It’s so great that you are doing your bit for the environment inside the home but what about when you’re out and about? All the little conveniences you don’t even think about are easy to overlook once you step outside your home. These awesome eco-friendly products are great for food storage but are they sustainable? We take a look at essential reusable items for usability, practicality, hygiene, mobility and of course, doing your bit for the environment.
How do you make reusable food covers?
You can buy reusable food wraps made from different materials including silicone and wax covered wraps which are a great sustainable option for the home. Reusable wax food wraps are also an easy DIY home project only requiring a few simple materials: wax pellets, fabric, baking paper and an iron.
For food on the go, let’s take a look at some of our favourite products this year with customer convenience and sustainability in mind.
1. lifebasics™ by Nourished Life Reusable Produce Bags
4.8 star rating of 459 reviews
What’s with all those plastic produce bags at the supermarket? Not only can they not be reused because of their thin plastic material but storing any fresh produce in these can quickly cause condensation buildup in the bag and decrease the shelf life of fruit and vegetables. The solution? Life Basics Produce Bags that are made from recycled P.E.T plastic bottles into a mesh design with a handy drawstring top.
It also comes with a free carry pouch to neatly fit all 8 bags. They are durable, easy to clean and green for the environment so you can use them over and over again. Nourished Life Australia sells them online in a starter bundle pack of 8 measuring 30cm x 35cm and retails at $24.99.
2. Glass Dharma Reusable Glass Straws
These days if you’re going to get a green juice from a super trendy cafe, you’ll notice that a lot of them use paper straws. As trendy as they are, it’s not fun when they start to turn to mush after about 20 minutes. If you’re looking for a sustainable alternative to paper or plastic straws, lucky for you, they’ve now made straws from tougher material.
Ecolunchboxes.com sell a sets of straws in 4 different materials: glass, bamboo, silicone and stainless steel. All sets come with a cute little cleaning brush for an easy clean. Straw sets start from $18.50 for a set of 4 or $19.99 for a set of 6 depending on the material. If you’re still after a single use eco-friendly straw, they also sell a straws made from hay! These come in a hundred pack made from 100% biodegradable natural wheat stems and is surprisingly gluten-free too.
3. Beeutiful Collapsible Straw
4. WRAPPA Reusable Vegan Wax Food Wraps
4.7 star rating of 15 reviews
You’ve probably seen these as an alternative to plastic cling wrap. They’re super easy to use, just use the warmth from your hands and fingers to gently melt the beeswax and shape around food or a container to seal. The wraps are easily washable with cold water and dish soap to be reused.
So what makes Beeutiful Reusable Beeswax Wraps so special? Just like any other material that comes into contact with food, the material must be food grade. With so many cheaper products, are you really getting something that might transfer unsafe or even toxic products to your food?
With these wraps, each cloth is specially crafted with a blend of Australian local Organic beeswax, natural tree resin, virgin organic coconut oil, cold pressed jojoba oil infused into a 100% cotton cloth. You’ll feel good knowing that the wraps are also 100% biodegradable and compostable. Each pack comes in really cool designs and starts from $19.00 for a two pack.
5. Just Water Spring Water Cartons
I initially stumbled across this at IKEA in the food section but I really loved that one of my all time favourite stores was taking initiative to do even more for the environment. As of 2014, data showed that 57.3 billion plastic water bottles were sold. Just Water uses a carton made from 54% paper, 28% sugarcane based plastic with an inner protective layer made from 3% aluminium and 15% BPA free plastic film.
The carton is 100% recyclable and can be reused. Woolworths currently stock Just Water beverage cartons that also come in different fruit infused waters like lime, berry and lemon. You can get a 500ml carton for $2.00 or $24.00 for a case of 12.
6. Voss Water
With glass being the best contender for a plastic free alternative, Voss Water as a product not only appeals to the environmentally conscious individual but is also a working example of an environmentally conscious company as a business. The company utilises the Carbon Trust Methodology to assess the environmental impact to achieve their goal of being a carbon neutral company.
Simply put, the methodology allows a business to identify carbon emissions throughout a business and an effort to reduce emissions and implement carbon savings. The bottles are 100% recyclable and are available at Woolworths in 3 sizes: 375ml, 500ml and 800ml, priced from $3.10
7. Brownes Flavoured Milk
BONUS sustainable product! Yes I know, not a reusable but a good one to know next time you’re at the shops.
