HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: It is SUCH a ridiculous dilemma. I am absolutely completely humanly incapable of recycling the plastic carry out containers from takeout food. I cannot let them go.
They stack up, multiplying like… I don’t know, like plastic containers – – and I have too many of them. I will never use them all. There is never a use in the universe for this many plastic containers, but they are so perfect, and so organized looking, and they have those little tops that snap right on and they are so useful for putting things in, but I don’t have enough things to put in them.
As a result, I have this ridiculously massive stash of them in the pantry. Taunting me.
(I know about microplastics. But the restaurants decide what to put the food in.)
Reds and Readers, how do you handle this proliferation?
LUCY BURDETTE: if they are black plastic (so toxic!) or styrofoam, they go right in the trash. Ditto with black plastic silverware. You must frequent better takeout places than we have, because I can’t even picture nice plastic ones with snap on lids??
HALLIE EPHRON: I do reuse plastic containers, but accumulating them isn’t really an issue because I so rarely eat takeout. But the mass of keepers can turn into a big jumbled mess if I don’t weed.
RHYS BOWEN: Not take out containers, but John saves the big yoghurt containers to put homemade soups in. I have to throw some out when he’s not looking otherwise we’d have a whole cabinet full of them. Also he cannot throw out a glass jar. I guess it comes from being frugal during WWII but any glass jar will be meticulously washed out and stored in a cupboard somewhere, in case it is useful some day. Every now and then I have a purge.
Our son once bought us a complete set of glass dishes with snap on lids, perfect for any size left-overs, but you-know-who still uses one of his jars to store things in. Grrrr.
DEBORAH CROMBIE: Nope, nope, nope. Takeout containers go straight in the recycle bin. No tupperware, either. We don’t have a walk-in pantry and since we re-organized the bottom half of our butler’s pantry, there’s no black hole to toss things in. We have a set of Rubbermaid multi-sized, stackable, clear plastic containers with snap-on lids that we’ve used for years–plastic, I know, but these are so perfect that I just can’t quit them. I bought a whole set of glass containers and I hate them.
No saved jars, either. I have loads of quart-sized, wide-mouthed Ball jars with plastic lids, and also some really nice Weck pint jars, and they get used for everything.
JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I’m so jealous of you, Debs! I always want to toss every mis-matched container I own and buy a whole set of eco-smart, matching snap-topped units in every size from bin to one quarter cup. Alas, my deeply ingrained frugality just won’t let me.
So I do, indeed, have the same collection of heavy-duty plastic containers with the nice snap on lids from various takeaway shops. Right now, there are a WHOLE bunch of them in my freezer, holding a tremendous amount of home made chicken broth. I do limit myself to one drawer, with a few really large Tupperware/ Rubbermaid pieces on a shelf, so that forces me to weed out semi-regularly.
Also, I refuse to worry about my own things giving my microplastics. There’s an island size patch of floating plastic in the Pacific Ocean, for heaven’s sake! Let’s see the petroleum and plastics industry start to do something, then I’ll consider getting rid of my black spatula.
JENN McKINLAY: What would I store my leftovers in if I didn’t save those containers? LOL. They are like Tupperware’s trailer park cousin – not pretty but they get the job done.
HANK: So how about you, Reds and Readers? What is your storage solution? And the answer to the take out container conundrum?
I have containers for leftovers [both plastic and glass], but those restaurant containers are great for holding things like the grandbabies' puzzles or crayons or other odds and ends that need a home, but most of the containers [and their snap-on lids] go straight into the recycling bin . . . .
ReplyDeleteYes, they are so useful!
DeleteCreative solution, Joan
DeleteSo smart!
DeleteI am a saver - I think it is a combo or growing up poor and my engineer brain always thinking of the ways things can be useful. I am periodically able to stop when the designated storage spaces are full. I also brought a couple of “nicer” ones with me to France to store leftovers. Since restaurant leftovers aren’t really a thing here, I shouldn’t over-accumulate containers here.
ReplyDeleteAnd they nest so perfectly, right?
