6 Best Reusable Ziploc Bag Alternatives (for Less Plastic!)

Sick of storing your food in single-use plastic baggies?

This guide has you covered with the best reusable sandwich bags, snack bags, and food containers to keep your food fresh without all the waste, microplastics, phthalates, and other toxicants.

From silicone bags to organic cotton wraps (and everything in between), you’ll find safer, low-waste options that suit your lifestyle… And help cut down on microplastic pollution while you’re at it.

This guide contains product recommendations and we may receive compensation if you purchase through certain links. As always, we only make recommendations that are genuine!

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Since I know you’re probably here to shop, I’m going to give you my brand recommendations first. Then if you want to learn more about why plastic Ziploc bags aren’t great and which materials are safer, just scroll down.

My Personal Favorite Non-Toxic, Plastic-Free Alternatives to Ziploc Bags

Whether it’s for a sandwich, a granola bar, frozen meal prepping, snacks for your kids to take to school, or even leftovers, the best non-toxic and plastic-free food storage baggies can get the job done.

Here are my favorite brands for storing food without plastic Ziploc bags:

Stasher (best reusable silicone bags)

Materials: Platinum, food-grade silicone 
Reusable? Yes
Home Compostable? No
Made in: China

You probably know about Stasher—it’s one of the most well-known brands for reusable food storage bags. They’ve got a huge lineup of easy-to-use food storage solutions in various shapes and sizes: silicone sandwich bags, snack baggies, half gallons, stand-up bags, bowls, and more.

They’re also very similar to Ziploc bags in terms of how they can be used, which is why I think they make some of the best reusable Ziploc bags.

These versatile, reusable food storage bags are made of 100% platinum food-grade silicone (the safest type of silicone!), exceeding both FDA and EU standards. Of course, they’re free from things like BPA, BPS, lead, phthalates, latex, and other unwanted toxicants.

They do use dyes and colorants in many of their bags (which are food-safe and FDA-approved), but if you don’t feel comfortable with that, they have plenty of clear options you can get instead. I personally have the clear ones, pictured above.

Stasher Bags are also one of the best freezer bag alternatives, as they stay sealed and don’t take up very much space. They are also microwave and dishwasher-safe.

Although their bags are made in China, the Stasher team works closely with an SA8000-certified factory, which ensures ethical production practices and living wages. The factory is audited yearly and the certification is overseen by the Global Living Wage Coalition and the Anker Living Wage Research Institute.

(Side note: It’s practically impossible to find a silicone product that’s made in the USA; we just don’t have the infrastructure to manufacture them here. So if you want a silicone product, you will probably have to be okay with it being made in China, where the vast majority of silicone products are made.)

To top it all off, because silicone isn’t biodegradable, Stasher takes responsibility for the lifecycle of their bags by partnering with TerraCycle. Your bag should last a really long time (even decades if you care for it correctly), but things happen. If your bag reaches the end of its life, you can just email wave@stasherbag.com, and they will send you a free shipping label to TerraCycle. This helps you recycle your silicone bags with no extra charge and minimal effort.

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Bee’s Wrap (reusable beeswax food wraps / cling wrap alternative)

Materials: GOTS-certified organic cotton, beeswax, plant oil, tree resin. (They also have a vegan version made with candelilla wax instead of beeswax.)
Reusable? Yes
Home Compostable? Yes
Made in: Vermont, USA (Side note: here are even more non-toxic brands that are made in the USA)

Time to ditch plastic wrap and add some fresh color to your kitchen. Bee’s Wraps are one of the best zero-waste alternatives to Ziploc bags, especially since they are truly compostable at the end of their life.

These plastic-free reusable wraps form to various food items, eliminating the need for tin aluminum foil or plastic. You can wrap anything from fruits and veggies to sandwiches and snacks, or use them to cover and store leftovers. 

But in addition to their standard wraps, they also have a collection of sandwich and snack bags, too!

When you are done, simply wash these reusable beeswax food wraps in cool water with mild dish soap and let them air dry. If you’re using them regularly and taking care of them as directed, they last about a year. (Emphasis on the cool water, though! I accidentally messed mine up a little bit my washing it in hot water. The beeswax coating kind of melted a little bit.)

Each wrap starts with GOTS certified organic cotton fabric, and then is coated with a blend of beeswax, tree resin, and jojoba oil. This combo not only helps your food stay fresh but also makes sure the wrap stays malleable and can be used repeatedly. They also have a vegan line of wraps, which uses candelilla wax, soy wax, and organic coconut oil instead of beeswax.

To top it all off, Bee’s Wrap proudly holds a B Corp certification and is also a member of Green America and 1% For the Planet.

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If You Care (disposable alternatives to Ziploc bags)

Materials: Paper from unbleached pulp
Reusable? Not really
Home Compostable? Yes
Made in: Various countries

If you need disposable sandwich or snack bags for some reason, If You Care is a good option. They’re made in Sweden out of unbleached paper pulp sourced from Scandinavian spruce trees. 

