Hefty Baggies Twist Tie Sandwich Bags

The taste of a fresh, homemade peanut butter and jelly sandwich brings many of us right back to our grade school days. And how did that sandwich stay so fresh all through half the school day? Chances are, it was zipped up inside a plastic sandwich bag.

Those bags are still in use today, and the ones you carried to class in a lunchbox haven’t changed much in the last few decades. There are still clear baggies, roughly the size of a piece of bread, that can be “zipped” up thanks to an interlocking seal at the top. If it’s a quality bag, this seal not only keeps the sandwich fresh but keeps any liquids inside.

Standard issue sandwich bags are generally made of high or low-density polyethylene, and the quality can vary widely. If the plastic is too thin, don’t expect to keep liquids inside, and don’t expect sandwiches to stay fresh for too long. If you’re taking your sandwiches on a hike, definitely invest in stronger bags, possibly freezer quality so that they won’t leak or let rainwater ruin your snack.

Mind you, there are plenty of modern alternatives to the familiar Ziploc bags and their ilk. Most of them are geared towards more environmentally conscious families who hate to waste a bit of plastic for every lunch item they make. To that end, you can find reusable sandwich bags that are made of a variety of washable materials. Some are made of a silicone material that you can easily drop into the dishwasher along with your other containers, and you can expect to pay more for the convenience.

Other bags are made from PEVA (polyethylene vinyl acetate), or might even be woven from fabric and treated with a waterproof coating. These you’ll generally have to wash with soap and water, though in some cases you might be able to write directly on the bags — a definite perk for parents who have to make lunch for multiple kids. The quality of the seal on these bags will vary widely, so buy with an eye towards what you plan to store.

Want to recycle your sandwich bags? Many might think this is as easy as dropping them in the nearest blue bin, but don’t be so hasty. Plastics can generally be recycled, but plastic bags can often do more harm than good to recycling equipment. Many local grocery stores will have drop-off bins specifically for plastic bags, which should still be cleaned as well as possible before depositing. Failing that, you can easily look up your nearest bag recycling site online.