DeleteOnce a saver always a saver. It is just ingrained in the DNA. I am one and I am married to one. Not a good combo. Trying very hard to just pitch things since the Great Purge of 2024. Besides the plastic take out containers——What is it with men and cardboard boxes anyway? Thankfully, we do not have room in this garage and no basement here so there are not as many of those accumulating.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, the joy of a good box! Very difficult to throw away. But I am getting better at that. Except for boxes that Apple products come in. Those are just way too nice to throw. I know I know they do that on purpose…
DeleteCardboard is easier to recycle than plastics. You just have to break down the boxes.
DeleteYes, we do recycle the cardboard it is just getting over the mental block of needing to save them. Thankfully a pile of them are going this week as they had started to accumulate.
DeleteI love my glass storage containers and the sturdy Rubbermaid ones that last forever. I have a deep drawer and every container has its lid on it. When the drawer gets too full, I recycle a yogurt container or two. I do have a shelf of canning jars in many sizes but they don't get used as much.
ReplyDeleteAs for takeout containers, mostly I recycle them but I like having a few around if I want to give away cookies or some other food to someone and not worry about getting my container back. They live in a cloth bag in the broom closet.
You all are really giving me the recycle all these …:/) This is going to be exciting!
DeleteMy situation is so similar to Edith's that I decided I don't need to add my own comment at all, other than to second what she said! Except mine are in a lazy-Susan style corner cupboard.
DeleteEdith, I gave up on getting containers back quite a while ago. The only precaution I take is never let a container which is my reliable goto leave the house. I don’t have a broom closet clean enough for storing food containers. LOL Elisabeth
DeleteI use glass containers with plastic snap-on lids I can run through the dishwasher. If I bake cookies, I store them in a large, tall cookie tin.
ReplyDeleteThose glass containers with plastic snap on lids are wonderful! But I always fear I will break them.
DeleteWe use the glass containers on a daily basis. I have yet to break one of those. But after a while the lids don't work. Some I replaced (lids), others I now cover with plastic wrap or something else. I do know not to use the lids in the microwave, but somehow they eventually develop cracks.
DeleteBeth, I have had that same experience. I usually run mine through the dishwasher so I think that probably weakens the plastic. — Pat S
DeleteI'm planning to convert to glass - much healthier!
DeleteHave you seen the stretchy silicone lids? Some of them have vent holes for micro wave cooking.
DeleteFirst, our town's recycle company does not recycle the black plastic take-out containers. So, those are either keep or toss. Around here, it's 50-50. If I have use for them or room for them, fine. Otherwise, bye-bye.
ReplyDeleteLike Joan, they are super for storing kids' toys and collections. I use one for collecting interesting stones to bring to the cemetery. Placing a stone on a gravestone is a sign of rememberance.
Our favorite restaurant chain uses cardboard containers for take-out. I recycle those, and I wish more restaurants chose that but it's probably more expensive. Everyone else uses plastic.
You all are teaching me about black plastic… I did not know this was particularly bad.
DeleteMy town doesn't specify no black plastic in the recycling, but Northampton does. Hmm.
DeleteI do not enjoy cooking. I have done it almost every night for over forty years. My husband barely knows how to use the microwave. Thus I love plastic containers. We don't buy takeout (we're 25 minutes from town), but in 2022, my year of surgeries, I BOUGHT about two dozen plastic containers and filled them with 2-person portions of dinners that I cooked ahead (plus a few bought from Costco): chili, fettucine Alfredo, mac and cheese, lasagne, mashed potatoes, ham, turkey, stuffing, precooked rice pilaf, etc. Larger items filled eight porcelain casserole dishes with snap-on lids: homemade soups, etc. I had stacks of frozen dinners for two. Thus when I was laid up on heavy painkillers for weeks in the bed I had set up near the kitchen, I could direct my husband to "cook" dinner by dumping the contents of a defrosted plastic container into a small porcelain dish and putting it in the microwave. He or I would make the salad, frozen rolls would be popped into the toaster oven, and presto, dinner was accomplished. I do the same now whenever I make lasagne, mashed potatoes, spaghetti, ham, turkey, or anything else that makes more than one meal for 2. I don't put anything hot into the plastic ware and don't heat anything in them. I'd like to use all porcelain or glass but my frugality has had me reuse the same plastic containers for four years. (Selden)
ReplyDeleteFrom Celia:
DeleteSelden, you're an example for all of us. Such great planning. Thank you
Wow, that's impressive, Selden. You must have had a lot of advance knowledge of being laid up. You sure made it easy on hubby!
