Freezer bag cooking: recycle?

[whizbang]

I'm curious and excited about this freezer bag cooking, but I have concerns about disposing of the bags. At home we wash and reuse most of our bread bags and zip locks, not just because I'm a cheap b@&#^$d but because we can feel good about ourselves for being green and recycling and being good citizens. So my question is: do you simply toss the gooey used bags away and write it off to the expediency of counting ounces and eating well, or do you save and wash and reuse them? Sure, you can reuse bags that have dry ingredients, but what about oatmeal or spaghetti? Do you wash them in a gas station sink when you can? Must I find some other way to let my inner environmentalist out?

[Skidsteer]

I'm curious and excited about this freezer bag cooking, but I have concerns about disposing of the bags. At home we wash and reuse most of our bread bags and zip locks, not just because I'm a cheap b@&#^$d but because we can feel good about ourselves for being green and recycling and being good citizens. So my question is: do you simply toss the gooey used bags away and write it off to the expediency of counting ounces and eating well, or do you save and wash and reuse them? Sure, you can reuse bags that have dry ingredients, but what about oatmeal or spaghetti? Do you wash them in a gas station sink when you can? Must I find some other way to let my inner environmentalist out?

I throw mine away, but I'm all for using them more than once if I hear a good suggestion.

I suppose us guys could use them in place of a pee bottle. I seem to remember Doctari mentioning that very use. :eek:

[Amigi'sLastStand]

I just eat them. Extra polymerase polyethylene in my diet.

Nah, I reuse dry ingredient bags, but I usually stash my dirty wet ones. I have tried to reuse a spaghetti one a couple times, but it burst in the water on the 3rd or 4th use. It wasnt a Ziploc or Glad brand, so maybe a better quality bag could be reused. But unless you can get to a sink within a couple days, I'd be hesistant to reuse a bag that had had meat in it. That's just me though.

[sarbar]

I don't reuse them once I put hot water in, but I do reuse the ones I carry dry stuff in :) I also use my used bags as garbage bags on the trail.
Depending on my mood and how long I am out, I have been known to rinse them out and just toss in the recycle box at home.

[Brrrb Oregon]

I'd go with the reuse-it-if-its-stayed dry, clean-and-recycle-if-its-been-goopy strategy. The microbiology types are not optimistic about the possibility of getting the little zipper sanitized once it's had something growing in it--meaning, damp food in it for an extended period. Besides the possiblity of making yourself sick, bag failure is such a drag.

This would be the reason I might consider using a bowl. You do have to wash the spoon, anyway, I guess.