How to Use Drawstring Bags and Ziplock Bags

I recently wrote quite broadly about food safety in the home kitchen at. The topic is so important and necessary that it’s worth revisiting with additional topics.

Plastic bags with drawstrings and Ziplock bags (with a “zipper” closure) are among the best ways to store food. As we know, plastic is harmful, but for many reasons, completely eliminating plastic from the kitchen is impossible and impractical. However, it’s essential to reduce plastic usage and waste as much as possible, especially when it’s cost-effective, such as when reusing plastic items multiple times.

This practice is not new. I remember from my childhood reusing jars from purchased jams or vegetables, tea or cookie boxes repurposed as spice containers. Recycling was not a problem a few decades ago. This was generally the case throughout human history when society was too poor to waste anything.

Drawstring bags, due to their closure mechanism, are one of the most convenient ways to store food and maintain freshness. Can you reuse these bags? Yes, with some caveats.

Firstly, when purchasing, you should check if the bags are intended for food contact, refrigeration, and freezing.

Secondly, bags that have stored meat or fish or bags containing spoiled or moldy food should not be reused.