Instead of using additives, If You Care makes these bags greaseproof by using a specific grind for the pulp. This makes them suitable for things like nuts, potato chips, cookies, and sandwiches with butter, mayonnaise, or oil.

These bags are uncoated, meaning they are not treated with petroleum-based paraffin wax, soy, or any other type of wax. Plus, the chlorine-free manufacturing process ensures that no chlorine or chlorine derivatives are released into the air or waterways.

The main downside to these bags is that they don’t have a zippered seal, so they just have to be folded down at the top. This means they won’t be suitable for all kinds of storage (especially liquids), and they won’t keep your food fresh for as long as something like a Stasher bag.

If You Care also carries other kitchen and food storage products, like aluminum foil and PFAS-free parchment paper.

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The Next Best Options

The next several brands didn’t make our “best of” list (and we’ll tell you why), but they’re still pretty good options. 

Fluf (reusable sandwich & snack bags)

Materials: Certified organic cotton with an RPET lining
Reusable? Yes
Home Compostable? No
Made in: India

Fluf’s reusable Ziploc bag alternatives are very practical: they seal at the top (either with a zipper or Velcro), are machine-washable, can be reused countless times, and of course significantly reduce waste compared to disposable alternatives. Plus, they come in many fun and playful designs that will work for kids and adults.

The outer part of the reusable snack bag is made of 100% GOTS certified organic cotton fabric and low-impact dyes, and then the inside is lined with post-consumer RPET plastic. This obviously is not ideal, but from a practical standpoint, it does make the bag water- and grease-resistant (without PFAS).

In terms of other types of toxicants though, you don’t have to worry. Fluf actually tests their bags to make sure they’re free from BPA, PVC, PFAS, phthalates, heavy metals, azo dyes, fire retardants, formaldehyde and more.

They also carry lunch bags, backpacks, and totes as well. Everything is made ethically in a GOTS certified factory in India.

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Marley’s Monsters

Materials: Cotton or linen outside + PUL lining inside
Reusable? Yes
Home Compostable? No
Made in: USA (Eugene, Oregon)

You might know Marley’s Monsters as the reusable ‘UNPaper Towel’ brand, but they also have some reusable lunch baggies as well.

They make snack & sandwich bags, food wraps, Bento bags, and a few other options for storing and transporting food. I like how the tops of the snack bags fold over to seal it.

The main part of the bags and wraps are made of either cotton or linen, but then the inside is lined with waterproof PUL. This keeps any juices or oils from leaking through the fabric. Although it is considered “food safe” and BPA-free, it IS still plastic and has potential to leach into your food.

One of the main selling points of these is that they are machine washable!

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Lunchskins (both disposable & reusable options)

Materials: Paper or fabric with PU lining (depends on which product you choose)
Reusable? They have both disposable and reusable options available
Home Compostable? Depends on the specific product
Made in: Unknown (we asked, but didn’t hear back)

Lunchskins has a few different options for more eco-friendly alternatives to Ziploc bags.

First, they have disposable & compostable bags that come in several different sizes and are made out of premium grease-resistant kraft paper that’s FDA food-safe, FSC-certified, and PFAS-free. These ones are wide-pleated, so you can fit quite a lot of food in them, but they do not seal on their own.

For the second option, they have Recyclable + Sealable Paper Bags, which are made from FSC-certified glassine, which is a different and more durable kind of paper. Unlike the compostable ones, these ones have a peal-away sticker on them so they can be sealed. It’s worth noting that even though Lunchskins says these are recyclable, it definitely depends on how they’re recycled and what your local facility is capable of.

For the third option, they have reusable bags, which are made out of fabric, a Velcro seal, and a polyurethane (PU) lining to make them greaseproof. Even though Lunchskins says these bags are dishwasher safe, I recommend hand-washing them in order to minimize potential PU leaching.

The other good thing about Lunchskins is that they can be found at big box stores like Target, so it can be a good option if you need to grab something quick.

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What’s Wrong With Plastic Ziploc Bags, Anyway?

First, a quick note: Although Ziploc is a specific brand, I’m going to use “Ziploc bags” to refer to any of those thin plastic disposable baggies.

1. Potentially toxic plasticizers

We’ve talked before about how plastic food storage containers can be toxic to the end user because plastic chemicals can leach out of the container and into the food.

The question of whether or not Ziploc bags are toxic depends on whether we’re talking about specific chemicals that may be in plastic sandwich bags (like BPA or DEHP, which is a phthalate), or whether we’re talking about the plastic itself.

Ziploc bags (as well as comparable snack bags from other brands) are most commonly made out of polyethelene, aka PET. 

PET is not made using BPA (as Ziploc proudly states on their packaging) or other bisphenols, and it’s often free from phthalates as well. (However, Ziploc does not explicitly say their bags are phthalate-free and they could technically still be added to make the plastic more pliable.)

