Tupperware was a pioneer of ‘multi-level marketing’ and enjoyed decades of success. Its demise offers important lessons for marketers in an age of new ‘side hustles’.
Plastic on its own is not evil. The problem is single-use plastic. Tupperware lasts decades - I’ve got a few containers that mum bought 40+ years ago. Hard to imagine that she was younger than I am when she bought these containers, and they outlasted her.
No argument that we have a plastic problem as a society; but I don’t really see Tupperware itself as a part of that problem.
Got any hot tips on high quality affordable glass containers without plastic components? Standard gaskets, or ones which can be cut from silicone and replaced as needed are ok.
Ideally should survive small drops and boiling water.
There are expensive junk ones at my IGA but something like old Pyrex would be good.
Go get some straight-sided canning jars. Look for jars with no shoulders, like the half-pint size normal mouth lids or the pint size wide mouth lids.
Jars with shoulders are not freezer safe; the necks prevent the contents from expanding as they freeze so the jar cracks. Straight sided jars are tapered on the inside so the contents can expand up into the head space of the jar safely.
Canning jars are quite thick, they’re intended to be handled and used for years on end. They aren’t indestructible but they’ll survive handling that would crack a grocery store pickle jar. They’re specifically designed to be repeatedly boiled and even pressure cooked.
The lid specs for these jars is a LONG running standard, canning lids are probably carried by your favorite grocery store at least some of the year, and you can get reusable non-canning lids to fit these jars in a variety of materials and styles.
I mean I can some stuff but aside from fowlers canning jars have low availability since ball stopped selling in aus, the more usaian standard with disposable middle rings and seals are not found anywhere atm. Also jars just aren’t a good solution to leftovers or portions like cake and stuff.
I’d have a better time scrounging old dessicators with ground mating surfaces etc. Or old casserole dishes. The issue is that those aren’t widely available affordabily anymore.
I’m in the US, Ball jars and their accoutrements are literally everywhere along with their parts and accoutrements. I own several dozen and I use them for lots of stuff. I am aware of a European system that uses reusable rubber seals and glass lids; I don’t like those for canning because I like the metal lid that pops down to indicate the vacuum seal, plus they’re kind of pricey in the New World.
As for casserole dishes, I’ve got them all. My late grandmother owned everything Corningware ever made, and she left them to me when she passed.
Here’s an interesting study showing that silicone does break down into nanoparticles under mechanical wear, although the particles are chemically stable and non-toxic, and notably compared to plastic, are not released by heating alone.
I’ll have a look. Most IKEA is complete junk but sometimes their products are ok. I hate MDF so much I basically never look at them, awful carcinogenic material with all of the disadvantages of wood and none of the benefits.
the 365 stuff is glass food storage containers, so no MDF. I pretty much use them for the parts, which is the biggest hassle when going eco. Drives me insane how many people sell “eco” glass food storage AND NO REPLACEMENT FUCKING LIDS
I know why it doesn’t happen but I’d like to see gov legislate standard jar mouth dimensions. So everything is interoperable using ground glass surfaces like scientific glassware.
Make whatever shape jar you like or whatever but if it’s a “cold food low volume” or whatever it should just have a standard lid/thread/mating surface.
There’s not really any good reasons to allow companies to make things that don’t work together.
Regrettably all the IKEA stuff is made in China. Pyrex still makes glass containers with plastic lids, as does Anchor Hocking. Corningware/Corelle is also still a thing.
I’m a cheapskate with this, ended up just cleaning out pickle jars when they are used up and reusing them until the lid seal degrades. Apparently with new replacement jar lids they can be used for longer term canning, I only use them for leftover meals.
It’s not a great idea to re-use commercial food jars for home canning. You are correct in that you must use 2-piece lids for the home canning process, and the jar must have one of the two correct diameter mouths and the correct threads to engage with the ring. Most pickle jars have multi-lug lids (you only have to turn them a fraction of a turn to release them) so they aren’t compatible.
They’re also not meant to withstand the rigors of repeated home canning. Assuming you have a jar with lids compatible with Ball lids, you’ll notice they’re thinner than canning jars. They’re more likely to break during the process.
