Monday, February 4, 2013

The Baggie Nazi

Click on the Picture to see it's origin

I remember visiting my Granny's house and seeing plastic zip type storage bags all lined up in her dish drainer.  She came from a different time where things weren't disposable as they are today.  Even disposable plastic bags got reused in her home.  

This grossed me out.  I will admit that I could be considered borderline germ-phobic and the thought of storing my leftovers in a wrinkly, cloudy looking and possibly greasy bag that had been sitting on a dish drainer with all of those germs having a party in that warm wet environment., just sent my mind into a spin. 

I've been the total consumer.  I've used them once and used them thoughtlessly in situations where it might have been more efficient to use a plastic container instead, but I was too lazy to get one out.  I had already decided that I would try to reuse them when we go cruising…

I've chickened out.  Bruce and I have opted to use small plastic containers in place of mass numbers of baggies.   I've become the Baggie Nazi!  Sure we will still take a bunch with us because sometimes, only a bag will do… but it really hasn't been too difficult once our minds were set.  We seem to roll through a small number of containers as long as we are rolling through our leftovers.  And with a fridge as small as ours, that is pretty much a necessity.  

So, we will be doing our small part to economize and to keep a little bit of plastic out of the landfills.  I'm amazed to see all of the small ways this change in lifestyle has changed ME! 

4 comments:

  1. There's nothing like re-washing the bag and having them dry on your lines as well as your hand-washed laundry, LOL !! Like you, I hated the thought as I grew up with parents who did that, of re-using, but living this lifestyle, hate the idea of garbaging everything so quickly when it's still good and re-usable !!

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    1. We will definitely reuse the ones we can, maybe those used for dry things like crackers and such. We've really cut down our usage altogether. Especially since every time Bruce reaches for one, I stifle a frown.

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  2. Containers also have the advantage of stacking and not mysteriously disappearing to the bottom of the icebox quite as easily. Nonetheless,I don't toss zip-locs until they really can't be re-used, though I don't use them all that often in the fridge...mostly for a block of cheese that is also in a plastic casing. It is no different washing them than plastic containers, or dishes, or glasses. What grosses me out is watching someone wipe a counter with a sponge that is probably festering with germs. The real ick factor in a galley or home kitchen is the dish sponge that gets used for months and never gets sanitized...yuck!

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    1. Sarita.Suzanne, you've found another of my peeves. I can't tell you how many sponges I've thrown away because they were left in the sink. Nothing more icky than picking up a slimy sponge. I may do away with sponges altogether when we go. I really only use the scrubber side anyway and I can just buy those by themselves. And if I run out, I can always pilfer one from my husband's bottom cleaning stash. Thanks for commenting to you and to Alexandra (or Dave...). Good ideas

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