DeleteThat is so impressively organized! What a wonderful idea, and so wise for both of you…
DeleteI had two planned knee replacements in 2022, one of which had weeks of complications, and in between, God threw me a burst appendix, emergency surgery, and a week in the hospital. So 2022 was my year of opiates! I had everything set up for the knee replacements because I knew I would be incapacitated for quite a while and my husband is, as I've always said with love, Domestically Impaired. He was great at setting alarms and getting up at night to give me meds if necessary but anything connected with cooking is a mystery. So I prepared like an officer planning a field campaign, trying to think of everything. Unfortunately I didn't anticipate the E.R. visit in an ambulance with the first knee, and totally failed to guess the burst appendix. (Selden)
DeleteOh, Selden, what a year! But I'm going to look for you for advice when planning for my knee replacement as I also have a non-cooking husband.
DeleteThere is something so alluring about saving those plastic restaurant containers. As if one is getting something for "free". Especially the ones that are heavy duty plastic with sturdy snap on lids. Most of the time I put them on the top rack of our dishwasher to wash them and then place them in the recycling bin. Our friends and family can't believe I do that with canned goods as well. Just to place them into the recycling bin...sanitized and clean. :-D I do keep a stack of them in a cabinet to use as Edith mentioned above ~ to place sweets such as cookies or cake slices to send home with guests so no one has to worry about returning the "good" containers back to me. The "good" containers are my decades old Pyrex glass dishes with the familiar bright red plastic lids. I have them in varying sizes and surprisingly I use them all the time to store leftovers in the fridge as well as desserts. I also use them to bake a recipe directly into the container; i.e., stuffed peppers or casseroles and then anything leftover can then be put in the fridge and reheated the next day. I'm like the overly meticulous chef who loves to open a cabinet door or the refrigerator and see those pyrex dishes neatly stacked on top of each other. Maybe it's a sign that I'm just a tad too fussy when I incorporate interior design into how the inside of my fridge looks when I open the door! :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, of course, they are perfect for giving cookies and etc. to visitors. I do that all the time, too! That’s why they’re so hard to give up…
DeleteI have a proliferation of yogurt containers, but they can be recycled, yay! I have one lovely big glass container with a snap-on lid, but I almost never have that large a quantity of leftovers. So I use yogurt containers, again and again. When I get takeout, it's usually Thai Seasons pineapple fried rice (boring, I know) and that comes in coated cardboard.
ReplyDeleteAnd it is so easy and painless to discard cardboard!
DeleteI toss take-out containers most of the time, although I'm always tempted to save them. I will save a clear plastic one with those snap-on lids.
ReplyDeleteYes, exactly! They are so very useful!
DeleteLucy - "if they are black plastic (so toxic!) or styrofoam, they go right in the trash. Ditto with black plastic silverware" Yikes! This is interesting. How did I not know this! Thanks for the info Lucy. I will check out more on Google.
ReplyDeleteI like the glass containers with the lids. I also collect old yogurt, cottage cheese containers and use them for leftovers.
Evelyn - we wash our recycle canned and plastic items as well before putting into the recycle bin.
Yes, We wash too, it seems so potentially unpleasant :-) if you don’t.
DeleteIf they are recyclable, that is what happens to them, otherwise the trash. When I had a home, I switched from plastic to glass and never looked back. My downfall was tea tins. They are so darn pretty and I kept convincing myself there must be a use for them if only I was a crafty person. Never did find a use. -- Victoria
ReplyDeleteOh, yes yes yes! They are such useful containers! Apparently. But I have never figured out a thing to do with them either. Paper clips?
