4 ms·

Convenient non-plastic solutions need to be developed. After learning about micro plastics and forever chemicals, I started to get paranoid of this stuff. Start

Convenient non-plastic solutions need to be developed. After learning about micro plastics and forever chemicals, I started to get paranoid of this stuff. Started cooking at home more and started removing plastic from my daily life. After my wife got pregnant, I keep telling her to avoid plastic, but she doesn't seem to take it seriously. She purchased plastic food containers, I tell her don't microwave food in it, but she does it anyway because the container is "microwave safe". She also wants to carry her own lunch but glass containers are heavy and she doesn't want to carry that. I keep reminding her that she shouldn't use it, especially while pregnant, but she says that I'm stressing her out with that. She said she's open to using non-plastic stuff but it needs to be as convenient as the plastic products she's using now. It's difficult to find proper replacements for stuff like plastic wraps, or lightweight glass food / beverage containers.

Karawebnetwork 3y ago
>replacements for stuff like plastic wraps Beeswax food wraps work surprising well
- ne0flex 3y ago
  To my understanding, they can't be microwaved so it defeats the main purpose my wife uses plastic wrap for (wrapping rice balls / covering food and heating them up)
  - mjhay 3y ago
    Ooh boy that's extremely bad to do, quite a bit worse than heating food in a tupperware.
  - carabiner 3y ago
    Cover them with a damp paper towel or a plate? Food usually doesn't need an airtight cover to be microwaved.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - snapcaster 3y ago
    I wonder what harm she is doing to your child
yboris 3y ago
Make it easier for her by taking on the chores of washing them and preparing them. If you're insisting she do something differently, ask her if there is anything you could do to make it easier for her to do it -- since this is clearly a more important change for you than for her (at this time).
- ne0flex 3y ago
  I did offer to do that but the main problem is she doesn't want to carry the items and it can be heavy for her with all the tools she carries (she's a piano technician). Really only solution would be finding lightweight alternatives, but haven't had luck with that.
  - oefnak 3y ago
    Metal? Lighter and less prone to breaking than glass. Also less inert maybe, but probably better than plastic.
    - yboris 3y ago
      No way to microwave sadly :/ Hard problem to solve. I wonder what the best effort-per-payoff is in this scenario. Perhaps cutting out plastic water bottles would be 90% of the benefit, and the plastic containers for food is 10% of the benefit but tremendously more effort -- I don't know (never did research on this).
      - NLPaep 3y ago
        Microwaving and heat is the 90%, I believe…
  - gesinger 3y ago
    It may be worth looking into silicone containers.
rcme 3y ago
> Convenient non-plastic solutions need to be developed. PFAS coated paper?
- ne0flex 3y ago
  Obviously not. I guess non-toxic (plastic, PFAs, etc.) would've been a better description.
snapcaster 3y ago
It sounds like you and your wife have different values. I see a lot of people that share her opinion. It's hard for me to not be mad at them since their lack of care is what enables companies to act like this in the first place and not lose customers
- dennis_jeeves1 3y ago
  >It sounds like you and your wife have different values. Different values or something else...
  - kamikaz1k 3y ago
    What is the something else?
beambot 3y ago
Should be equally concerned about non-stick pans. PTFE (Teflon) and other coatings are notoriously bad...
hinkley 3y ago
They're not a lot lighter, but there are glass containers that have a silicone mesh over the outside, which in theory gives you better survivability.
Tade0 3y ago
I hate to make this worse for you, but apparently (that's what I read at least) water pipes are also lined with BPA. Baby products are often made from stuff which at least in theory should be less harmful, but I suppose it's only tested for a select group of hazards. EDIT: forget the bamboo - not microwave safe. I ate some glue along with my dishes apparently. EDIT2: Apparently wheat bran containers are microwave safe and since they're edible, they can't be lined with plastic. Not reusable of course. Also I wouldn't put them on 100%, because low-water content stuff tends to burn in a microwave oven.

Karawebnetwork 3y ago

>replacements for stuff like plastic wraps Beeswax food wraps work surprising well

ne0flex 3y ago
To my understanding, they can't be microwaved so it defeats the main purpose my wife uses plastic wrap for (wrapping rice balls / covering food and heating them up)
- mjhay 3y ago
  Ooh boy that's extremely bad to do, quite a bit worse than heating food in a tupperware.
- carabiner 3y ago
  Cover them with a damp paper towel or a plate? Food usually doesn't need an airtight cover to be microwaved.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- snapcaster 3y ago
  I wonder what harm she is doing to your child

yboris 3y ago

Make it easier for her by taking on the chores of washing them and preparing them. If you're insisting she do something differently, ask her if there is anything you could do to make it easier for her to do it -- since this is clearly a more important change for you than for her (at this time).

ne0flex 3y ago
I did offer to do that but the main problem is she doesn't want to carry the items and it can be heavy for her with all the tools she carries (she's a piano technician). Really only solution would be finding lightweight alternatives, but haven't had luck with that.
- oefnak 3y ago
  Metal? Lighter and less prone to breaking than glass. Also less inert maybe, but probably better than plastic.
  - yboris 3y ago
    No way to microwave sadly :/ Hard problem to solve. I wonder what the best effort-per-payoff is in this scenario. Perhaps cutting out plastic water bottles would be 90% of the benefit, and the plastic containers for food is 10% of the benefit but tremendously more effort -- I don't know (never did research on this).
    - NLPaep 3y ago
      Microwaving and heat is the 90%, I believe…
- gesinger 3y ago
  It may be worth looking into silicone containers.

rcme 3y ago

> Convenient non-plastic solutions need to be developed. PFAS coated paper?

ne0flex 3y ago
Obviously not. I guess non-toxic (plastic, PFAs, etc.) would've been a better description.

snapcaster 3y ago

It sounds like you and your wife have different values. I see a lot of people that share her opinion. It's hard for me to not be mad at them since their lack of care is what enables companies to act like this in the first place and not lose customers

dennis_jeeves1 3y ago
>It sounds like you and your wife have different values. Different values or something else...
- kamikaz1k 3y ago
  What is the something else?

beambot 3y ago

Should be equally concerned about non-stick pans. PTFE (Teflon) and other coatings are notoriously bad...

hinkley 3y ago

They're not a lot lighter, but there are glass containers that have a silicone mesh over the outside, which in theory gives you better survivability.

Tade0 3y ago

I hate to make this worse for you, but apparently (that's what I read at least) water pipes are also lined with BPA. Baby products are often made from stuff which at least in theory should be less harmful, but I suppose it's only tested for a select group of hazards. EDIT: forget the bamboo - not microwave safe. I ate some glue along with my dishes apparently. EDIT2: Apparently wheat bran containers are microwave safe and since they're edible, they can't be lined with plastic. Not reusable of course. Also I wouldn't put them on 100%, because low-water content stuff tends to burn in a microwave oven.