Put your hands together for the first company in Australia to use fully renewable and recyclable cartons in their dairy product range. That’s right, as of October 2019, Brownes Dairy will be launching a Terta Pak bio-based carton in 25 of its milk carton products. So how does a standard milk carton differ from a bio-based carton? Cartons are usually made of a type of board packaging which has an inner plastic lining used as a protective layer to separate the carton material from the milk.
The protective lining in a bio-based carton replaces plastic, which usually contains fossil-fuel derived polyethylene plastic, with sugarcane. The carton is made from entirely from plant based material – wood fibres and sugarcane, making it a sustainable option for packaging. The milk carton products currently include the Brownes Dairy white milk, cream and CHILL range.
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8. Sustomi Silicone Food Pouch
Do you need something slightly bigger than a sandwich bag? The answer to this is the Sustomi Silicone Food Pouch. Made from food-safe silicone, it features a unique slide opening to easily minimise air and create a leak proof closure. This keeps food fresh and liquids from leaking. The hardy proof silicone material can withstand temperatures from 0°–230° C, making it versatile enough to go straight from the freezer or fridge to the microwave or oven.
This is makes it perfect for storing and re-heating all types of foods and liquids, from soups to casseroles to roast meat. Each pouch holds up to 1 litre of liquid and is available for purchase in a one or two pack. It is also dishwasher proof and stain proof making cleaning a breeze.
A single pouch measures 18cm x 23.7cm x 1.4cm and retails from $16.95 or a two pack for $29.95
9. Stasher Reusable Sandwich Bag
For the perfect sandwich size bag with the familiar zip-lock enclosure, look no further than the Stasher range available online at Nourished Life Australia. Made from 100%, this pouch is reusable and dishwasher friendly which unlike traditional sandwich bags, can be washed over and over again.
Foods stay fresher and longer with the pouch which can be used for food storage in the fridge, freezer and also used for reheating in the microwave – talk about versatility!
We also thought of other uses too! Thanks to its leak-proof enclosure, you can also store toiletries and stationery items for safe carefree travels.
There are 3 handy sizes available: Snack 290ml (11.5cm x 19cm x 2.5cm), Sandwich 450ml (19cm x 19xm x 2.5cm) and Large 1.9L (26cm x 21cm x 3.8cm), prices start from $19.95 online from Nourished Life Australia.
9. ECOlunchbox Splash Box™
4.9 star rating of 11 reviews
Are you looking for a kid-proof and leak-proof lunch box that is both sustainable and good for the environment too? When it comes to kids, healthy lunches in a school bag can be a messy business. Luckily, we’ve found a perfect solution for you and the environment. ECOlunchbox Splash Box™ combines the use of two common environmentally friendly materials – stainless steel and silicone to create an eco-friendly and sustainable product.
There are no leaks thanks to the water-tight design with the “press to seal” silicone lid edges. The combination of silicone and stainless steel also make it a lot lighter than glass and non-breakable. Its dishwasher safe and made from non-toxic materials that may be found in traditional plastic lunch boxes.
There are three handy sizes available: Splash Pod 250ml (10.cm x 7cm x 5cm), Splash Box 750ml (16.5cm x 12cm x 5cm) and Splash Box XL 1.25L (18.4cm x 13.3cm x 7cm). After a bento set? You can get the 3-on-1 Splash Box Set or Splash Box and Pods Set starting from $35.99 online.
10. Cheeki Stainless Steel Lunch Box
4.8 star rating of 11 reviews
There’s much to love about the Cheeki Lunch Boxes. Made from premium stainless steel, this product is: non-toxic, dishwasher proof, plastic-free, sturdy, non-breakable, easily openable with two side clips and comes with an air-tight seal.
This is a no-nonsense straight forward stainless steel lunch box that is perfect for adult lunching, picnics or as a BYO zero waste takeaway container.
Available in three different sizes: Every day 500ml (17cm x 13cm x 5cm), Double stacker 1L (17cm x 13cm x 8.5cm) and Hungry Max 1.6L (21cm x 15cm x 8cm). Prices start from $36.95 online at Nourished Life Australia.
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