I am in a never ending quest to green up my kitchen, and as my regular readers know, my latest kitchen kick has been purging the place of plastics and harmful materials.
I have been super slow about it, partly because I am lazy, but also because I have to buy annoying things like food and diapers and other pesky trivialities of living. So I totally get the struggle of going green on a budget. Or in some cases, lack of a budget.
But this journey toward a greener, more environmentally friendly kitchen is ever marching onward and it is so worth it! Some of you may remember that here on my blog I tackled BPA first, then aluminum, and now I am swinging by around to BPA again. Why? Because BPA is pretty much the devil. And it is EV.ER.Y.WHERE.
As I have written in previous posts:
I first learned about Bisphenol-A (BPA) when I was pregnant for the first time and shopping around for the best bottles for my daughter.
What triggered my curiosity and concern was the huge, bold printed assertions slapped on every other baby product that there is “NO BPA!!!” in the bottle / binky / teething toy / whatever.
BPA is basically a chemical found in hard plastics. BPA can also be found in epoxy resins which are used as coatings inside food cans and water bottles. Studies have shown that BPA leaches into foods while they are in contact with BPA – especially foods that are acidic, salty and fatty, (like coconut milk, tomatoes, soup, and vegetables).
BPA is an endocrine disruptor – basically a substance that interferes with the production, secretion, transport, action, function and elimination of natural hormones. When BPA imitates our body’s own hormones, it is hazardous for our health, with a laundry list of awful side effects. A recent CDC report found BPA in the urine of 93% of adults!! Yikes!
Aside from the negative health aspects, plastics are just yucky for the environment too. Plastic doesn’t really go away. I mean that literally. Experts cant even agree on how many hundreds (or thousands) of years it would take from most plastics to decompose.
Plastic is made from petroleum, and petroleum derivatives – every time plastic gets manufactured new resources are used, and as a byproduct toxic waste is released, polluting the air and waterways. Sure, plastic can be recycled, but each time plastic is “downcycled”; plastic loses it’s integrity and quality, becoming something else that eventually won’t be able to be recycled or reused.
So when it comes to storing liquids like milk, (especially if you get your milk from your own cows or goats, like I used to), it is really frikkin important that you use glass.
Glass will never lose its integrity, it can be recycled time after time and will always go back to being raw material to form new glass.
Glass is inert material, meaning it won’t react chemically with anything else. Nothing will permeate or leach into your liquids, as opposed to plastic which does both.
Some other perks of switching to glass include:
Glass is free of toxic chemicals
Glass is dishwasher safe (plastic on the other hand degrades each time it’s washed and heated)
Glass preserves the quality and flavor of milk
Glass won’t absorb smells or stains like plastic does
While plastic will eventually break down, glass can last a life time
Glass is 100% recyclable; it will always be raw material for more glass
Glass production is less taxing on the environment (less pollution, less use of natural resources)
Glass is way better looking than plastic. Glass jars and containers are all the rage now, and with good reason!
About Stanpac Glass Milk Bottles
I was super thrilled to receive these glass milk bottles from Stanpac, a glass bottle brand I am actually pretty familiar with. They provide the glass milk bottles for two local milk dairies here in the Central Valley, (one of whom I worked close with when I was the manager of the Farmer Market), and the quality is such that customers return, reuse, and keep the bottles for home milk storage.
Here is a little bit about Stanpac from their about us page (CLICK HERE TO VISIT):
For more than 60 years, Stanpac has been manufacturing dairy and beverage packaging for companies located throughout the United States, Canada and many locations worldwide. Back in 1949, Stanpac provided closures for glass milk bottles. Since then, we have continually expanded our product lines with new products and innovations for the ice cream, fluid milk, wine and spirits markets.
The evolution of a great company continues with the introduction of new products, sizes and configurations for an ever changing market. With 7 patents in more than 20 countries, we are recognized by our customers as innovative and customer focused.
We stand for, and pride ourselves on:
An unmatched level of customer service
Fair pricing
Lead times that work for the customer
Customized service for unique needs
Reasonable minimum run quantities
On time delivery
Stanpac offers a full line of refillable glass milk bottles and tamper evident closures. The designs are cute and retro, fit well in a standard size refrigerator, and lend an air of legitimacy to home expressed milk.. I really wish I had these puppies around when I was milking my two goats every day!
If you do not have your own milking cows or goats, and get your milk by the bottle, try to keep an eye out for glass containers where possible. And if you find them, flip them over and check out the logo on the bottom of the bottle. If it say Stanpac, know that you are good to go with a trusted brand!
[Disclaimer: There are no affiliate links in this review. I am an independent product reviewer. I only review products I am truly interested in. I don’t accept payment for reviews. The products I take the time to jabber on about are either items I have personally purchased, or the product has been provided for review after me initiating contact and incessantly nagging for a sample. All of my reviews are unbiased regardless of how the item was obtained.]
How do you buy or store your milk? Paper, plastic or glass? Share below!