Repurpose Leftover Cereal Bags Into Convenient Freezer Storage

It might seem odd, but you may want to think twice before tossing the plastic bag that holds your boxed cereal. This heavy-duty plastic bag can easily be turned into the perfect freezer bag for storing your meats, vegetables, fruit, leftovers, and any other food you can freeze (maybe even McDonald's chicken nuggets?). Not just any plastic bag will work for freezing food. It needs to be a thick, durable material that withstands the rigid temperatures of your freezer — exactly the type of material the bag holding your cereal is made of.  

To take advantage of this simple hack, once you've eaten the last of your cereal, pull out the plastic bag from the box and empty out the crumbs. Optionally, turn it inside out and give it a quick rinse to remove any remaining cereal residue. Just make sure to allow it to dry thoroughly before using it as a freezer bag. 

After placing your food inside, take care to close the bag properly to prevent exposing the food to too much oxygen. Do this by simply squeezing out the air, rolling the top of the bag over, and using tape to seal the bag. Storing food in an airtight bag or container is the smartest storage tip to save your food from freezer burn. If you're unable to squeeze all the air out, try the water displacement method: Submerge the open bag in a container of water (without letting it fill) to help remove the air. 

According to the University of Colorado Boulder, approximately 100 billion plastic bags are used each year by Americans, and according to the United Nations, around 5 trillion per year are used worldwide. These bags can take hundreds of years to break down, at which time they may potentially leak dangerous chemicals into the earth and our water. Repurposing plastic bags for other uses is both economical and environmentally conscious.

What makes cereal bags good for freezing food? Cereal bags or liners are commonly made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) film, a thick, durable thermoplastic derived from petroleum. HDPE is versatile, shapeable, and food-safe, making it an ideal material for food and drink receptacles like plastic bottles, milk jugs, and food storage containers. It also doesn't easily degrade in extreme temperatures and is resistant to moisture, mold, bacteria, grease, oil, and household chemicals. Store-bought freezer bags (like Ziplocs) are also made from polyethylene, however, typically it is low-density polyethylene (LDPE) rather than HDPE. LDPE is also moisture and chemical resistant but is more pliable, making it well-suited for lighter-weight, flexible freezer bags. 

Besides storing your food, like your ice cream tub, in a plastic bag from a cereal box, you can use it as a liner to flatten burgers or pound chicken or cut it into pieces for keeping burger patties separated. The strong plastic bags also work well for crushing toppings like crackers, nuts, or pretzels with a rolling pin or coating meat in cracker or bread crumbs.