3 August 2026

I’ve been actively working on reducing my food and packaging waste for the last two decades. More recently, I’ve been working on plastic reduction, which sometimes seems like a nearly impossible task, given the food industry’s heavy reliance on single use plastic.

Sadly, the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act, in my state (New York), sponsored by my state Senator, Peter Harckham - a bill that would have shifted more of the responsibility for plastic prevention to the manufacturers - did not pass, due to special interest lobbying against it. But stay tuned…

I purchased a 2-pack of English cucumbers the other day, and they came double-wrapped, each cucumber wrapped and then tied together with an entire extra layer of plastic! :/

But I digress…

I don’t like to call my kitchen an office. It’s my joy! But I guess it’s also where I do a lot of my best “work” so…

IMHO there’s nothing wrong with using office supplies to #savethefood and keep things organized and fresh. If we can reduce our reliance on single-use plastics, all the better. Here are my favorites:

Rubber Bands

Are you trying to avoid storing your food in plastic? I think it just makes sense to limit our plastic storage (in particular: single use plastic, which is building up in our soil, water and atmosphere), so I often use a rubber band to keep things fresh.

For example, a head of cabbage - with two in our household, I rarely use the whole head at once - can be saved by wrapping it in a [reserved] outer leaf and tying up with rubber bands. I found the best rubber bands are the ones used to tie up bunches of broccoli - free with your healthy groceries!

If you have unfinished foods that need storing, you can also use the rubber band to hold the folded-over top in place. I find this especially useful in the freezer and with peas, in particular, which tend to roam freely if you don’t seal off their exit!

Binder Clips

Am I the only one who loves these? I have all sizes, depending on the job. Who needs a chip clip when you’ve got a binder clip? There are also certain ingredients which come in a “re-sealable” bag and yet, resealing them is sometimes problematic. The other day, I pushed a [what I thought was sealed] package of tapioca flour into my pantry and a puff of powder escaped, coating everything in the vicinity. Lesson learned! BTW this lesson is even more important when it comes to cacao…trust me!

If I’m not storing bulk foods in a jar or Pyrex, I don’t go crazy moving them from their factory-finished plastic package (or worse - adding a layer of ziplock on top of that); I just roll and clip. That way, you know what’s in the package and still keep it fresh.

Sharpie

If you’ve been following Green Bites for a while, you know that this one is the most important tool in my kitchen. Obviously, I can label and date anything that gets stored in a jar. And if you want to keep a food in its original container (which I typically recommend, for identification purposes), noting the date it was opened is a great idea (best before date is not as important as how long it has been unsealed).

For example, tomato paste. The recipes always call for one or two tablespoons. You could buy the toothpaste-tube style or spend a fraction of the cost on a small can and just label it. Off the subject…but you can also freeze it by the tablespoon for future use. Anything with a “use within x days of opening” label: use your Sharpie to note its opening date. It’s the “magic marker” that helps keep food safe, while helping you make efficient use of your groceries!

Keeping food fresh, safe and eco-friendly doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated. What are the office supplies that you use in your kitchen? I’d love to expand my repertoire!