Sep 132011
We’re fast becoming a disposable nation. Using something once and then tossing can definitely make our life easier at times, but if we’re in the habit of using disposables all the time, we’ll also be going through our money faster. I made a list of ways that I try to use less disposable items in my kitchen. I do this mostly to try to cut back on the cost, but it also has the added benefit that it’s earth friendly in that I end up using less paper products and less gets added to the landfills.
- Aluminum Foil – Aluminum foil can be reused. I haven’t always done this, it’s a more recent thing for me. I just flatten out the used foil and wipe it down then let it air dry and then fold it up and put it in my kitchen drawer until I need it again. I don’t reuse all my aluminum foil, if it’s a really small piece, or gets torn or just has lots of gunk on it that’s really hard to get off without tearing the foil I’ll just toss it. And even though I’m a big generic brand fan, I’m thinking next time I might try the name brand aluminum foil to see if it’s tougher and maybe I’ll be able to reuse more of it before it gets torn. And as a side note, I read somewhere that a ball of wadded up aluminum foil is good for cleaning off your grill. We’ve started doing that and it works great!
Wash and Reuse Aluminum Foil
- Ziploc Bags- I’ve always reused ziploc bags, because my Mom always did. Just clean them out while doing dishes (if they just had something like carrot sticks in them, they probably just need a rinse) then let them air dry. They’ll dry faster if you open them up and put them on a big spoon or something. Even though I reuse my bags, I will throw them out if they had raw meat or chicken in them, if they’re really greasy or if they’ve just been reused so many times that they’re starting to develop holes.
- Saran wrap – I have never tried reusing saran wrap. I’ve actually developed a hatred for it, it sticks to nothing, but it’s self. It won’t stick to the bowl I’m trying to cover it with, it only clings to it’s self and turns into a wade of clear plastic that’s useless! It makes me so mad! So I very rarely use it, I’ll use plastic containers or aluminum foil instead. Although I do want to buy some of those shower cap looking things to try. I’ve heard good things about them and they can be washed and reused!
- Wax paper -This is another item I don’t use very often, but if you do use it, cereal boxes and cereal bags can be used in place of wax paper in a lot of times. My mom always used the shiny side of cereal boxes (or other similar boxes) and the cereal bags found in cereal boxes for cooling no-bake cookies on.
- Paper Towels – I actually did a blog post about using less paper towels, but I’ll tell you again! One way to use less paper towels is to use rags for cleaning and cloth towels for drying your hands. I’ve found that keeping the paper towels under the sink, rather than hanging above it keeps us from using as many. Out of sight out of mind! I do like paper towels for cleaning up milk spills and things, but I try to just use an old kitchen towel for cleaning up water spills. And instead of using paper towels for cleaning windows, try using old newspapers, they work great!
Use Rags Instead of Paper Towels
- Napkins – You can use cloth napkins or really any dish towel can be a napkin if you’re too not concerned with being fancy. Better yet, make your own cloth napkins out of old cloths that still have good material on them (idea from The Frugal Girl’s new e-book).
- Paper plates, plastic silverware and paper cups – Simply don’t use these! We very rarely use disposable dishes. They don’t hold up very well. Unless you buy the more expensive plates, they tend to bend with too much weight on them. And then the fork tongs snap off and the knives only work if you’re cutting something as soft as jello! So we stick to only buying them for special occasions (like Gracia’s birthday party). A lot of sturdier silverware and cups can be washed and reused.
- Paper Bags – If you’re in this business of being frugal (which you probably are if you read my blog) then I imagine you pack yourself (0r kids, or special someone) a lunch. I highly recommend buying a lunchbox instead of using brown paper bags for 2 reasons. First of all paper bags have no insulation, so they won’t keep your food cool and secondly buying a lunchbox can save you money. It may cost more up front to buy a lunch box than paper bags, but you’ll have to keep buying those bags (unless you’re very careful to keep and reuse them). And there’s a lot of really inexpensive lunch boxes out there if you’re not picky. Since I’ve started keeping my tomatoes in a brown paper bag, I plan on keeping the bag and reusing it the next time I buy tomatoes. It’s not like it gets dirty or anything.
This post is shared at Tammy’s Recipes for Kitchen Tip Tuesdays.
Great ideas! I bought an insulated lunch bag (it’s cute and I got it at a discount price at Gordman’s) that I often use when I take lunch to work. It’s something I’ll be able to reuse for a long time, it’s sturdier than paper bags and it takes up less space than a lunch box when not in use. Officially, I’m a big fan of the insulated lunch bags!
