Reusable Replacements for Tinfoil & Plastic Wrap

Earth911.com explains how you can reduce your use of aluminum foil and plastic wrap with replaceable options. For instance, did you know you could use a reusable parchment baking mat to bake cookies? Or a reusable mesh crisper for to cook on your oven rack? Or a thermal food wrap to keep cooked food warm and cover? These and other ideas are detailed in their great feature.

Why reduce your use of foil and plastic wrap in the first place? In short, because we use a whole lot if it, and it's often difficult to recycle.

More than 1.3 billion pounds of aluminum foil is produced in the U.S annually. If that doesn't make your head spin, we also use enough plastic wrap every year to shrink-wrap the entire state of Texas.

Aluminum foil is technically 100 percent recyclable. The trouble is that once it's used, your foil is often too soiled with food residue to be recycled without compromising quality - making cutting back on foil when possible even more important.

Like foil, plastic wrap is also recyclable (if it's clean), but many curbside recycling programs do not accept it - which means it's easier to reduce waste if you nix this single-use product altogether.

If you already have some plastic wrap or aluminum foil around the house, make sure it is thoroughly cleaned, and use Earth911 to find a recycling solution near you.