Glass vs Plastic

[Keith Sinclair]

Unless your born under a rock must know that our use of plastic has exploded since early 1960's. Trillions of plastic bags & single use containers of all types many are called recycle but most isn't. China doesn't want to recycle our trash anymore we used to send them ship loads. Most ends up in landfills, flows from rivers & delta's into the sea affecting sea life esp. sea birds.

We use glass whenever we can. She has trained me to keep all plastic bags from grocery store stuff them in our grocery bags reuse them over & over. Wash gallon freezer bags reuse. We have become addicted to plastic worldwide.

We store food and leftovers in glass gallon jars to very small wide mouth work best.

Correl plates are thin light & very tough. Made out of Vitrelle a glass laminate thermally bonded.

Don't know when first got turned on to glass bought my first blown glass picture from glass house at Jamestown VA. 50 years ago still have it. 1980 Took 3 month leave of absence from work ( Had another job offer lined up).
Got a 90 day EU rail pass. Paris was awestruck of the Art Nouveau buildings and glasswork. The cathedrals with stained glass
lit by sunlight. Venice Italy visited Murano island and watched glass blowers.

Years ago ordered 4 blown glass 12oz tumblers. Later ordered 4 taller 13oz glasses.
When cooking for friends or family at times more than 4. When COVID restrictions were lifted started to look for six glass set large 16oz or one liter size. On Amazon Mexican glass is very reasonable. Had a hard time choosing so many nice 6 glass sets in size I wanted. Ended up getting Mexican taveren style beer glass. Clear with cobalt blue rim. Saw video of how they make these have a platter of powdered colored glass roll the lip of still Molton glass in powder & put back in fire to fuse the glass. They are made from recycled lead free glass. They work well for ice tea, water, smoothies, & beer. Make smoothies with veg. protein powder, frozen banana, mango, blue & black berries. Hawaiian spirulina, flax meal, chia seeds & hemp hearts. Occasional beer yes it tastes better in hand blown glass.

Always get comments from guests about
glasses not only that we use them all the time now.

 

[Keith Sinclair]

When lived in house with other people girl moved in saw she had a lamp base with cloth cord. It was art nouveau stye
leaves. She sold it to me for 35$ that's what she paid at antique store. It was a pear point made between 1890- 1914. It sat around I rewired it kept original sockets they still worked.
Later bought a art nouveau base of a French lady paid 129.00 + 70.00 shipping for it. Got a nice large dragonfly Chinese two bulb pull chain stain glass lamp. I used the horizontal bulb sockets & wire from the Chinese lamp the steel bar behind lady I cut threads & mounted the hardware from Chinese lamp. Did away with pull chains spliced a off on switch on the wire. Gives it a cleaner look. All the shades 4 in all got in early to mid 2000's. All are large shades two bulb. Two kept the Chinese base. The floor lamp is massive 22" across. The blue glass is in guest room never counted the large # of glass pieces in that shade. China doesn't make these any more. The pear point lamp got a leaf shade to match the old art nouveau leaf base.

I found best way to clean them is light spray from hose gets dust out of all areas, then just let them dry in the sun. The phone camera doesn't do them justice look much better in person lit up at night.

 

[Michi]

We use glass whenever we can. She has trained me to keep all plastic bags from grocery store stuff them in our grocery bags reuse them over & over.

We do much the same thing. Single-use plastic bags have largely been banned from supermarkets. But the problem isn't our bags. It's the shopping. It's unbelievable how much plastic I come home with on each and every shopping trip. The packaging is obscene, and it's damn near impossible to avoid

 

[MarcelNL]

Same here, we avoid plastic where we can and switched to glass and stainless containers for leftovers etc. All plastic and melamine has been banned from the kitchen (even from our camping gear), and for shopping we try to avoid plastic where we can but that is indeed almost impossible...Many grocery chains now got smart too and changed packaging, at a glance you'd think they moved to paper wrapping, but on closer inspection you see it's plastic in disguise.

NICE lamp, if that is an original Auguste Moreau it was well worth what you paid for it ;-)
(if it's imitation it looks like a very good one!)

 

[Keith Sinclair]

It's real a small plate screwed to front of base says Fruits Dautomne
Par Aug. Moreau 1899
Also his name pictured on base. + you can tell it's really old I took ancient wire out the sockets were non functional & worn + the shade I got works with the horizontal outlets
Not facing down like original.

 

[Keith Sinclair]

A lot of bases have survived where the stained glass shades did not. Prices of complete Tiffany stain glass lamps are insane. The French glass too is big bucks.

I watch antiques roadshow in PBS. One lady said during depression her Aunt would buy Tiffany glass she actually had the wood crate with straw in it. 3 pieces a bowl, another piece with glass flowers embedded in it. Last was a lava vessel. The bowl was about 4 thousand, but the other two pieces where of high value totaling over 250,000.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

I have a few of these and they actually work quite well in place of plastic wrap:

https://abeego.com/collections/reus...MI6_HS5r_f-AIVzsLCBB0_pA-OEAAYASAAEgLSh_D_BwE
Other brands I tried sucked but these are really nice. In fact, in most cases I find them easier to use than plastic wrap. Can only "wash" in cold water so you need to be mindful of what you're covering and for how long. Haven't had them long enough to give insight into longevity but I know I've used a couple of them at least a couple dozen times and they're still sticky.