DeleteWe support and enjoy our local Community Centre’s Lunch a Month. It is great homemade food, but it has to come in containers. I hate that they have to waste the money that we pay for the meal as it is supposed to be fundraiser for things like heating, and pay it on containers. I mentioned once that they must pay as much or more for the ‘carry-out’ materials as they do for the groceries, which often will be donated. Turkeys on sale, you buy an extra and donate it to them, and soon we will get a lovely turkey dinner – often free to the whole community. Too many potatoes harvested this year – donate them for the next meal. Tomatoes – donate, they will make chow-chow and either use it as a pickle or donate the bottles of pickle to the community. How can you get around this? If you send your own containers, they really can’t use them as a) they must go through Dept of Health cleaning, and b) they serve often 125 meals on the Friday, and don’t have time to see whose containers are who’s.
ReplyDeleteOften they are left-over goodies at Tea by the Sea. You are encouraged to take them home to feed to those who did not attend. One day I asked for a paper napkin or piece of paper towel to pop the square in to take it home. They insisted on ‘being nice’ and putting it in a huge plastic container. Argggh! Now I feel terrible for messing up the environment. I now take a piece of paper towel with me in my pocket, in case there are leftover treats.
As for what do we do with them? The smushed and regurgitated paper product which usually sucks up all the gravy (Styrofoam is banned), is often used as a fire starter. The small paper bag that holds the cookie – burned. The brown paper bag that holds the lunch – it not wet, is folded and stored for reuse. However, the plastic ones, although often really cute – garbage. Now does anyone need a surplus of Folger’s coffee containers?
And Julia – so nice to see you back!
Yes to welcoming Julia back - hope you are feeling back in the pink!
DeleteYes, to Julia's return! Hope you are back in the pink, Julia.
DeleteSpeaking of coffee--that is a whole other level of waste. Between the coffee grounds themselves, and all those K-cups and foil tins, yikes.
Wow, that is so lovely! Thank you for sharing that story!
DeleteWe are not drinking coffee often these days, but we have a Nespresso machine and Nespresso recycles their coffee pods. You can request a shipping-paid return bag for the used pods when you place an order with them.
DeleteI drink loose tea which I make using recycled paper compostable tea bags.
"Black plastics can contain unregulated amounts of toxic chemicals such as phthalates and flame retardants, as well as heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, nickel, chromium, and mercury. That's because black plastic is largely sourced from electronic scrap such as TVs and computers."
ReplyDeleteAnd don't throw in the recycle (or find out from your local city recycle/trash) as many cities don't allow it.
This is so important! I just had no idea about this!
DeleteMy goodness, I had no idea of this either. Heavy sigh. I see I will need to start buying glass slowly. My world is so full of bad news everywhere, it's certainly discouraging. (Selden)
DeleteUgh. My husband's favorite take-out Chinese comes in black plastic but I know there is no use in trying to get him to give it up.
DeleteI have a set of glass containers with plastic snap on lids, a few clear plastic ones with lids from when we do Thai takeout, and many quart size yoghurt containers. As I eat 1-2 quarts of yoghurt a week those get purged on a regular basis. It’s probably a good thing I don’t have a pantry…
ReplyDeleteA friend insists she uses zero plastic. I don't believe it, because I know she buys nondairy cheese products that, oh, yeah, are packaged in plastic. It is almost impossible to avoid these days.
DeleteThe glass ones are so pretty and easy to organize! But they are heavy…
DeleteIt's no wonder we have such a waste problem, right? Why on earth do restaurants serve such huge portions in the first place? So much food gets wasted, even when taken home. I would much rather pay a bit less and not have so much left on the plate. Or take it home in a coated paper box. The compostable ones are my guilt-free favorite, but far fewer restaurants use them.
ReplyDeleteThere is an answer, of sorts: take a container with you when you go out. It means transferring your leftovers at the table yourself, but then the container gets reused, at least. It's a pain to remember to take something with, and then if you don't need it, to drag it back home again. But maybe someone else at the table can use it.
The dirty little secret is that plastics don't all get recycled, even those with a 1 or 2 on the bottom. It's starting to be a major issue. Here in Cincinnati, we have a pretty good recycling container system, but it only goes so far. There are two other programs that go further. One is the "Orange Bag" that I fill with lots of otherwise unrecyclable items, like plastic films and bags, including shipping bags, bubble wrap, packing foam, blister pack plastic, etc. And yes, black plastic. When the bag--which I buy at Kroger's in a box of 30 that lasts a long time--is full, it gets tied shut and tossed into the recycling bin that goes to the curb for pickup. The items in the orange bag go to a different facility for recycling.
