Thanks Hannah for being that bug in Lisa's ear! I've been washing my zip bags for a long time, and I avoid using them that much in general. (When Lisa said she goes through a box in a matter of weeks, my mouth dropped open! I think I go through a box a year.) I've always been a bit bothered by the amount of plastic and paper towels that ATK goes through on their shows. Keep looking for alternatives and showing them to your audience.
The waste is tremendous. I am Brazilian and I always get so impacted by the quantity of bags, boxes and plastic in any item we buy. Of course we do use here more than we should, but at least there is a huge protocol for recycling ♻️
I have sets of glass and plastic storage containers in different sizes to avoid constantly using plastic bags. I have had brand name bags in several sizes for years because I use them only when truly needed. I regularly watch vloggers in Japan and that's another country heavily reliant on plastic bags, packaging and wrappers, particularly in small or individual portions for all the single working people there.
The slider bags do not seal as well as the press to seal. I Have arthritis in my hands especially in my thumbs and laying them flat makes it easy to get a good seal.
You can wash plastic food containers with lids, like yogurt containers, that sort of thing. They are reusable and don't cost anything. You don't have to save ALL the plastic containers that come into your house, but keep enough on hand so you don't have to buy plastic bags for the freezer. They aren't see-through, but that's easy to handle, too. Just use a marker and write the name of the contents on the lid or side of the container. You can use them quite a few times before discarding, which is much more sensible for the planet.
I remember my grandmother saving all of the margarine and Cool Whip tubs to reuse for storing left overs and what have you. Her and my grandfather were in their teens at the start of the Great Depression, so they had it drilled into them to stretch a buck as far as you could.
@@jamesbyrd3740 I've never had that problem. I keep organic cornmeal in a yogurt container in the freezer, for instance, and it has lasted well for a couple of years. No dampness, no loss of flavor, etc.
I very much like the Stasher bags. I have a ton of them. I buy bulk boneless chicken breasts and press all the air out of the bags (quart size, mostly) so they do touch the food. I use the gusseted Stasher bags for large roasts such as pork shoulder or chuck. They are great for this purpose, because I pretty much always have to take the meat/poultry I purchase out of the store packaging or it can't be thawed in cold water. However, I do freeze things that need larger, flatter bags so I will purchase some of the Rezip. BTW, I do also keep the disposable bags and each box lasts me a year or two.
I use one use bags, and reuseable. I also use vacuum seal bags for most of my product that will be frozen. The vacuum bags are hands down the best solution keeping items eliminating freezer burn and oxidation and freshness!!! We've all lost things in the freezer. After over a year I found a ribeye steak at the bottom of my freezer. When thawed in the bag inside the fridge, it looked dresh and tasted excellent
I defrosted and cooked a steak that had been vacuum sealed for over two years, and it tasted as good as if I had just brought it home from the butcher shop. I always wrap first, then freeze on a sheet pan, then vacuum seal. Doing that has saved me hundreds of dollars over the years in lost product.
We are currently enjoying pork from a pig we raised several years ago. All packed in Food Saver vacuum sealed bags, and stored in a chest freezer at 0°f. Still as good as fresh!
I've found ground beef, pumpkin puree, & a cherry tomato pasta sauce all over 2 yrs old in perfect condition at the bottom of my chest freezer. All were stored in Ziploc bags. I keep my freezer at -10F & ensure, as much as I can there's no air--I often use a straw to remove air. I also keep that freezer closed & "shop" from it once a week. According to the dept of Agriculture lowering the freezer temp from 0F to -10F doubles the life expectancy.
Been washing and reusing my freezer bags for a long time. I rarely ever put raw meat directly in the bag. It gets wrapped first (a llittle extra assurance against freezer burn). ZipLok is my brand for all sizes, except snack nags. All of them are long and skinny. Good for no more than M&Ms and goldfish crackers. I buy the snack bags at Family Dollar because they're small squares and I can store half a cut onion in them. Turning down the top part is also something I've been doing for years. It just makes sense. Who needs reusable when these already are?
I wash "single use" bags for meat as well. However, I mark the bags meat and only reuse them for meat products only. That way, if any meat bacteria remains after a good wash, I know the second product is going to be cooked well, so I'm not worried about cross contamination. Cooked meat is usually stored in glass. Another thing I do to reduce bacteria growth in used bags is to store clean washed and thoroughly dried bags in the cheese drawer in my refrigerator. 💖🌵🌞😷
Went reusable a few years ago. Got my hands on a set of the Ello bags at Costco a few months ago. Various sizes. They are the best reusable bags I've ever used!
I wash and reuse my ZipLock brand gallon bags unless I stored raw meat. I did get a tip to wrap meat in cling film first before putting it into the bag and I do see that tip here in the comments so more re-enforcement there. I don't wash and reuse 10 times but I may start reusing more after your info that it is ok. Great informative video, like always.
Be ware, while companies claim recycling is an option, not all plastics can really be easily recycled, and sometimes other parts included with those plastics mean they can't be recycled. There's a reason why reduce, reuse, recycle is in that specific order.
Most of the plastic recycled in this county is shipped to Asia, where most of it ends up in the rivers there and works its way into the ocean. This is the biggest source of plastic pollution in the world. People thinking they are doing something good for the environment are actually the biggest contributors to that pollution. Where I live, we have a clean incinerator for our trash, and we recycle glass, aluminum, and cardboard/paper, but plastic now goes to the incinerator. No more polluting the water for me!
