Living Green: Plastic Containers

I have used plastics of one kind or another my whole life.  Avoiding plastic altogether would be very difficult.  After looking on Amazon for some stainless steel cups to replace a few plastic ones that we have left, I decided against it for now since it would cost 50 dollars for 4 cups.  So, what can I do now without spending a fortune?

GET RID OF ANY PLASTICS THAT AREN'T 2, 4, or 5

How to do that?

1.  CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY:  When you go shopping, check the number on the plastic container before purchasing something.  For example, I looked in our cupboards to see what numbers were there out of curiosity.  My peanut butter had a 1 on it and so did the honey.  My small stash of disposable plastic cups, that I save for emergencies, had the number 1 on them.  We bought some baked beans from a restaurant yesterday to add to our barbeque, and they had a 6 on the container.  I never too the time to look before I bought things before, so that is the first step:  Check before you buy.

2.  CHECK THROUGH WHAT YOU HAVE NOW: I found a couple of other things that need to go that had 1's or 6's or 7's on them.  The limited amount of plastic containers I have left have 5's on them, so they will stay for now. I just can't see getting rid of the safer plastics right now until I have a better option that I can afford.  If I had little kids, I would want to think carefully about what to do because having a lot of breakable glass around may not be the best idea.  So much depends on your situation and how much you can afford to replace them with better options little by little. Next time you clean out your fridge or cupboards, check the plastic containers to see what number is on the bottom. 

3.  DON'T USE THE 2's, 4's or 5's for microwaving or FREEZING.  Even the better plastics shouldn't be used for either of these.  I had heard not to microwave, but I didn't realize that you shouldn't use them for freezing things.  I like to freeze extra produce from our garden, so I will have to figure out a different way to do it this year. 

4.  USE PLASTICS FOR DRY THINGS ONLY:  If you are going to use plastics, use them for dry beans, rice, seeds, etc.  Don't use them for leftovers, tomatoes, etc.  (I have a tomato in one right now.  It will be used today and I won't do it in the future!)

What are some ideas you have done to make your kitchen more "GREEN"?