While this is somewhat relieving for customers, it may not tell the whole story…

First, there are lots of other toxicants that plastic could contain, such as heavy metals, styrene, benzene, formaldehyde, and others. It’s not always entirely clear what exactly is in plastic products, either intentionally or as a contaminant. And there hasn’t been very much testing on sandwich bags specifically. So there are quite a few unknowns here.

Recent research suggests that it’s not just specific chemicals in plastic products that have the potential to cause problems, but also the plastic itself. (Or at least, a combination of many different chemicals that make up plastic.)

Then there is the issue of using recycled plastics for sandwich bags, which Ziploc has started doing more of. Although using recycled materials seems better from an environmental standpoint, some scientists say that food packaging made from recycled plastics are not safe.

2. Plastic waste

When we zoom out, there is the plastic waste issue. Ziploc bags are single-use (for the most part), largely non-recyclable, and non-biodegradable. In fact, It takes about 1,000 years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill, and even then, it will just break into microplastic pieces that pollute the soil and waterways. 

That’s why most of the options below are either reusable and/or compostable.

3. Money

The final thing to consider when switching from disposable to reusable Ziploc bags is the money you could save over time. Yes, reusable options are an investment, but in the long run, it will add up to sustainable savings (and you don’t have to worry about constantly restocking, either).

Not only that, but the best eco-friendly alternatives are also more durable, so you have to worry less about things like leaks and rips.

The Best Materials to Look for in Safer Food Storage & Freezer Bags

If you want to learn more about why the above brands made the cut and why the materials they use are safer, here’s some more info:

1. Silicone

Silicone is one of the best sustainable alternatives because it feels and acts the most like plastic, so there is virtually no learning curve. Although some cheap silicone can be mixed with plastic fillers, high-quality 100% silicone is pretty safe. “Food safe” silicone is good, “medical-grade” is even better, and “platinum-cured” is best.

There is some research that suggests silicone may have hormone-disrupting properties when it gets really hot, but this shouldn’t be an issue when it comes to storing snacks, sandwiches, etc. Even your dishwasher and microwave probably don’t get hot enough to cause problems with 100% silicone, but if you want to take the precautionary principle on that part, you can certainly just hand wash your silicone baggies and keep them out of the microwave/oven. (I actually did an entire episode on this for my private Toxin Tidbits podcast, so if you’re interested in learning more, you can become a Premium Member!)

Silicone is also a good option because it’s naturally water- and grease-resistant without having to add any extra chemicals, plastics, or other materials to it. It’s also more resistant to mold and mildew compared to an alternative like organic cotton.

Silicone baggies are also very durable and should last you a really long time. However, the downside is that whenever they do reach the end of their life, they cannot be composted and they are not easily recycled.

2. Beeswax + cotton

Many zero-wasters have fallen in love with beeswax wraps in recent years. These flexible and eco-friendly wraps are mostly made with cotton fabric coated in beeswax, tree resin, and plant oils (although the specific formulation will vary from brand to brand). 

Simply warm them up with your hands, wrap them around your food, and they’ll mold and seal to create a tight barrier that will keep your food fresh. Although they do pretty well with greasy or oily food, you won’t be able to put pure liquid in them, since they don’t totally seal up the way zipper baggies do. 

Although they can be reused many times, beeswax wraps don’t last as long as silicone ones. If you use them regularly and take care of them, they should last you about a year. But then the good thing is that you can easily compost them at home when you’re finished with them!

Plus, they come in a variety of fun patterns and designs that’ll add a pop of style to your kitchen.

3. Organic cotton fabric

You can also go with organic cotton fabric for your Ziploc bag alternative, which has pros and cons. Obviously, organic cotton is healthier than plastic and can be reused for years and years.

The main downside is that it isn’t naturally water- or grease-resistant. So you either have to get one that’s lined with an extra additive (which is usually some sort of plastic), or you have to get an unlined one, which can’t be used to store liquids.

That being said, most organic cotton baggies are machine washable, making them easy to clean!

4. Disposable paper bags

If, for some reason, you need a disposable, single-use baggie, kraft paper is a good plastic-free option. Some paper bags are uncoated/unlined, while others may come with a lining that may be either natural or synthetic. Uncoated ones mean fewer materials to worry about, but coated ones will be more resistant to grease and leaks. So just make sure to check the details before buying so you know what you’re getting.

The other thing to consider is that many paper bags don’t have a zip or other sealant on the top (although you can always fold them over and close them with a sticker!).

5. Glass or stainless steel containers

For those looking for a sturdier option, glass or stainless steel containers are the way to go. These rugged champions come in different shapes and sizes, perfect for packing sandwiches, salads, or leftovers. They’re durable, easy to clean, and can handle the wear and tear of everyday life. Here’s a list of our favorite plastic-free food storage containers!

Of course, many people will use a variety of products and materials to store different kinds of food for different purposes. So don’t be afraid to mix it up!

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From reusable silicone bags that withstand the test of time to compostable options that return to the earth, these eco-friendly alternatives to Ziploc bags provide a better option for you and your family to decrease plastic waste and hopefully save some money in the long run!

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