@TheLukemcdaniel It is a clean energy facility. Waste-to-Energy is a way to dispose of most garbage cleanly while producing energy for the surrounding community. We have several dumping stations around the area, for those that need to personally dump refuse, that then transfer the refuse to the W-T-E plant for disposal. Our community pickup has its own disposal contract with them. We also have a recycling and composting program. But no it does not pollute the air. We are not supposed to throw certain things away like batteries, light bulbs, etc. We have a recycling program for those things.
Team "none of the above". 3 years ago I stopped using all food storage bags and switched to pyrex and other glass containers. I do quite a bit of food prep (marinades, freezing staple ingredients, meals for the week, etc) and haven't had a single instance where I needed a ziploc bag. I'm actually curious what others use them for that can't be substituted.
For me, it is mostly about space. I can store a few dozen bags of raw and cooked prepped meals in the lower part of my house frig in Foodsaver and freezer Ziplocs. Not so with glass, which take up lots more room because they aren't flexible. Plus, with a glass base and plastic lids, how do you get the air out to avoid freezer burn?
@@beckydmc Thanks for the reply. Myself, to avoid freezer burn I fill up containers to the brim, plus I don't freeze stuff too longterm. Having a standalone freezer also helps with the space issue.
Bananas prepped for desserts in which they need to remain frozen. The banana pieces freeze stuck to each other because of the sugars. I have to be able to manipulate them apart without thawing. I wish I had the space to freeze a single layer of slices.
I have been portion out our meats, wrap in wax paper and then place in ziploc bags. I do reuse my bags for a long time. Once these bags are used up, I will switch to glass containers for the freezer. Our family do prefer to eat fresh meats so we do not buy alot. I quickly eat up what is in the freezer so that is less chance of food waste. Always rotate out what is in the pantry too
We’ve been washing the disposable ones for years, only throwing them out when they’re no longer air-tight. We tried some sturdy, reusable bags a few years ago, but neither one of us was able to seal them, so we just store our other bags in them. 😅 I’ll try the Ello brand. Thank you so much for bringing up this topic! It’s important.
I am on team both... I use the reusable bags to store vegetables & cheeses in the refrigerator and I believe after a year, it is saving me money by not throwing away a bag storing half an onion every few days. However I use the cheapest store brand gallon sized bags for breading or marinating raw meats so they can be easily thrown away. I use the Ziploc freezer bags for the freezer and since I don't use products daily from my freezer, if it is not raw meats, I can easily wash and reuse the bag.
You guys are my favorite You Tubers! I started off as a die hard Lisa fan, but Hannah has really grown on me. You guys are the the best!! I'm gonna try out the rezip bags.
I have been reusing freezer bags for years. I have a special bag drying stand I was gifted with over 20 years ago. I have a few stasher bags that I don’t love and hardly use. Thanks for the research ATK.
Great information! I love that you perform the rigorous tests so I can then make my decision. I’m going to add the reusable bags to the Ziplock I already use. Thanks!
Awesome review. I keep both types. I use the single use for raw meats and fish (especially if I'm marinating something overnight) and the reusables for everything else.
I have been using reusable storage bags for years and have yet to throw one away. The only need to replaced is if I give someone food items and they also recieve a great reuseable bag.
We have a selection of the silicone reusable bags, but the type with the separate slide on closure. Those are airtight and don't open, I love them for marinading because I can squeeze out the air and remove nearly all of it before the final slide shut. I use them sometimes as freezer storage, but mostly I use a vacuum sealer, which does a much better job than either of these types for freezing foods.
Great video! I have a mix of reusable and disposable bags but I do wash and re-use the disposable ones as long as they don’t have holes and they didn’t touch raw meat.
A couple points that work for me. For cleaning I tear up a paper towel and put it in with the soap and water to help with the agitation. I get a much better clean that way. When using for meats, I will wrap in wax paper to avoid surface contact. If the item is moist, and especially if I'm going to freeze, I'll make a little pouch out of wax paper and put it in that before putting in the plastic. Pre-freezing (slightly) before bagging helps even more, especially with meats. Also missing from this test as the really excellent Zwilling reusable vacuum bags.
The water and soap needed to rewash bags is another consideration. I live in Texas and we are under water restrictions a good part of the year. We are also on a septic system and having a lot of water and soap going down the drain can result in the system needing to be pumped out years earlier-which costs 3 to $5000 each time. The use of limited water resources to reuse plastic bags can have both a considerable impact on the environment and the pocketbook.
this thing about rewashing a plastic bag is really sad - it is very counterproductive - excessive uses of water, the sewer system, a person's time, and most of all you cannot guarantee the bag is bacteria free after your washing and air drying or the worst thing to do is towel drying
I would like to know more about the production impact on the environment. Ie which option has less impact during the process of making them- what raw materials are used how does the gathering of those impact the environment. When making the bags how much energy and water is used? Otherwise awesome segment. I learned a lot!
The impact is negligible compared to waste from manufacturing facilities. The last company I worked at threw out a **massive** dumpster worth of foam and plastic 3 times a week, sometimes we'd have to load up a truck with more and take it to the dump.
