Eco-friendly food storage: the easy swaps for fridge, freezer and lunchbox

Eco-friendly food storage doesn't mean a cupboard full of matching jars. It means swapping the two things you throw away most, cling film and zip-lock bags, then sorting the rest one drawer at a time. Here's the ZERO guide to doing exactly that.

Start with the two biggest swaps

1. Cling film to ZERO cling wrap

Cling film is the thing most of us reach for without thinking, so it's the obvious first swap. ZERO cling wrap stretches and clings like the film you're used to, but it's made from bioplastic: mainly PLA made from sugarcane (bagasse), with about 20% PBAT for stretch. It's certified home compostable (DIN CERTCO; TÜV Austria OK compost HOME), and in compost it breaks down fully to CO2, water and biomass, so unlike conventional plastic it doesn't persist. Available in 30m and 60m rolls, from $6.99.

Use it to cover bowls, wrap half an avocado, cheese or a sandwich, and seal leftovers. Follow the usage guide on the pack for heating and temperature use.

One thing you'll notice: the box has a detachable cutter blade. The film is so strong that a standard metal cutter bends the box or pulls away, so the blade clips on and off. Remove it before you compost the box and the film.

2. Zip-lock bags to ZERO resealable bags

ZERO resealable food storage bags do the job of zip-lock bags for snacks, sandwiches, portions and the freezer. They're made from PBAT, corn starch and calcium carbonate, are certified home compostable (TÜV Austria OK compost HOME), tested for food contact and freezer-friendly. Snack, sandwich and storage sizes, from $4.99.

The fridge, one drawer at a time

Before anything else, check your fridge temperature. Keeping it at 5°C or below is the standard food-safety advice in Australia, and a fridge thermometer costs a few dollars. No container fixes a fridge that runs warm.

• Leftovers: cool them, then cover the bowl with cling wrap or move them into a lidded container. Label and date. Eat most cooked leftovers within a couple of days, and if in doubt, throw it out.
• Cut fruit and veg: wrap the cut face of a lemon, onion, avocado or melon in cling wrap to stop it drying out.
• Cheese: wrap hard cheese in cling wrap or keep it in a lidded container. Soft cheeses are best in a sealed container.
• Leafy greens: dry them well, wrap loosely in a clean, barely damp tea towel and store in a container in the crisper. More in how to store leafy greens.
• Herbs: stand parsley and coriander in a jar of water in the fridge, like flowers. Basil prefers the bench.
• Carrots and celery: stand them in a jar of water and change it every few days to keep them crisp.
• Berries: don't wash until you eat them, and store them dry in a single layer. More in how to store berries.
• Raw meat: keep it sealed, in a resealable bag or lidded container, on the bottom shelf so nothing drips.

Not everything needs to be airtight. Bread and whole fruit and veg often do better with some airflow. Match the storage to the food. Our guide to storing vegetables without plastic goes through it veg by veg.

The freezer

• Portions: freeze meat, leftovers and cooked rice flat in resealable bags, then stand them upright like files.
• Freezer burn: press the air out before sealing, and wrap individual cuts in cling wrap first for a second barrier.
• Liquids: soups and stocks go in straight-sided jars or containers with 2 to 3 cm of headspace. Leave the lid loose until frozen.
• Small things: flash-freeze berries, dumplings and meatballs on a tray, then bag them so they don't clump.
• Labels: contents and date on everything.

The full how-to is in freezer storage without plastic and how to freeze meat without plastic.

The lunchbox

Snack bags for crackers and veg sticks, a sandwich bag for the sandwich, and cling wrap for anything awkward. That covers most of what goes in a lunchbox. Ideas in plastic-free lunchbox ideas.

Use what you've already got

The greenest container is the one already in your cupboard. Passata and jam jars make great pantry and freezer storage, and any lidded containers you own still do their job. Glass, silicone or beeswax wraps you already have are fine to keep using. Replace things as they wear out, rather than binning working gear in one big clear-out.

A simple way to start

1. This week: when the cling film runs out, swap to ZERO cling wrap.
2. Next: swap zip-lock and sandwich bags to ZERO resealable bags.
3. Then: put a thermometer in the fridge and sort one drawer.
4. Finally: tackle the freezer, starting with labelling.

Small swaps, kept up, beat a perfect plan abandoned by week two. Feels good to do good.

What happens at the end?

Both ZERO cling wrap and the resealable bags are certified home compostable, so used film and bags can go in a home compost. Scrape off food first and take the cutter blade off the cling wrap box. Not sure how home and industrial composting differ? Read home compostable vs industrial compostable.

FAQ

What's the easiest eco-friendly food storage swap?

Cling film. It's single-use by design and you probably use it daily. ZERO cling wrap is a direct swap.

Is ZERO cling wrap plastic?

It's made from bioplastic, mainly sugarcane-based PLA with some PBAT for stretch. There's no dedicated regulatory category for bioplastics, so they're often grouped with plastics. The difference is that it's certified home compostable and breaks down fully in compost.

Can I freeze food in ZERO resealable bags?

Yes. They're freezer-friendly and tested for food contact.

More reading: Glad Wrap alternatives and Ziploc alternatives.