 

[Jovidah]

When it comes to closing off bowls... the Ikea stabil lids (with foldable handle) are actually really useful. It's a crying shame they don't sell those anymore. They came in several different sizes and were a good replacement for most plastic wrap usage on bowls. Because the handles folded down you could stack the bowls and they'd fit better in the fridge. There's bound to be something similar on sale from another brand.

 

[btbyrd]

Beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing.

I love glass, but the main disadvantages for me are that glass is fragile and the pieces don't usually stack, so storage can be an issue. I also like plastic a lot, except for the fact that everyone else does too and it's kind of an ecological nightmare. But I use Cambros and deli containers (quart, pint, cup) for most of my storage and leftover containment needs. Cambros will last decades in a home kitchen, and a set of deli containers lasts me about five years or so, until the lids don't fit well anymore or the plastic has stained or absorbed odors (neither of which are a problem with glass). All of these have lids, so I have little use for plastic wrap (though it still comes out at times).

I think it goes without saying that glass is the obvious choice for serviceware. Glass feels better in the hand and on the lips than plastic does. Sounds better too.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing.

I love glass, but the main disadvantages for me are that glass is fragile and the pieces don't usually stack, so storage can be an issue. I also like plastic a lot, except for the fact that everyone else does too and it's kind of an ecological nightmare. But I use Cambros and deli containers (quart, pint, cup) for most of my storage and leftover containment needs. Cambros will last decades in a home kitchen, and a set of deli containers lasts me about five years or so, until the lids don't fit well anymore or the plastic has stained or absorbed odors (neither of which are a problem with glass). All of these have lids, so I have little use for plastic wrap (though it still comes out at times).

I think it goes without saying that glass is the obvious choice for serviceware. Glass feels better in the hand and on the lips than plastic does. Sounds better too.

I use the hell out of deli containers and although they are obviously plastic, they've significantly reduced my overall plastic usage. In my small kitchen there's no way glass would be a viable en masse substitute for my deli containers. I know because it wasn't and I was using a lot of plastic bags.

 

[Keith Sinclair]

Don't see plastic going anywhere it's too convenient. PVC pipes work well because it's
tough & lasts forever. We did survive without plastic everything fine wasn't until after WW2 that it really took off. Use metal drinking containers hiking. Environmental groups push for getting rid of dependence on oil & plastic because of affects on planet. Time will tell if we can reduce both in the future. Can start with the billions of throw away plastic water bottles.

 

[Jovidah]

Never understood why people buy so much bottled water. If you don't mind drinking from plastic, you could at least save yourself a ton of money by just constantly refilling the same bottle with tap water.

 

[MarcelNL]

it's not just the plastic ending up in the environment, but also stuff leaching from plastic into your food especially when reusing/microwaving/dishwashing plastic.

 

[Keith Sinclair]

I like cooking middle eastern, southeast Asian, & Indian curries. Try storing leftovers in plastic. I changed to glass not because worried about environment, glass just works so much better.

 

[Keith Sinclair]

Might mention modern sockets, wire, & plugs are made to look antique just for folks like me who want to restore & rewire over 120 year old lamp base's.

 

[e30Birdy]

A lot of plastic has been banned here too, even fast food chains have to use paper straws now but it still seems like so many things are still sold in stores in plastic, i.e vegetables a lot of times. We try to avoid that for the most part as we tend to buy only organic. For shopping we have our own bags and they are cloth. We wash, sterilize and reuse jars and so on. Water is ran through a Brita filter in our house and then use a soda stream to get some fizz but we made sure to get the unit with glass bottles as that is just a lot more sanitary to us as well.

I think the only thing we really use plastic for is vacuum sealing for long term storage in the freezer or sous vide. Other than that plastic is mostly banned from our house when we can.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Another product we like is Tru Earth laundry sheets out of Canada.

Not cheap by comparison but they work well, are so much nicer for us folks who aren't getting any younger, and no plastic involved.

 

[rocketman]

With the advent of plastic packaging, lots of glass machinery has been scrapped, and I know a guy who's family made glass bottle machines, he told me the ordeal of building the highly complex machines to make what we all mostly just pitch when empty. Would make a steep slope to get much of that machinery back up and running... Then there is the energy required for glass...Much more than plastic. Particularly in Germany where the dependence on Russian gas has made them really vulnerable to lack of energy. I love glass and would much rather have glass than plastic, but there is a lot standing in the way to going back to all glass. Kind of a conundrum .

 

[MarcelNL]

The good part of using glass at home is that you have control over the re-use process...for the food industry glass is not a great alternative due to weight and the cost and energy impact of re-use, but once you made the change to making things from scratch the amount of products that would need a glass container goes down considerably. If supermarkets would be (forced likely) to use alternatives for wrapping most stuff we could bring down the plastic burden by a load!