Less than 9% is the amount of plastic that actually gets recycled. 91% of the plastic we put in our recycling bins is stashed in HUGE warehouses or dumps. Other countries used to take our plastic trash (like THATS a good idea), but most won’t do it anymore. Perhaps we need those big plastic dumps in the middle of our communities for us to find alternatives. I blame the manufacturers and the lack of laws… plastic is too cheap.
I bought the ello storage bags months ago on sale to see if I would actually use them. Surprise!! I love them, bought 2 more packages (this time with gussets) and a drying rack. I've had one of the gallon sizes in nearly constant use for a year and it's still in good condition. They do tend to hang on to odors of some foods so thanks for the tip on deodorizing them :) I also keep a box of Ziplock sandwich and gallon freezer bags to send food home with guests or to double bag when I'm freezing peppers. I use a lot of peppers.
The best thing for the environment is to use what you already have. Going out and buying reusable bags only makes sense if they will get enough use to offset the resources used to make them versus the single use. Often they don’t. Definitely check before you invest a lot of money if you’re doing this for environmental reasons.
The ZipLoc gallon freezer bags I got have one side of the zipper lock that separates from the bag after re-opening it, so it guarantees only a single use. In fact, not even a full single use because you can't reseal it and put the rest of the frozen stuff back in the freezer.
My mother would wash and reuse bread bags when I was young. There were no ziplocs back then. She also used Tupperwear, which worked great, lasted forever.
Perhaps you could do a video comparing options for freezing foods. I do wonder if it’s that much better to vacuum seal vs glass vs plastic wrap and ziplock (slider ONLY). Hands struggle mightily with regular zip locks
I'm team both, i rewash my ziploc bags and my reusable bags. Keep disposable for marinating raw meat, or freezing fish. Also sometimes they are just better for the job, like sharing with someone.
So how many times can the reusable ones be used? If i can reuse a disposable, that cost $0.11, 10 times, i would need to reuse the $5 one 450 times before it would cost about the same per use as the disposable. Do they really last through that many uses and washes? I know that's just a price comparison, not considering environmental impact, but it is an aspect of decision making.
Something most people don't realize is that Zip-Lok bags are recyclable; you can put them in the container usually found at the entrance to a grocery store (where single-use grocery bags go to be recycled).
@@aayotechnology I don't know about the bags with zippers. If they're recyclable, it will say so on the box and probably give directions like removing the zipper.
I've been wrapping individual portions in a layer of wax paper and aluminium foil, and then storing them in plastic bags to keep them contained and labeled. The food has less contact with air and the bags stay clean.
I use a vacuum sealer and "single" use bags, I do try to re-use when ever possible. I also use the vacuum sealer to reseal things like rice, pasta, spices and nuts in there original packaging after each use.
I do a mix. I mostly use generic foodsaver bags (Amazon) but I've also used and washed generic ziploc freezer bags for 20+ years. I pre-pack and cook or freeze raw most of our entrees. I have never washed and reused a bag that held raw meat (too hard to clean in the crannies, though I've read others pre-wrap in plastic film first), and I don't wash bags that held anything oily or really wet, like a marinade, sauce, stew, curry, etc. Too much work for a 12 cents bag -- it takes a lot of soap and water to get them clean.
for the yellow/red stains (from tomato, carrot and such) you may try to rub them with a drop of vegetable oil as the colour is soluble in fats (carotenoids) and then to wash it with a dish soap
I rarely use food storage bags. I just use glass food storage containers in the fridge, and sometimes in the freezer. For meat tho I do use a food saver with the plastic bags. It seems to make a huge difference in the quality of the meat after it's been in the freezer.
Thanks for doing this! I'm looking to reduce my footprint. I always check out ATK regardless if it is measuring cups or a mixer that I'm planning to buy!
I find rolling back the bag as they describe will cause the edges of ZipLock to crack and leak. What about FoodSaver? They don't mention it. I wash and reuse ZipLocks but store them in the freezer until the next use, I think it might help reduce bacteria growth
I store in the freezer and refrigerator bags that I use for the same thing such as bacon or meat and just mark it as such and keep it in either the freezer or the refrigerator depending. That way if there is bacterial contamination it's the same kind since it's the same meat
I tried the re(zip) bags and tossed them after only a dozen uses, maybe, because they just became harder and harder to close. Had I known about the cooking oil trick, I'd have stuck with them! 💫😯
I appreciate this test as it's something I wrestle with. Although, I found it contradictory when you said not to fold over the bags to turn them inside out, but then you said to fold down the tops to make them easier to fill?
I've been really liking reusable baggies. Zip lock makes some serious ones, but a basic Amazon one is okay for most things (but not the freezer, bc they're hard to open unless they warm up)
question. Has anyone calculated the trade off vs the resources required to clean these bags? 1) Drinkable water is a precious resource. 2) Dumping the used water into the sanitary sewer system also consumes limited resources. I don't know. And the local region may make a difference. Water is more plentiful in some places than others.
Thanks for this review. I will look into reusable bags. Speaking of plastic use, can you do a review of filtered water bottles (both plastic and stainless steel) so we don’t have to keep buying plastic water bottles? Thanks!!
I can already see some manufacturer coating a reusable bag with Triclosan and calling it "safe for reuse". No thank you, I'm extremely hesitant about antibacterial nanosurfaces already (probably molecularly embedded Triclosan).
