Soft plastics used to wrap food expose us to DEHA (diethylhexyladepate), a carcinogen that’s meddlesome at room temperature and more hazardous when heated. Here are ways to reduce plastic use in the kitchen.

1 Buy foods in bulk, using paper bags or containers from home.

2 Recycle plastic tubs such as yogurt or cottage cheese containers. Check with your local recycling company as to which items it accepts.

3 Store nonperishable foods in jars.

4 Refrigerate or freeze chopped or cooked foods in stainless-steel bowls, jars, or other glass dishes such as Corningware and Pyrex. Cover bowls with fitted lids, dinner plates, or saucers.

5 Pack lunches and snacks in plant-based cellulose bags; wax paper (you can also use wax paper liners from boxed herbal tea); wide-mouth, stainless-steel Thermos bottles; stainless-steel bowls; and food tins with fitted lids.

6 Reuse existing plastic, including zip-locking baggies and bags saved from frozen fruits and vegetables. Line garbage pails with old plastic shopping bags rather than buying trash bags.

7 Invest in organic cotton, canvas, or hemp tote bags for grocery shopping. They also work for storing vegetables in the refrigerator.

From The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook by Rachel Albert-Matesz and Don Matesz (Planetary Press, 2004). To order, contact Matesz@earthlink.net; (602) 840-4556.