 

[e30Birdy]

The good part of using glass at home is that you have control over the re-use process...for the food industry glass is not a great alternative due to weight and the cost and energy impact of re-use, but once you made the change to making things from scratch the amount of products that would need a glass container goes down considerably. If supermarkets would be (forced likely) to use alternatives for wrapping most stuff we could bring down the plastic burden by a load!

Yes, things like hardboiled and peeled eggs in a plastic container or fruit that has been peeled and cut into pieces also in a plastic container. Like it really baffles me how lazy the world has gotten or even how fast the world has gotten that we are now mere machines and have to buy our food prepped this way and in plastic. I mean it takes a few minutes to boil a batch of eggs that can be stored in the fridge or how long does it take to cut up some fruit to take with oneself. I like my stuff to be fresh as possible so i buy whole and then do the work myself in a few minutes, put into a container and then take it to work with me. On the flip side it also saves money as the convenience packedaged food does cost quite a bit more than me buying say a pineapple whole which costs quite a bit less and takes like 3 minutes to chop up, plus my compost always likes new food to turn back into dirt.

That is just my 2 cents for what it is worth.

 

[MarcelNL]

I read some interesting articles and books in the past few years, the post WW II era of rebuilding whole countries making everyone work opened the window for convenience food, plus the (until to date) pressure to produce more food so hunger would be banned (well, not everywhere, only in selected theaters near you).
The food industry took that cue and introduced ridiculous stuff, just yesterday I saw what I think is the pinnacle of consumerism; on a TV show someone was pitching the idea to sell (online and in store) patches of like 50*50 cm or fresh grass in a pizza like box....the reasoning was 'convenience'and 'owners are feeling sorry for their dogs licing in the urban jungle' the entrepeneurs in the room found the idea briliant ....we need laws on that kind of crap IMO.
I am going to offer a cooperation with that bunch to compensate the CO2 for an additional fee, so we can monetize on the climate shame the buyers that are trying to purchase relief from doggy shame twice.

 

[Keith Sinclair]

All our kitchen scraps fruit & vegetable goes in compost.

This 45 gallon two Chamber spin compost bin works great. Picture was when it was just put together. Grass clippings, kitchen scraps & steer manure. Yes it's plastic been putting out compost about a year. We eat salads almost everyday. Home made dressing. Eat very little processed food these days for health reasons.

 

[MarcelNL]

You keep a steer in the backyard? ;-)

 

[Keithpaints]

It's been over 15 years since I bought a Stained glass lamp. Even Chinese the quality stuff is more expensive now. Found a site that makes replicas if bronze Tiffany lamp bases. They are heavy strong cast bronze. This lamp was one of favorites on the site.
This shade is all what is known as slag glass invented in England in 1800's adding minerals for different hues & colors. Glass is opaque with marbling effect. Tiffany used slag glass mixed with other types he was a master designer & experimented much with rolling out sheets of glass. Recently since millennium glass makers have experimented creating many more colors in opaque glass. As seen in this awesome Chinese shade the phone camera can't catch the luminosity of seeing it in person. It is a large heavy lamp 28" high & 19" wide.

 

[mengwong]

They’re coming for your black plastic spatula next

https://www.delish.com/food-news/a62490798/black-plastic-kitchen-utensils-toxic-chemicals/

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2024/10/black-plastic-spatula-flame-retardants/680452/

 

[The Forest Ninja]

I do prefer glass when food is involved.

 

[Jovidah]

Yeah I've phased out most of the plastic stuff too, especially when it comes to food containers. Even if you leave environmental aspects out of the picture, the issue of leachables and plasticizers is one that's better not ignored, especially when you're heating food in it. I'm really not a fan of the (re)use of deli containers for the same reason, even when they're convenient.

Unironically if you want to go frugal I think it's also the cheaper option; you invariably still get plenty of free glass jars from food.

The only thing I've been struggling with (and I don't know whether it is or isn't something to worry about or prioritize) is silicone spatulas. It's easy to replace all of the other utensils with wooden or metal alternatives, but none of them really perform like a good silicone spatula for certain jobs.

 

[Keithpaints]

Just watched Dark Waters on Netflix. Still have some nonstick pans & plastic spatulas. After seeing what Dupont lied about knowing that killing people with tainted water. Folks getting sick women with birth defects working Dupont Teflon production lines.Going back decades. High priced lawyers to squash lawsuits. I'm thinkig of tossing my non stick. Use Stainless & Carbon & metal spatulas.

 

[Keithpaints]

Silicone is better than black plastic spatulas. Use these type silicone spatulas all the time. With non stick pans mostly for eggs & hash Browns black plastic spatulas. Today's eggs & hashbrowms in vintage 12" Reviere ware thick copper pre 1968 skillet.

 

[sanmateo]

They’re coming for your black plastic spatula next

https://www.delish.com/food-news/a62490798/black-plastic-kitchen-utensils-toxic-chemicals/

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2024/10/black-plastic-spatula-flame-retardants/680452/

I started to worry when I noticed all our plastic cooking implements had little melted bits at the edges, and I've also cleaned melted black spatula residue off of cookware..

Eliminating plastic spatulas is part of what led me to ditch nonstick a decade ago. (still use heatproof silicone scrapers, but we keep them away from heat anyway)