I have another question - did the stronger reusable bags protect the content in the Freezer better - less Freezer burn and able to store for longer. THAT would be a plus too. But that would take a long term test. Maybe months
I'm looking for a good storage solution for the snacks I carry in my hiking pack. After miles of walking in the mountains, a plastic bag of almonds comes out looking like it was put through a rock tumbler, which is very concerning in regards to ingesting microplastics.
As usual, I'm on Lisa's side. FWIW, I store almost everything in GLASS .. no stain, _infinitely_ reusable. Most of what I use plastic bags for, is a block of cheese, or something else I'm going to open/close/open/close for several weeks. By the end, it's yucky, and throwing it away is fine. For really yucky stuff, I use old "bread" bags, since those are very thin and most people would have thrown them away anyhow.
I tend to use the silicon bags for sous vide and meats. That allows me to wash in the dishwasher on the sanitize setting. I wash the sous vide use bags first with a dish cloth since water pressure alone doesn't remove the food particles. For storing bread, vegetables, and packaged items, I use labeled zip lock bags. That way if it started out as a bread bag, it continues that use (etc). After use, I wash them, then clip together for the next use. I don't get 10 uses out of them, the seals fail before that, but probably 5-6. I use the food saver bags for meat or fish that might be in the freezer for a while.
Would really like to see ATK consult with the TH Chan School @ Harvard (Joseph Allen). BPA substitutes are, as bad, if not worse, than BPAs. I really dislike my eZip bags. Rarely use them, but the zipper closure fails to close properly and opens spontaneously. This is after only handwashing. Stasher is even worse. Super rigid and the zipper is terrible. There’s really no good solution, but we’ve changed our eating habits, to by more fresh food, on demand and use glass/metal. We’ll try the cooking oil trick and the Ello brand. Thx!
I've used ziploc for years and never wash and re-use. I'd like to know if you've tested vacuum sealer bags. I've been using a vacuum for years for meat especially, but lota of other stuff too. That way I can spend less money by weighing all my meat before sealing it. Simple to write on bag what it is and what date it was frozen.
One common test you forgot: reheating in a microwave and cooking in my immersion circulator. I do this all the time in Ziploc freezer bags. Ok, get that horrified look off your face and tell me, am I poisoning myself?
all bags are reusable.... depending on their level contamination. i'll wash and reuse my ziplocs, but not if i stored chicken in it. i'm cheap, not crazy.
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Not turning inside out was a shocker. Also no to silicone. This was a good lesson. Kudos once again to the team.
Thanks Hannah for being that bug in Lisa's ear! I've been washing my zip bags for a long time, and I avoid using them that much in general. (When Lisa said she goes through a box in a matter of weeks, my mouth dropped open! I think I go through a box a year.) I've always been a bit bothered by the amount of plastic and paper towels that ATK goes through on their shows. Keep looking for alternatives and showing them to your audience.
The waste is tremendous. I am Brazilian and I always get so impacted by the quantity of bags, boxes and plastic in any item we buy. Of course we do use here more than we should, but at least there is a huge protocol for recycling ♻️
I have sets of glass and plastic storage containers in different sizes to avoid constantly using plastic bags. I have had brand name bags in several sizes for years because I use them only when truly needed. I regularly watch vloggers in Japan and that's another country heavily reliant on plastic bags, packaging and wrappers, particularly in small or individual portions for all the single working people there.
I had the same feeling. I don't even remember the last time I bought a box of Ziplocs. I use both types for different things.
Thanks to Hannah for keeping the environment in the forefront of her mind.
I use glass lock containers with parchment squares between the layers if needed.
The zip slider is a must for someone with arthritis. Manually trying to squash them closed is a non-starter.
Investing in a vacuum sealer like the ones for sous vide might be another good option
@@sepioify That's a bit of extra work for someone who already has reduced use of their hands.
The slider bags do not seal as well as the press to seal. I Have arthritis in my hands especially in my thumbs and laying them flat makes it easy to get a good seal.
@@jase_allen is it? What is the extra work involved?
You can wash plastic food containers with lids, like yogurt containers, that sort of thing. They are reusable and don't cost anything. You don't have to save ALL the plastic containers that come into your house, but keep enough on hand so you don't have to buy plastic bags for the freezer. They aren't see-through, but that's easy to handle, too. Just use a marker and write the name of the contents on the lid or side of the container. You can use them quite a few times before discarding, which is much more sensible for the planet.
I remember my grandmother saving all of the margarine and Cool Whip tubs to reuse for storing left overs and what have you. Her and my grandfather were in their teens at the start of the Great Depression, so they had it drilled into them to stretch a buck as far as you could.
A yogurt container is not going to properly seal in the freezer.
@@jamesbyrd3740 I've never had that problem. I keep organic cornmeal in a yogurt container in the freezer, for instance, and it has lasted well for a couple of years. No dampness, no loss of flavor, etc.
I very much like the Stasher bags. I have a ton of them. I buy bulk boneless chicken breasts and press all the air out of the bags (quart size, mostly) so they do touch the food. I use the gusseted Stasher bags for large roasts such as pork shoulder or chuck. They are great for this purpose, because I pretty much always have to take the meat/poultry I purchase out of the store packaging or it can't be thawed in cold water. However, I do freeze things that need larger, flatter bags so I will purchase some of the Rezip. BTW, I do also keep the disposable bags and each box lasts me a year or two.