The other is our Cincinnati Recycling and Reuse Hub. I just went there the other day, to drop off a stack of (clean) plant pots, a mass of bubble wrap, a dead microwave, and a stack of those darn wine bags that we end up getting when (ahem) one of of us forgets to take one with him. They also take the bags from produce, including the mesh ones, bread bag clips, jar lids, leftover/unneeded cables and charger cords, tools, small appliances, building materials, wine corks, and a million other things. They are open two days a week for about five hours, and the place is always busy, staffed with enthusiastic volunteers. They sort stuff, and what can't be recycled the commercial way goes upstairs to a massive warehouse of sorted items where the public can buy leftover pavers or plant pots or ceramic tiles or whatever by bulk. It's a nominal fee per pound. And they have a Tinker Crew that will fix donated items that can be repaired. It's an amazing resource for our area, and has kept millions of pounds of useful and recyclable things out of our ever-growing landfills.
But I still feel as if we are pushing Sisyphus's rock on this stuff.
So agree, but we can only do the best we can… Right?
DeleteWow, Cincinnatti is ahead of the curve, Karen.
DeleteI used to have cabinets full of these containers, but then a guy I worked with (who is great at research and always brings all the data to issues) worked to get us all off plastic and onto stainless steel/glass containers for food storage. So I ended up throwing out and recycling all the plastic and now have primarily stainless steel for food storage.
ReplyDeleteI am happy though that when we eat at restaurants nearby, the containers for taking home leftovers are all cardboard, so no containers to hang onto.
That is such good info! Thank you thank you thank you!
DeleteFrom Celia: enough good information here for a book. As for my family's love of savings cleaning out my parents house i found a stack of metal pie tins saved by my father from the tinned meat pies which were readily available in England plus probably enough glass used jam jars to cover several seasons of jam and chutney making.
ReplyDeleteI learned and am very strict with take out containers. They go OUT! No excuses, no cute photos. To be admitted to my storage drawer means it must have a lid and be in good shape. I have collected glass jars in which I freeze stock and soups, chili and even stews on occasion. However I have also had accidents when I over filled the glass by error and it shattered in the freezer.
I have purchased glass containers with snap lids and only keep plastic if I can see a future use. Now I am out of my kitchen but have still managed to acquire a couple of glass storage containers.
As for Hanks dilemma I suggest you go to the Lego store and choose a Lehovfor fun. The more pieces the better and sort the pieces into the black plastic containers. I was given Falling Water about fifteen years ago. It's still not finished but I have all the pieces safely stored in their individual black containers.
Would anyone like to help me finish it?
I have a grandson Lego expert. Would be happy to ship him to you, Celia, postage paid. ;-) Elisabeth
DeleteLego holders! Perfect!
DeleteCelia, I have a great many 1/2 gallon and quart canning jars because I milked cows for so many years. (I gave away the gallon jars). I too put chicken stock in them, and yes, you do have to be careful to leave head space. (Selden)
DeleteAlways bring my own glass containers from home whenever we go out to restaurants because I know we will bring home leftovers. This works for me. I am not sure if this would work for other people, though.
ReplyDeleteEver since watching Doctor Who episode (with Jodie Whitaker as the female Doctor Who) about how plastic affected the human race, I stopped using plastic containers.
Diana, same here! In each car we store a couple glass containers in a fabric tote. Into the restaurant it goes. And if we do sometimes end up with a few plastic to-go containers, we use them when sending food to a neighbor or pass them along via our local Buy Nothing page. So much less clutter in the cabinets now. - J
DeleteYup. I'm trying to avoid plastic but it's EVERYWHERE.
DeleteWhat a great idea, Diana!
