't panic though if you do have glass jars in your home but your city no longer accepts your glass for recycling, you can reuse a glass jar over and over again. Glass is a very strong material and can last a very long time.
How to Clean & Sanitize Glass Jars
It's very simple to prep your older glass jars to become storage containers and replace your ziplocs. All you have to do is wash the jar, remove the labels (if you choose), and sanitize the jar before using it as a eco-friendly replacement to ziplocs.
Removing a label can be a little tricky, there are many different methods to removing it. Most people recommend filling the jar with hot water to help loosen the adhesive and then use a few drops of an essential oil like orange or lemon and olive oil to remove any extra residue. Sanitizing is very easy, just boil a large pot of water and put the jars in the boiling water for about 20 minutes to sanitize them.
How to Use Glass Jars as Storage
Glass jars are really versatile, so you can use them in almost every way you would use a ziploc bag.
Freezing
Glass jars are an eco-friendly alternative to ziploc bags especially for freezing. For freezing, simply fill the glass jar half way and put in the freezer. It's important to fill it just half way because glass will explode if there is too much liquid in it when freezing since liquid expands when frozen.
Storing
Glass is an awesome non-toxic way of storing anything you can think of. It also looks much nicer to store things in a glass jar rather than in plastic ziploc bags.
Snacks
While jars are not as lightweight as a ziploc, it can still be used to store snacks. With glass you don't have to worry about the harmful chemicals of plastic leaching into your food that is stored within it.
Glass jars are not only an eco-friendly alternative to ziploc bags, they are also a more economical choice, since you can buy things in jars and then save the jar for storage. You won't need to buy anything new. You'll find yourself with a nice glass jar collection in no time.
3. Cloth Reusable Bags
Another great eco-friendly alternative to using ziploc bags is reusable cloth bags. Cloth reusable bags are best used to replace a ziploc bag that you would use for snacks or sandwiches.
These are not ideal for storing for longer periods or for freezing.
There are a ton of cute handmade cloth bags on Etsy, just search the term "cloth sandwich bag" and you'll see pages of results.
The one featured here is from the artisan shop Simply Wrapped Co out of Utah, USA.
You can also make your own, Jess OklaRoots on Youtube has a great comprehensive video on making these types of bags.
4. Reusable Silicone Bags
Reusable silicone bags are very popular right now in the zero waste community as an eco-friendly alternative to ziploc bags. These bags are the most like a plastic ziploc bag in that they are light weight, the same shape, and often come with a zipper or zip closing. If you want something that is as close to a plastic ziploc as you can get, these are for you.
While silicone is a form of plastic it is much longer lasting and made to be reused as opposed to the single use disposable ziploc bags.
The most popular brand is Stasher, they offer a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Stasher prices range from $8 for one small pocket bag to $87 for a large bundle of 7 bags.
Another great brand you can try is Zip Top.
5. Beeswax Wraps
Beeswax wraps are the eco-friendly alternative to storing leftover produce or storing snacks. This is a light weight super easy to use eco alternative. These are not recommended for storing liquid however.
Beeswax wraps are also a great alternative to plastic wrap for covering bowls and plates as well, making it super versatile. Beeswax wraps can be an eco-friendly alternative not only to ziploc bags but also tin foil and saran wrap.
We love recommending shops on Etsy because we believe supporting small artisan shops are inherently more eco-friendly than large corporations. Small shops are also important to our economy and overall values. The wraps pictured above are from the shop Eco Habit on Etsy. You can find more on Etsy as well by simply typing in "beeswax wraps" on the search bar in Etsy.
You can also make some DIY Beeswax wraps as well.
6. Ice Cube Trays
Ice cube trays are a nice alternative for ziploc bags when it comes to freezing. Ice cube trays are great for freezing fruit for smoothies, leftover sauce or broth.
These are a better alternative to plastic ziploc bags because they are meant to be used over and over again rather than single use.
Ice trays are also great for storing things in small quantities making it easier to use less and defrost quicker.
Use whatever ice tray you have on hand, if you don't have an ice tray on hand we recommend going with an aluminum ice tray that can be easily recycled.
Transitioning to a more sustainable and eco-friendly life style isn't always easy but there are always multiple options to replace things that we use that are harmful to the environment. Ziploc bags are convenient and versatile but horrible for the environment since they are hard to recycle and made to be used only once.
We always recommend using what you already have on hand first before going out to buy something new in your effort to be more sustainable. So, use up the ziplocs you have for as long as you can and start saving and upcycling your glass jars into storage containers as well. Once you've exhausted those options feel free to buy a more eco-friendly options like cloth or silicone snack/sandwich bags.
Tell us if you have any other recommendations for the best alternatives to ziploc bags.