Finally, heat penetration is a factor. The size and shape of canning jars is important, processing times are calculated to guarantee the entire contents of the jar have reached a high enough temperature for long enough that the contents have been sterilized. Commercial jars may not conform to those size or shape standards, so especially with solid foods like fruit or vegetable slices you can’t guarantee the entire batch has been preserved in strangely shaped or sized jars.
Canning jars are widely available and inexpensive, just buy a set.
Re-using them for leftovers like tupperware is perfectly fine; I actually use salsa jars to mix wood finish in instead of buying the buckets they have for that purpose at the hardware store.
Yup. That’s what I’m getting at. The problem isn’t how discarded glass directly impacts the environment. It’s far less hazardous than most refuse. The concern is discarded glass won’t be recycled, requiring more new production.
Australia sucks at recycling. When I lived in Germany the residential streets had separate bins for green, brown and clear glass. So it can be recycled while maintaining quality. Separating waste is a matter of social conscience.
Doesn’t most of it go to landfill anyway due to contamination? Every share house I’ve lived in didn’t separate their waste. I used to empty it on the drive way and sort it on bin nights but eventually gave up. Australians are lazy as fuck. Apartment blocks are the worst. Found a microwave in the recycle bin. We’re fucked.
Time to move to glass instead of plastic pollution
Plastic on its own is not evil. The problem is single-use plastic. Tupperware lasts decades - I’ve got a few containers that mum bought 40+ years ago. Hard to imagine that she was younger than I am when she bought these containers, and they outlasted her.
No argument that we have a plastic problem as a society; but I don’t really see Tupperware itself as a part of that problem.
Storing and heating food in plastic is a very large source of nanoplastic and microplastic consumption
Dont microwave them, that’s for sure
Got any hot tips on high quality affordable glass containers without plastic components? Standard gaskets, or ones which can be cut from silicone and replaced as needed are ok.
Ideally should survive small drops and boiling water.
There are expensive junk ones at my IGA but something like old Pyrex would be good.
Go get some straight-sided canning jars. Look for jars with no shoulders, like the half-pint size normal mouth lids or the pint size wide mouth lids.
Jars with shoulders are not freezer safe; the necks prevent the contents from expanding as they freeze so the jar cracks. Straight sided jars are tapered on the inside so the contents can expand up into the head space of the jar safely.
Canning jars are quite thick, they’re intended to be handled and used for years on end. They aren’t indestructible but they’ll survive handling that would crack a grocery store pickle jar. They’re specifically designed to be repeatedly boiled and even pressure cooked.
The lid specs for these jars is a LONG running standard, canning lids are probably carried by your favorite grocery store at least some of the year, and you can get reusable non-canning lids to fit these jars in a variety of materials and styles.
I mean I can some stuff but aside from fowlers canning jars have low availability since ball stopped selling in aus, the more usaian standard with disposable middle rings and seals are not found anywhere atm. Also jars just aren’t a good solution to leftovers or portions like cake and stuff.
I’d have a better time scrounging old dessicators with ground mating surfaces etc. Or old casserole dishes. The issue is that those aren’t widely available affordabily anymore.
I’m in the US, Ball jars and their accoutrements are literally everywhere along with their parts and accoutrements. I own several dozen and I use them for lots of stuff. I am aware of a European system that uses reusable rubber seals and glass lids; I don’t like those for canning because I like the metal lid that pops down to indicate the vacuum seal, plus they’re kind of pricey in the New World.
As for casserole dishes, I’ve got them all. My late grandmother owned everything Corningware ever made, and she left them to me when she passed.
Yeah I dunno why you think how it is in the USA would be very relevant not in the usa.
I have been using beeswax wraps on borosilicate glass containers
Part of me wonders if silicones act like microplastics too
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10499202/
Here’s an interesting study showing that silicone does break down into nanoparticles under mechanical wear, although the particles are chemically stable and non-toxic, and notably compared to plastic, are not released by heating alone.
I wonder if they bioaccumulate in us? Or if we can excrete/break down
Those with silicone breasts are gonna have some trouble then…
No, but Its been studied alot more for a lot longer for being inside the body, so should be much safer.