DeleteYou are very devoted! Brilliant
DeleteNever save take out containers…I seldom take out. One of the places I take out from uses paper containers, so straight to the garbage. As I always eat the take from the paper or plastic container, the container gets tossed…isn’t not doing dishes a purpose of take out? Happy Monday. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteYou know, that never crossed my mind! :-)
DeleteSo many of you have mentioned large yogurt containers…if you live near water and sand or just sand, those containers make great sand/water buckets for sand castle construction. . And at the end of the day, just rinse and toss in the recycle. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteOh yes, perfect! Sandcastle building supplies… Love that!
DeleteI was the cranberry person in my family and since I shared with members of my family who just couldn't figure out how to make fresh cranberry sauce I have a collection of mason jars. They are the half pint wide mouth jars so all I have to do is buy fresh lids when I made cranberry sauce and relish to distribute. Of course I always have more jars than I make cranberries so I have a collection that I use for my leftovers. I've that jar size is nice single person portion size. If I happen to be out of the lids but have the rings, I put a double layer of plastic wrap over the opening, and screw it down.
ReplyDeleteI rarely take home leftovers from restaurants. I have discovered that I don't eat them and then I have really dead food in the back of my refrigerator and that's not a good thing. So I either finish everything on my plate and then feel really over full or I leave it. I agree with what someone else said earlier, why can't they just give us smaller portions and charge a little bit less instead of wasting food or in my case finding it dead 2 weeks later in the back of my refrigerator?
Why not ask for a half portion? I would think any restaurant would be glad to oblige.
DeleteWe find portions are so large that now we often only order 1 serving and two plates, and there will still be leftovers. It doesn't embarrass us at all, asking to split the meal.
DeleteAnd most restaurants are very accommodating about that!
DeleteWhen we remodeled our house last year, we took out walls. Previously cabinets hung on those walls. We now have a much more “open” space, but fewer cabinets. There is a special deep drawer below the kitchen island that is my only storage space for containers. Since I have that limitation, I have tried to be more of a recycler of containers than a pack rat. And yes, I love it when a restaurant uses the compostable containers. — Pat S
ReplyDeleteYes, the limitation on space is a great incentive!
DeleteFor years we've used a set of hard, clear, plastic containers with snap-seal lids, Rubbermaid's Brilliance line. These nest, stack, and the different sizes are perfect for everything we store in the fridge. But, worried about using plastic, I have bought two sets of glass storage containers. The first set didn't nest or stack in the fridge. Total bomb. I tried again. The second set nests, but they are really thick and heavy and are almost impossible to de-nest. I have to take the entire stack out and turn it upside down in order to get one free. Nor do the sizes ever seem to fit anything I need to store. Another total bomb--and not cheap!
ReplyDeleteOur Rubbermaid containers are starting to craze a little bit (after at least 15 years) and I really wanted to replace them, so I did a little research. The plastic they use is called Tritan (it's actually a type of polyester) and is not only BPA free but is supposed to NOT shed microplastics. It is used in medical devices, etc., and withstands both heat and freezing. I decided if this stuff may be going in parts of my new knee joint, we can probably safely store food in it, so I've now ordered replacements for the two sizes we use most, and I think I'll keep some of the older ones in the car for emergency restaurant left-overs.
We want a full report on how they work!
DeleteDebs, I keep dry goods in my pantry in those containers, because they are stackable. My whole pantry is stacked plastic boxes with handwritten tape labels. When I was in my late 30s I read a "organizational" book (all of us harried moms were trading books on how to organize!) that suggested getting rid of round containers and going to stackable rectangle boxes and I've done it ever since. Beans, rice, oatmeal, bran, bags of split peas, tiny containers of applesauce, etc. Into a box and stacked. It makes everything easy to find. (Selden)
DeleteGreat idea, Selden, especially after our recent infestation of pantry moths. I've put most things in glass jars but there are some things that don't fit conveniently in those! The clear plastic containers would work great!
DeleteI do save glass jars. Shades of my grandma. I have some plastic containers that do the job, but my husband keeps buying more plastic we don't need. Set him adrift in the ocean?
ReplyDeleteHe could use the containers as boats! But I have to say, you would probably be sad about that… :-)
DeleteI have sets of Rubbermaid with the snap tops. I would love to use more glass, but the fact is, it takes up way too much space in a tiny kitchen. That's not stopping me from wishing I had my mom's Fire King set. That would be a score!
ReplyDelete