I use Freezer bags and wash and reuse them. Ziploc. I also use the 1 and 2 gallon bags to store my wool yarns to discourage moths. and projects.
I use one use bags, and reuseable. I also use vacuum seal bags for most of my product that will be frozen. The vacuum bags are hands down the best solution keeping items eliminating freezer burn and oxidation and freshness!!! We've all lost things in the freezer. After over a year I found a ribeye steak at the bottom of my freezer. When thawed in the bag inside the fridge, it looked dresh and tasted excellent
What brand of vacuum seal bags do you use?
I defrosted and cooked a steak that had been vacuum sealed for over two years, and it tasted as good as if I had just brought it home from the butcher shop. I always wrap first, then freeze on a sheet pan, then vacuum seal. Doing that has saved me hundreds of dollars over the years in lost product.
We are currently enjoying pork from a pig we raised several years ago. All packed in Food Saver vacuum sealed bags, and stored in a chest freezer at 0°f. Still as good as fresh!
@@capers72424I use the FoodSaver ones that match my vacuum sealer but I've also had good luck with the Kirkland brand from Costco
I've found ground beef, pumpkin puree, & a cherry tomato pasta sauce all over 2 yrs old in perfect condition at the bottom of my chest freezer. All were stored in Ziploc bags. I keep my freezer at -10F & ensure, as much as I can there's no air--I often use a straw to remove air. I also keep that freezer closed & "shop" from it once a week. According to the dept of Agriculture lowering the freezer temp from 0F to -10F doubles the life expectancy.
Been washing and reusing my freezer bags for a long time. I rarely ever put raw meat directly in the bag. It gets wrapped first (a llittle extra assurance against freezer burn). ZipLok is my brand for all sizes, except snack nags. All of them are long and skinny. Good for no more than M&Ms and goldfish crackers. I buy the snack bags at Family Dollar because they're small squares and I can store half a cut onion in them.
Turning down the top part is also something I've been doing for years. It just makes sense. Who needs reusable when these already are?
Google is not allowing me to make an edit. My brand is ZipLok. I still see Glad. That was just a brain fart on my part.
👍
People who actually freeze their meat in portions and don't play around with cross-contamination.
Exactly. I couldn't believe she felt the need to ask, "can I wash it?" 😊
Please tell me, what do you wrap the meat in? Parchment? Aluminum foil? environmentally conscious folk want to know!
I wash "single use" bags for meat as well. However, I mark the bags meat and only reuse them for meat products only. That way, if any meat bacteria remains after a good wash, I know the second product is going to be cooked well, so I'm not worried about cross contamination. Cooked meat is usually stored in glass. Another thing I do to reduce bacteria growth in used bags is to store clean washed and thoroughly dried bags in the cheese drawer in my refrigerator. 💖🌵🌞😷
Such a delight to see Hannah & Lisa and their testing reports.
I like Lisa.
Went reusable a few years ago. Got my hands on a set of the Ello bags at Costco a few months ago. Various sizes. They are the best reusable bags I've ever used!
I wash and reuse my ZipLock brand gallon bags unless I stored raw meat. I did get a tip to wrap meat in cling film first before putting it into the bag and I do see that tip here in the comments so more re-enforcement there. I don't wash and reuse 10 times but I may start reusing more after your info that it is ok. Great informative video, like always.
Be ware, while companies claim recycling is an option, not all plastics can really be easily recycled, and sometimes other parts included with those plastics mean they can't be recycled. There's a reason why reduce, reuse, recycle is in that specific order.
They can claim their bags are recyclable until the cows come home. It's still a useless claim unless local recycling centers actually accept them.
Most of the plastic recycled in this county is shipped to Asia, where most of it ends up in the rivers there and works its way into the ocean. This is the biggest source of plastic pollution in the world. People thinking they are doing something good for the environment are actually the biggest contributors to that pollution. Where I live, we have a clean incinerator for our trash, and we recycle glass, aluminum, and cardboard/paper, but plastic now goes to the incinerator. No more polluting the water for me!
@@katherinesmith9985 doesn't that pollute the air instead?
@TheLukemcdaniel It is a clean energy facility. Waste-to-Energy is a way to dispose of most garbage cleanly while producing energy for the surrounding community. We have several dumping stations around the area, for those that need to personally dump refuse, that then transfer the refuse to the W-T-E plant for disposal. Our community pickup has its own disposal contract with them. We also have a recycling and composting program. But no it does not pollute the air. We are not supposed to throw certain things away like batteries, light bulbs, etc. We have a recycling program for those things.
Team "none of the above". 3 years ago I stopped using all food storage bags and switched to pyrex and other glass containers. I do quite a bit of food prep (marinades, freezing staple ingredients, meals for the week, etc) and haven't had a single instance where I needed a ziploc bag. I'm actually curious what others use them for that can't be substituted.
For me, it is mostly about space. I can store a few dozen bags of raw and cooked prepped meals in the lower part of my house frig in Foodsaver and freezer Ziplocs. Not so with glass, which take up lots more room because they aren't flexible. Plus, with a glass base and plastic lids, how do you get the air out to avoid freezer burn?
@@beckydmc Thanks for the reply. Myself, to avoid freezer burn I fill up containers to the brim, plus I don't freeze stuff too longterm. Having a standalone freezer also helps with the space issue.
