Ziploc sandwich bags are such a great invention for keeping food fresh. We’ve been packing sandwiches, salads, cookies and everything else in them for nearly half a century, and it’s getting tough to remember a modern world without them. I like them so much that I feel guilty throwing them away after one use. They are made from petroleum to begin with, and use even more energy as they are manufactured and shipped. Ultimately, they end up in landfills by the ton. It seems so wasteful, yet even to me, they are too cheap and flimsy to seriously consider washing out. Besides, it would take time, and life is just too short to spend any of it washing disposable Ziploc bags. “They” should make quality, reusable Ziploc bags. Shouldn’t they?
Turns out that “they” do. “They” is the Spanish company Lekue who have teamed up with the Swiss designer Luki Huber to produce the perfect sustainable food container based on the Ziploc bag concept. It’s made of thick silicone, and it stands up on the counter by itself as you fill it up with … pretty much anything. Once filled with anything, you can do anything with it: boil, freeze, microwave and then wash it in the dishwasher and start all over again. You can use it for any stage of food consumption. You can store food in it, cook in it and most importantly to me, carry it back and forth to work. Imagine being able to reuse the same Ziploc bag every day, perfectly clean and sanitary. Pack anything in it from sandwiches to soup to salad.
Eventually, it will pay for itself, but not right away. It costs about $20, comes in 4 colors and is officially one of the products that are so well-designed you can buy them at the Museum of Modern Art store. You can also buy it at Amazon. It makes a great gift for a lover of kitchen stuff or someone you know that takes their lunch to work.