The one thing I don’t like about my hubby’s lunchbox is it’s size, so those bag kind sound nice!
Hello! I would like to use more rags, but I have a question–how do you store used rags (too “dirty” to use again) before they get washed? We are allergic to mold, so I am concerned. We have 8 people so lots of laundry–I can’t just pop in a load…Any ideas welcome! One idea I heard but have not tried is to have a supply of disposable rags, which I like, since there always seems to be some article of clothing beyond passing on.
I throw mine outside on the top of our outside shed, until they dry, then I put them in the shed (that’s where our washing machine is). Maybe you can keep them on a rack in a laundry room, porch, garage or some place where they can dry. Or like you said if you have enough rags you can just toss them.
There are home businesses that make reusable products to take the place of some of these things. My current fave is Rebel TLCs. She is taking a break right now, but should be coming back soon.
https://www.facebook.com/rebelTLCs
I bought 2 large packages of cheap washcloths from Walmart that we use for napkins. Not really dinner party worthy, but they work great and get the job done! When they get dirty, they go into a small laundry basket next to the washer. Since they are small I add them to whatever load I am doing that day so there is no extra load of laundry to do and they do not pile up. I do the same with the hand towels.
What a great post! I feel like we’re kindred spirits.
I love keeping cereal bags for wax paper. I try to confiscate any that I find. As far as the “shower cap looking things” You can use actual shower caps. 
I do it all the time. My husband gets them for me when he’s out of town (for free at the hotel).
Although, unlike you, I am crazy about Saran Wrap and try to control myself. Ha, ha!
I love the idea of using old scrap fabric to make cloth napkins. With 5 little ones at our house we use a lot of napkins, and I am too frugal to buy them even at a thrift store
. We just wash the ones we have all the time. But I have a giant bag of scrap fabric! This sounds like the perfect project for my 7 year old who is just learning to sew . . .
Thanks!
Agreed on the plastic wrap! Its like wrestling with a bat in the dark!
Great tips!
I think plastic wrap can have a big quality difference between name-brand and generic. I love Costco’s plastic wrap. The one from Aldi’s, yeah… worthless.
Maybe that’s my problem, because I usually buy the cheapest.
There is a Walmart brand of plastic wrap that is the very best…
Great Value Premium Wrap- Professional Strength
It will cling and stretch over your food and dishes.
I have never tried to reuse it though.
Thank you for the tips.
I’ve come a long way on this… and naturally. First off, I HATE paper/foam/plastic plates and refuse to buy them. I’ll only use them if I am going to picnic.
The paper towels I limit to about 1 roll a month and use them on the messiest of messy spills.
I’ve always reused zipper storage bags by washing them in warm soapy water (dish water). Typically I don’t reuse if they’ve been damaged or excessively messy and I’m too lazy to wash them.
I rarely use paper napkins. Since I live alone, I usually grab a dishcloth, dishtowel or rag if I want a napkin. I know, not a very nice picture, but it works for me. I do keep a package handy though in case I have company to eat. A dollar package of cheap napkins lasts me about 4-6 months.
I won’t say I never have, but usually don’t reuse foil, plastic wrap or waxed paper. Most of my foil use is to line my baking sheets/pans when I bake meat. Remove the foil after cooking and makes for easy clean up.
I always save paper bags and plastic grocery bags (like from Walmart). I used the plastic bags as can liners to my smaller trashcans (i.e. bathroom, bedroom, office). rather than buying them. I am currently saving the thicker white plastic bags for a Christmas craft.
You can buy those shower cap type covers at the Dollar Tree, or at least in Tennessee. They have 20 different sizes in a box and are great. I think they are called Cover Ups.
I too use very few disposables in my kitchen. I received a baking mat for free in my pink cookware set. It’s fantastic! I was skeptical at first because it looks like plastic but it actually really helps keep cookies and foods from burning and it’s made to be used over and over again. It has drastically cut down on how much foil we have to use. The only drawback is that it has a max temp of 450 degrees so I can’t use it when I broil food. I want to buy another for our bigger pan. Some other things we do- I have a reusable plastic lid to use to cover opened canned foods. I also find that I can often use the lids from my pots set to cover my glass cook bowls when they have food in them. We don’t buy paper towels or napkins. I have a huge drawer in my kitchen that we throw all of our reusable napkins, rags, hand towels, etc. into and use them as we need them. We save time by not folding them and we throw them into a hamper by the garage door (which is next to our kitchen) and wash them with our regular laundry.
I’ve never tried those plastic baking mats, but I’ve heard good things about them.