Bananas prepped for desserts in which they need to remain frozen. The banana pieces freeze stuck to each other because of the sugars. I have to be able to manipulate them apart without thawing. I wish I had the space to freeze a single layer of slices.
Good2kno. I store in glass as much as possible. Fit 6 burger patties in a wide mouth and vacuum it before freezing.
Giant freezer bags are my favorite general organization tool!!!
You two are the best!! I reuse small bags for freezing bagels until they rip, probably get 20-30 uses each
I have dexterity problems and I prefer the bags with the "slider", . It's a good idea for me.
We've been re-using zip lock freezer bags for about a year now. Just wash thoroughly and dry. It has saved us a lot of money.
I have been portion out our meats, wrap in wax paper and then place in ziploc bags. I do reuse my bags for a long time. Once these bags are used up, I will switch to glass containers for the freezer. Our family do prefer to eat fresh meats so we do not buy alot. I quickly eat up what is in the freezer so that is less chance of food waste. Always rotate out what is in the pantry too
We’ve been washing the disposable ones for years, only throwing them out when they’re no longer air-tight. We tried some sturdy, reusable bags a few years ago, but neither one of us was able to seal them, so we just store our other bags in them. 😅 I’ll try the Ello brand. Thank you so much for bringing up this topic! It’s important.
I was recently using ziplocks from the 1990s (not for food anymore because they're almost 3 decades old). They were made much thicker then.
I am on team both... I use the reusable bags to store vegetables & cheeses in the refrigerator and I believe after a year, it is saving me money by not throwing away a bag storing half an onion every few days. However I use the cheapest store brand gallon sized bags for breading or marinating raw meats so they can be easily thrown away. I use the Ziploc freezer bags for the freezer and since I don't use products daily from my freezer, if it is not raw meats, I can easily wash and reuse the bag.
You guys are my favorite You Tubers! I started off as a die hard Lisa fan, but Hannah has really grown on me. You guys are the the best!! I'm gonna try out the rezip bags.
I have been reusing freezer bags for years. I have a special bag drying stand I was gifted with over 20 years ago.
I have a few stasher bags that I don’t love and hardly use.
Thanks for the research ATK.
Great information! I love that you perform the rigorous tests so I can then make my decision. I’m going to add the reusable bags to the Ziplock I already use. Thanks!
Awesome review. I keep both types. I use the single use for raw meats and fish (especially if I'm marinating something overnight) and the reusables for everything else.
I have been using reusable storage bags for years and have yet to throw one away. The only need to replaced is if I give someone food items and they also recieve a great reuseable bag.
We have a selection of the silicone reusable bags, but the type with the separate slide on closure. Those are airtight and don't open, I love them for marinading because I can squeeze out the air and remove nearly all of it before the final slide shut. I use them sometimes as freezer storage, but mostly I use a vacuum sealer, which does a much better job than either of these types for freezing foods.
Great video! I have a mix of reusable and disposable bags but I do wash and re-use the disposable ones as long as they don’t have holes and they didn’t touch raw meat.
I sincerely appreciate these well tested well thought out videos.
Excellent presentation!❤
I use both types, have been for years. When I wash them, I put a sponge or dishcloth inside them, so I can really clean the sides.
A couple points that work for me.
For cleaning I tear up a paper towel and put it in with the soap and water to help with the agitation. I get a much better clean that way.
When using for meats, I will wrap in wax paper to avoid surface contact.
If the item is moist, and especially if I'm going to freeze, I'll make a little pouch out of wax paper and put it in that before putting in the plastic. Pre-freezing (slightly) before bagging helps even more, especially with meats.
Also missing from this test as the really excellent Zwilling reusable vacuum bags.
I almost always wash and reuse. But I am old enough to remember washing aluminium foil!
The daughter of Ann Landers wrote in her biography that her mom washed and reused Saran wrap 😅
@@vickif.4645 We boycotted Saran Wrap because Dow made napalm
I still rewash and reuse larger pieces of aluminum foil. I am not going to throw out a 9x12 piece of foil just because I covered a pan.
Ah yes. The many uses of a brown paper bag. Everything that came through the door was repurposed.
The water and soap needed to rewash bags is another consideration. I live in Texas and we are under water restrictions a good part of the year. We are also on a septic system and having a lot of water and soap going down the drain can result in the system needing to be pumped out years earlier-which costs 3 to $5000 each time. The use of limited water resources to reuse plastic bags can have both a considerable impact on the environment and the pocketbook.
Need to send your water from kitchen/shower to the outside (yard garden)
@@celiahedges7777 Something I wouldn't mind trying if I ever have the money to spend on the plumbing.
this thing about rewashing a plastic bag is really sad - it is very counterproductive - excessive uses of water, the sewer system, a person's time, and most of all you cannot guarantee the bag is bacteria free after your washing and air drying or the worst thing to do is towel drying
I would like to know more about the production impact on the environment. Ie which option has less impact during the process of making them- what raw materials are used how does the gathering of those impact the environment. When making the bags how much energy and water is used? Otherwise awesome segment. I learned a lot!
The impact is negligible compared to waste from manufacturing facilities. The last company I worked at threw out a **massive** dumpster worth of foam and plastic 3 times a week, sometimes we'd have to load up a truck with more and take it to the dump.
