For years, our kitchen drawers were full of plastic food storage containers.

Most were Sistema containers we'd collected over the years, including some we'd bought in New Zealand. They were good-quality containers. They sealed well, stacked neatly, and did exactly what we needed them to do.

But over time, we became increasingly uncomfortable with storing our food in plastic.

Some containers had become scratched. Others looked cloudy. We'd been putting them through the dishwasher for years without giving much thought to what repeated exposure to heat might do to the plastic.

And the more we learned about plastics in our food and everyday environment, the harder it became to ignore that drawer full of plastic.

There wasn't one dramatic incident that prompted the change. Just a growing awareness that we could probably do better.

Eventually, we asked ourselves a fairly simple question:

If we're trying to reduce plastic exposure, why are we still storing so much of our food in plastic?

Our concerns weren't entirely unfounded.

A 2023 study published in Environmental Science & Technology found that some reusable plastic food containers released microplastics and nanoplastics during use, with microwave heating producing particularly high levels of particle release in the containers tested.

Another 2024 study in Environment International found that chemicals from a range of plastic food packaging materials could migrate into food-simulating liquids. Some of those mixtures also showed biological activity in laboratory tests related to hormonal and metabolic regulation.

That doesn't mean our Sistema containers were making us sick. We have no evidence of that.

And the science isn't settled. The FDA currently says that available evidence does not demonstrate that the levels of microplastics detected in foods pose a risk to human health.

But we weren't looking for proof that our containers were harmful.

We were looking for a practical way to reduce unnecessary contact between our food and plastic.

Glass seemed like a straightforward place to start.

Our requirements were relatively simple:

We considered different materials and storage systems, but it was surprisingly difficult to find something that met all our requirements.

Eventually, we landed on Weck glass jars.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Interestingly, the idea started with some friends who live on a farm.

They make homemade apricot jam, and I'd seen them using traditional glass preserving jars.

I liked the simplicity of those jars. There was something timeless about the glass, the lids, and the way everything fitted together.

That got me researching different glass storage options.

One of the things I quickly realized was how important the opening of the jar would be.

We weren't primarily interested in making preserves. We wanted to store everyday foods: leftovers, hummus, cereals, dried fruit, sauces, and whatever happened to be in the refrigerator.

A narrow-necked jar wasn't going to be very practical.

Weck's wide-mouth design was the deciding factor for me.

Many of the jars have openings wide enough to comfortably fit a hand inside. They feel more like a drinking glass or small bowl than a traditional preserving jar.

They're easy to fill, easy to empty, and easy to clean.

The other thing we liked was the lid system.

Weck jars have glass lids, with separate rubber sealing rings and metal clips.

If you want a tighter closure, you can use the ring and clips. If you're simply storing something in the fridge for a day or two, you can put the glass lid on without bothering with the clips.

That flexibility has turned out to be surprisingly useful.

And because the lid itself is glass, we don't have plastic coming into contact with our stored food.

This was our original objective, and it's still the biggest reason we love the switch.

We no longer have that mismatched collection of plastic containers and lids sitting in a kitchen drawer.

Instead, we have a consistent collection of glass jars and bowls in different sizes.

We use them for just about everything: leftovers, homemade sauces, hummus, marinara, cereals, dried fruit, nuts, cookies, and other pantry staples.

Nat particularly likes that we've stopped buying food, taking it home, and then storing it in yet another plastic container.

So much of our food already arrives in plastic packaging. Cheese, cucumbers, and all kinds of other products are wrapped or sealed in it.

We now try to remove that packaging when practical and transfer suitable foods into glass.

We know that doesn't undo any previous exposure to plastic packaging.

But at least we're not adding more plastic contact during storage at home.

This is one of my favorite things about Weck.

The wide openings make them easy to wash, and the glass jars and lids can go straight into the dishwasher.

Weck recommends hand-washing the separate rubber rings and metal clips, so those need a little more attention.

But for everyday cleaning, the glass components are wonderfully simple.

And unlike our old plastic containers, we don't find ourselves wondering what years of dishwasher heat might be doing to the material.

When we first considered switching to glass, durability was an obvious concern.

Glass breaks. Plastic generally doesn't.

But since buying our first Weck jars in April 2025, we've been pleasantly surprised.

We've accumulated 38 containers across four different sizes, and not a single one has chipped, broken, failed, or needed replacing.

Admittedly, we haven't dropped any.

And we recognize that glass requires a little more care than plastic.

But the thick glass feels substantial, and the wide bases make the jars remarkably stable on the kitchen counter.

After nearly 18 months of everyday use, durability simply hasn't been an issue.

This sounds obvious, but it's a genuine benefit.

We can glance into the fridge or look across the kitchen counter and see exactly what's stored in each jar.

There's no guessing what's behind a cloudy plastic wall or opening multiple containers to find something.

It's a small convenience, but one we appreciate every day.

This wasn't the main reason we switched, but it's become one of our favorite things about them.

There's a slightly nostalgic quality to Weck jars.

The glass, rubber seals, and metal clips remind us of something our grandparents might have used.

They're simple, functional, and a little old-fashioned in the best possible way.

Instead of hiding our food storage containers away, we're perfectly happy having these out on the kitchen counter.

A few things are worth knowing before replacing all your plastic containers.

None of these has been a dealbreaker.

The trade-offs feel relatively minor compared with what we've gained.

We made our first Weck purchase in April 2025.

Rather than replacing every plastic container at once, we started with a collection of jars and bowls in different sizes.

We quickly discovered how useful they were.

In fact, we liked them enough that we went back and ordered more in February 2026.

Here's what we actually bought:

Across both orders, we spent $230.76, including shipping.

That's an average of just over $6 per container.

We purchased ours directly from Weck, although the brand is also available on Amazon.

Was it more expensive than continuing to use our existing plastic containers? Absolutely.

But we were replacing something we no longer wanted to use with a storage system we expect to keep for years.

And having used these almost daily since April 2025, we consider the investment worthwhile.

We're now at the point where we have enough jars for pretty much everything we need.

If anything, we might eventually add a few larger containers for the foods that don't quite fit.

We haven't eliminated all plastic from our home.

Not even close.

And we don't want to pretend otherwise.

Avoiding plastic entirely is incredibly difficult, particularly when so much of the food we buy arrives packaged in it.

But we've stopped using plastic containers for our everyday food storage.

Some of our old Sistema containers are still around. These days, they're mostly used for our son's projects and other household odds and ends.

Rather than throwing out perfectly usable containers, we've simply given them a different job.

That feels like a practical approach to us.

We're not trying to create a perfectly plastic-free household.

We're trying to make sensible changes that reduce unnecessary plastic exposure without making everyday life more complicated.

If you've switched to glass food storage, we'd love to know what you're using.

And if you've found a great option for larger foods—especially one without plastic touching the food—please tell us.

Hit reply and let us know. We're always looking for practical low-tox products worth trying.

Sources

This is part of This for That, our ongoing series where we replace an everyday product with a lower-tox alternative, live with it, and report back on whether the swap was actually worth making.

Please note: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.