Plastic

[grenfell]

Not as instant a thing to think about as all the white stuff currently falling out of the sky but something that started me thinking last night.
We must all be aware of the pollution caused by plastic these days and the campaigns to reduce and replace. Walk down practically any street , beach or bit of wasteland and there will almost inevitably be plastic waste. Millions of tons are dumped every year and I don't think any sensible or intelligent person would deny it's a problem.
One news report last night came fro Holland where a supermarket has introduced a plastic free aisle.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... upermarket
Only a good thing of course. However , one thing made me wonder , in the tv interview they showed what looked like plastic bags and trays although they were completely biodegradable and start to break down after around 12 weeks . Good for the environment but not good if one wishes to have several months worth of food kept in its original packaging and as a poster on another forum I use potentially a proble for home freezing . He asked if there is a decent alternative to freezer bags. On the tv report it also showed how to make wax cloth as an alternative to cling film ( something I absolutely loathe) but would that work in a freezer?
As I said not an immediate proble but has anyone else given any thought to plastic free (or relatively plastic free) prepping?

[featherstick]

Interesting question.

I imagine lots of jars, greaseproof paper, and tins. I've seen food prepared and stored in jars with a thick layer of fat on top for instance.

[grenfell]

Yes I've got a shelf full of kilner jars but as far as I know just plastic in the freezer. I see to recall a comment or two on here about keeping food in it's original packaging and it's something I do myself , after all it's sealed , sterile and safe but no good if that packaging disintegrates in a few weeks.
I mentioned cling film which which I hate. My wife's sister uses it all the time and t bugs me when we have dinner round her's. She has the habit of cooking the vegetables but then letting them cool and then wrapping in cling film and microwaving it just prior to serving. All just so unnecessary in my eyes.

[Deeps]

I would guess that plastic would still be available even if this takes off, I saw it on the TV last night and thought it was a good thing, if I have to decant stuff to put it in a plastic bag and vac seal it then so be it. There would have to be different levels anyway I'd guess, some packaged food lasts longer than 12 weeks anyway.

[Clarebelle]

I am not 100% sure about this but I believe that if it was put in the freezer it would take a very long time to break down, if ever. I am a gardener at a market garden type establishment and we try to be as green as possible. Our fruit and veg punnets are made with plant matter which feels just like a normal plastic punnet but is 100% compostable. However, for them to break down in the 12 weeks they would need to go into a hot compost system, they wouldn't break down anywhere near that quickly in a normal compost bin. They can go into landfill and they will eventually break down completely into organic matter but if frozen I believe this process would be arrested.

[omega man]

Interesting... I guess if this fast degrading packaging became common place, which as said would obviously be a good thing I'd probably treat myself to a good selection of those nice Sistema plastic pots/tubs/lids and decant into those prior to freeing, storage. Good quality plastic containers that can be reused countless times must surely be seen as a positive step in the right direction, if only a stepping stone on the way to a plastic free world?

OM

[ForgeCorvus]

Plastic isn't the problem as such, its Single use plastic that is (on land anyway)

The less packaging the better in my mind, and if we have to have it why not bio-degradable

[grenfell]

I am not 100% sure about this but I believe that if it was put in the freezer it would take a very long time to break down, if ever. I am a gardener at a market garden type establishment and we try to be as green as possible. Our fruit and veg punnets are made with plant matter which feels just like a normal plastic punnet but is 100% compostable. However, for them to break down in the 12 weeks they would need to go into a hot compost system, they wouldn't break down anywhere near that quickly in a normal compost bin. They can go into landfill and they will eventually break down completely into organic matter but if frozen I believe this process would be arrested.

Thanks for that. I've drunk beer from those biodegradable "glasses" at festivals and read on the side how they will compost. I've never tried it but seem to recall something about that hot composting you spoke of ( not sure if I read this on tinternet or whether it was on the tv) being needed to decompose them. Makes sense that plant based plastics would last longer in the freezer , after all it stops the food going off.

[jansman]

PG TIPS have committed to biodegradable tea bags.I noticed last year that they don't compost.So did the 200,000 folk who petitioned them.They have plastic in them!

[grenfell]

Found that out some time ago. I used to just throw them in the compost but was constantly finding these little bits of mesh while digging. Ok so not the biggest problem in the world but when I realised what they were I started to dry them out and empty the tea leaves out. Course that did give ammunition to some of my friends as proof of my meanness , drying out teabags and all that .