Close your eyes and picture this: you stand in your kitchen and stare at the cabinet full of clattering plastic containers. From there, it’s not hard to imagine that some are lidless, while there are others that may show signs of wear and tear after too many times in the microwave. Gosh: they are so handy to have around though. Truly challengers in our everyday dining escapades, are these gems of plastic.
Containers made of plastic come in every size and form. There’s the round and squat perfect for leftover lasagna. And the long and slim snugly fitting spaghetti or a single celery stalk. There’s also a container to match almost any random object. Connecting the lid to its matching tub is much the same as playing Memory. Like this is a culinary twist on the game.
Remember that your grandmother insisted on using glass jars for everything? She gave you the big wag of her finger, “Plastic won’t last,” she would say. And she was right. But plastic containers have a certain resilience to them. They’re like the little engine that could of our kitchens. Now a relic of kitchen storage’s past.
So let’s finally have the talk about sustainability. This straggle some of us hold onto our aged plastic container while others dust off the old glass jars now that more conversations are being had about eco-friendly alternatives. Tupperware wrapped in a puzzle. The secret is to give these containers a purpose. Use them again; you’ll get years of useful service out of them.
Now we come to the skull-and-crossbones of plastic, bad ole BPA. Everyone is running around the kitchen crowing, “BPA-free, BPA-free!” as if they were chanting some mantra. Be sure to pore over labels. But don’t let yourself get all worked up about toxic materials leeching into your happy plastic family. Many companies have cleaned up their act producing chemical-free options.
But wait! Hold the door a minute. All containers are not created equal. Some become depressed, melty pools under the heat from microwave. Others, when plunged into deep freeze, cold-cock and snap, crackle, pop. Carry them with care, as you would a fragile peacemaking attempt around the wants of your kitchen and neighbor’s.
Our plastic containers are the silent robots of our homes. They are so much more than storage. They are our companions in everyday living. And they’ll persevere, hauling our soups, sandwiches and secrets under trusting lids, as long as we don’t ask them to bend too far and elicit gravitational gymnastics from our hopes.