Less than 9% is the amount of plastic that actually gets recycled. 91% of the plastic we put in our recycling bins is stashed in HUGE warehouses or dumps. Other countries used to take our plastic trash (like THATS a good idea), but most won’t do it anymore. Perhaps we need those big plastic dumps in the middle of our communities for us to find alternatives. I blame the manufacturers and the lack of laws… plastic is too cheap.
I bought the ello storage bags months ago on sale to see if I would actually use them. Surprise!! I love them, bought 2 more packages (this time with gussets) and a drying rack. I've had one of the gallon sizes in nearly constant use for a year and it's still in good condition. They do tend to hang on to odors of some foods so thanks for the tip on deodorizing them :) I also keep a box of Ziplock sandwich and gallon freezer bags to send food home with guests or to double bag when I'm freezing peppers. I use a lot of peppers.
The best thing for the environment is to use what you already have. Going out and buying reusable bags only makes sense if they will get enough use to offset the resources used to make them versus the single use. Often they don’t. Definitely check before you invest a lot of money if you’re doing this for environmental reasons.
Yay to ziplock freezer bags, been using them for EVERYTHING that needs ziplocking lol
The ZipLoc gallon freezer bags I got have one side of the zipper lock that separates from the bag after re-opening it, so it guarantees only a single use. In fact, not even a full single use because you can't reseal it and put the rest of the frozen stuff back in the freezer.
My mother would wash and reuse bread bags when I was young. There were no ziplocs back then. She also used Tupperwear, which worked great, lasted forever.
My grandmother was fond of washing out and reusing margarine and whipped cream tubs.
Stasher bag fan here. But I use mine for other things than food. They work super well.
Perhaps you could do a video comparing options for freezing foods. I do wonder if it’s that much better to vacuum seal vs glass vs plastic wrap and ziplock (slider ONLY). Hands struggle mightily with regular zip locks
Yes, I hope they cover freezing foods.
I would love a video on this!
Air is the enemy so vacuum sealing is definitely going to win
I've been really happy with the generic Aldi freezer bags (Boulder Brand). They seem just as good as ziploc to me.
I'm a big fan of Walmart's good value bangs. Been using for years and have never had them have burst seams or anything like that
I'm team both, i rewash my ziploc bags and my reusable bags. Keep disposable for marinating raw meat, or freezing fish. Also sometimes they are just better for the job, like sharing with someone.
So how many times can the reusable ones be used? If i can reuse a disposable, that cost $0.11, 10 times, i would need to reuse the $5 one 450 times before it would cost about the same per use as the disposable. Do they really last through that many uses and washes?
I know that's just a price comparison, not considering environmental impact, but it is an aspect of decision making.
Thank you! I have many family members that I am trying to convince about the reusability plastic bags!
Something most people don't realize is that Zip-Lok bags are recyclable; you can put them in the container usually found at the entrance to a grocery store (where single-use grocery bags go to be recycled).
But I’ve heard the zipper should be cut off.
@@aayotechnology I don't know about the bags with zippers. If they're recyclable, it will say so on the box and probably give directions like removing the zipper.
I've been wrapping individual portions in a layer of wax paper and aluminium foil, and then storing them in plastic bags to keep them contained and labeled. The food has less contact with air and the bags stay clean.
I use a vacuum sealer and "single" use bags, I do try to re-use when ever possible. I also use the vacuum sealer to reseal things like rice, pasta, spices and nuts in there original packaging after each use.
I do a mix. I mostly use generic foodsaver bags (Amazon) but I've also used and washed generic ziploc freezer bags for 20+ years. I pre-pack and cook or freeze raw most of our entrees. I have never washed and reused a bag that held raw meat (too hard to clean in the crannies, though I've read others pre-wrap in plastic film first), and I don't wash bags that held anything oily or really wet, like a marinade, sauce, stew, curry, etc. Too much work for a 12 cents bag -- it takes a lot of soap and water to get them clean.
I totally use the disposable ones for my printer filament, lol. 100% reusable without needing to wash them at all.
for the yellow/red stains (from tomato, carrot and such) you may try to rub them with a drop of vegetable oil as the colour is soluble in fats (carotenoids) and then to wash it with a dish soap
I rarely use food storage bags. I just use glass food storage containers in the fridge, and sometimes in the freezer. For meat tho I do use a food saver with the plastic bags. It seems to make a huge difference in the quality of the meat after it's been in the freezer.
Thanks for doing this! I'm looking to reduce my footprint. I always check out ATK regardless if it is measuring cups or a mixer that I'm planning to buy!
Yeaaaah, I buy the ones at the dollar store. They work just fine.
I find rolling back the bag as they describe will cause the edges of ZipLock to crack and leak. What about FoodSaver? They don't mention it. I wash and reuse ZipLocks but store them in the freezer until the next use, I think it might help reduce bacteria growth
I store in the freezer and refrigerator bags that I use for the same thing such as bacon or meat and just mark it as such and keep it in either the freezer or the refrigerator depending. That way if there is bacterial contamination it's the same kind since it's the same meat
So I guess with the reusable bags one could bring them with when going out to eat for leftovers so you won’t need a styrofoam container.
I wash and reuse my freezer bags over and over. I just test to make sure they are still air tight.
Stasher are best for stew, sauce, chili because they stand up to fill better!