The material sure but not micro pieces that are nondegradable
I prefer to not abuse animals but have been meaning to make a plant wax based cloth thing for a while. I should step it up.
Ikea 365 has a bunch of shapes with differing lids incl. silicon and bamboo. Lids can be bought separately for replacement
I’ll have a look. Most IKEA is complete junk but sometimes their products are ok. I hate MDF so much I basically never look at them, awful carcinogenic material with all of the disadvantages of wood and none of the benefits.
the 365 stuff is glass food storage containers, so no MDF. I pretty much use them for the parts, which is the biggest hassle when going eco. Drives me insane how many people sell “eco” glass food storage AND NO REPLACEMENT FUCKING LIDS
Yeah I just mean their furniture.
I know why it doesn’t happen but I’d like to see gov legislate standard jar mouth dimensions. So everything is interoperable using ground glass surfaces like scientific glassware.
Make whatever shape jar you like or whatever but if it’s a “cold food low volume” or whatever it should just have a standard lid/thread/mating surface.
There’s not really any good reasons to allow companies to make things that don’t work together.
Regrettably all the IKEA stuff is made in China. Pyrex still makes glass containers with plastic lids, as does Anchor Hocking. Corningware/Corelle is also still a thing.
I’m a cheapskate with this, ended up just cleaning out pickle jars when they are used up and reusing them until the lid seal degrades. Apparently with new replacement jar lids they can be used for longer term canning, I only use them for leftover meals.
Home canner here:
It’s not a great idea to re-use commercial food jars for home canning. You are correct in that you must use 2-piece lids for the home canning process, and the jar must have one of the two correct diameter mouths and the correct threads to engage with the ring. Most pickle jars have multi-lug lids (you only have to turn them a fraction of a turn to release them) so they aren’t compatible.
They’re also not meant to withstand the rigors of repeated home canning. Assuming you have a jar with lids compatible with Ball lids, you’ll notice they’re thinner than canning jars. They’re more likely to break during the process.
Finally, heat penetration is a factor. The size and shape of canning jars is important, processing times are calculated to guarantee the entire contents of the jar have reached a high enough temperature for long enough that the contents have been sterilized. Commercial jars may not conform to those size or shape standards, so especially with solid foods like fruit or vegetable slices you can’t guarantee the entire batch has been preserved in strangely shaped or sized jars.
Canning jars are widely available and inexpensive, just buy a set.
Re-using them for leftovers like tupperware is perfectly fine; I actually use salsa jars to mix wood finish in instead of buying the buckets they have for that purpose at the hardware store.
For sure, I wouldn’t enter into canning without a serious amount of research and preparation.
It’s not the pollution of glass that’s as much a concern as the lack of materials. The world is running out of sand.
https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/problem-our-dwindling-sand-reserves
Glass recycles back into glass. Just gotta quit putting it in the landfill.
Yup. That’s what I’m getting at. The problem isn’t how discarded glass directly impacts the environment. It’s far less hazardous than most refuse. The concern is discarded glass won’t be recycled, requiring more new production.
Australia sucks at recycling. When I lived in Germany the residential streets had separate bins for green, brown and clear glass. So it can be recycled while maintaining quality. Separating waste is a matter of social conscience.
@goodthanks @disguy_ovahea wait till you hear what happens to it after it’s collected to be sent to China.
People still talk about the time it all went to landfill anyway after this kind of political fuck-up
https://12ft.io/https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/please-keep-recycling-perth-urged-to-trust-the-system-after-landfill-crisis-20200226-p544oa.html
Doesn’t most of it go to landfill anyway due to contamination? Every share house I’ve lived in didn’t separate their waste. I used to empty it on the drive way and sort it on bin nights but eventually gave up. Australians are lazy as fuck. Apartment blocks are the worst. Found a microwave in the recycle bin. We’re fucked.
No wonder considering all the concrete being poured into large construction projects.
Glass uses sand unsuitable for construction
Concrete needs sharp sand, glass can use round sand
There’s not much sharp sand