Plastic-free food storage that actually works
Glass for anything you reheat, steel for anything that travels, and a plate on a bowl for most of the rest.
By PlasticFreeHome Research Team · Reviewed by Khalid · Updated 26 September 2026 · 1 min read
Glass for anything you reheat, steel for anything that travels, and a plate over a bowl for most of the rest. You probably own half of what you need already.
Reheating comes first
Microwaving food in plastic tubs is the clearest route for plastic particles into food. If you change one thing, make it this. See reheating in plastic → glass.
Wraps and bags
- Cling film → a plate on a bowl, a lidded container, or a wax wrap for cheese and bread. See cling film → lids.
- Freezer bags → straight-sided glass jars (leave 2–3 cm headroom) or steel tins. See freezer bags → jars.
Lunch boxes
Stainless steel lasts for years. Leak-proof versions almost always use a silicone seal; if you don't need leak-proof, choose steel clips. See plastic lunch box → steel.
Lids are where plastic hides
Glass containers usually come with polypropylene lids and silicone seals. Metal jar lids nearly always have a PVC-based sealing ring. That's fine for dry storage — just keep lids out of the microwave and away from hot, fatty food.
Sources
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Top swaps in food storage
Reheating in plastic tubs → glass containers
Heating food in plastic is the single clearest route for plastic particles into what you eat. Glass fixes it.
Swap first · about 600 g of plastic a year
Cling film → lidded containers or beeswax wraps
Cling film is single-use plastic in direct contact with food. A plate on a bowl does the same job for free.
High priority · about 400 g of plastic a year
Plastic lunch box → stainless steel
Steel lunch boxes last for years, go in the dishwasher and don't stain or crack.
Worth doing · about 100 g of plastic a year