I tried the re(zip) bags and tossed them after only a dozen uses, maybe, because they just became harder and harder to close. Had I known about the cooking oil trick, I'd have stuck with them! 💫😯
Amazon has the half gallon freezer bags and the pint freezer bags
I use tge freezer bags to hold non-food items like drill bits and office stationary.
I appreciate this test as it's something I wrestle with. Although, I found it contradictory when you said not to fold over the bags to turn them inside out, but then you said to fold down the tops to make them easier to fill?
Agree with you. I've been crying mine inside out and use them way more than 10 times.
Something most people want to know about. Thank you for this informative clip!😊
We're using the Di Oro reusable bags (PEVA) and have been very happy with those so far.
I like the idea of both options available. Tomato sauce based products and raw chicken in disposable.
I use both. I like to use disposable bags for raw chicken and fish, but I try to use my reusable bags for most other things.
I've been really liking reusable baggies. Zip lock makes some serious ones, but a basic Amazon one is okay for most things (but not the freezer, bc they're hard to open unless they warm up)
I use reusable bags and a handheld vacuum sealer zwilling makes a decent one
question. Has anyone calculated the trade off vs the resources required to clean these bags? 1) Drinkable water is a precious resource. 2) Dumping the used water into the sanitary sewer system also consumes limited resources. I don't know. And the local region may make a difference. Water is more plentiful in some places than others.
Thanks for this review. I will look into reusable bags. Speaking of plastic use, can you do a review of filtered water bottles (both plastic and stainless steel) so we don’t have to keep buying plastic water bottles? Thanks!!
So-called disposable freezer bags can be washed and reused, I've done so for years.
Disposable. Works for me.
Instead of a drying rack I use upside down wooden spoons placed in an open canister.
Disposable! I am way too lazy to wash and scrub the re-useable bags. I have good intentions and long-term I end up using them as the disposable ones.!
Same here!
I agree. Plus, water wasted washing the reusables.
I can already see some manufacturer coating a reusable bag with Triclosan and calling it "safe for reuse". No thank you, I'm extremely hesitant about antibacterial nanosurfaces already (probably molecularly embedded Triclosan).
I vacuum seal almost everything that goes in my freezer. Vacuum sealing bags are washable and reusable.
Team - Both!
I re wash my bags and have a bag dryer on my windowsill above my sink . I also reuse my FoodSaver bags .
I have another question - did the stronger reusable bags protect the content in the Freezer better - less Freezer burn and able to store for longer. THAT would be a plus too. But that would take a long term test. Maybe months
I always wash and reuse my plastic bags, I also do this with vacuum seal bags
Hannah Rocks!
I'm looking for a good storage solution for the snacks I carry in my hiking pack. After miles of walking in the mountains, a plastic bag of almonds comes out looking like it was put through a rock tumbler, which is very concerning in regards to ingesting microplastics.
It would be much heavier, but what about a canning jar and metal lid?
Did u test the IKEA freezer bags? I live those more than ziploc
I do too!
Ziplock has been my go to for a long time. I'll give the reusable ones a try. Do you have plans for doing a Bento box update?
I've been washing my zip lock bags for yrs
As usual, I'm on Lisa's side.
FWIW, I store almost everything in GLASS .. no stain, _infinitely_ reusable.
Most of what I use plastic bags for, is a block of cheese, or something else I'm going to open/close/open/close for several weeks. By the end, it's yucky, and throwing it away is fine.
For really yucky stuff, I use old "bread" bags, since those are very thin and most people would have thrown them away anyhow.
I love Ziploc.
I tend to use the silicon bags for sous vide and meats. That allows me to wash in the dishwasher on the sanitize setting. I wash the sous vide use bags first with a dish cloth since water pressure alone doesn't remove the food particles. For storing bread, vegetables, and packaged items, I use labeled zip lock bags. That way if it started out as a bread bag, it continues that use (etc). After use, I wash them, then clip together for the next use. I don't get 10 uses out of them, the seals fail before that, but probably 5-6. I use the food saver bags for meat or fish that might be in the freezer for a while.
Would really like to see ATK consult with the TH Chan School @ Harvard (Joseph Allen). BPA substitutes are, as bad, if not worse, than BPAs. I really dislike my eZip bags. Rarely use them, but the zipper closure fails to close properly and opens spontaneously. This is after only handwashing. Stasher is even worse. Super rigid and the zipper is terrible. There’s really no good solution, but we’ve changed our eating habits, to by more fresh food, on demand and use glass/metal. We’ll try the cooking oil trick and the Ello brand. Thx!
I've used ziploc for years and never wash and re-use. I'd like to know if you've tested vacuum sealer bags. I've been using a vacuum for years for meat especially, but lota of other stuff too. That way I can spend less money by weighing all my meat before sealing it. Simple to write on bag what it is and what date it was frozen.
I save my used Ziploc bags, then I use them to when I dispose of my grease or used oil.
One common test you forgot: reheating in a microwave and cooking in my immersion circulator. I do this all the time in Ziploc freezer bags. Ok, get that horrified look off your face and tell me, am I poisoning myself?
all bags are reusable.... depending on their level contamination. i'll wash and reuse my ziplocs, but not if i stored chicken in it. i'm cheap, not crazy.
I find the ziplock bags seal tracks goes bad after being in the freezer. It no longer reseals.
Can you add a link to the drying rack you were using?
One box of bags lasts me several years. I use plastic bags as little as possible and when I do, I wash and reuse them.