I can't believe I am replying to this. Too funny because Christmas day my DIL's mom wanted me to save the used tin foil; we were at my house. I told her ok but threw it out after she left. It is toooooo yucky afterwards. Also, I don't use it that often.

I will reuse if it is clean, I'll also reuse a zipper bag if clean. Never if it has held meat or anything that might cross-contaminate. It's not that expensive(and I had always been on a tight budget). We usually buy the large rolls at Sam's and they last forever, it seems. Even when everyone was at home and I used a lot more. I won't reuse sandwich bags for lunches. Just not worth the risk of getting sick.

would like to add, when i say reuse, i mean right now.As in "i'll put the dinner rolls back in the bag they came out of before dinner" or re-wrap the casserole dish before putting in the frig.

I don't have stacks of "saved" foil or bags stored for later use.

I don't reuse foil either. My mother in law use to wash out plastic bags and hang them to dry on the clothes line and reuse them. I never did that either.

I read on somewhere to run your rotory cutter across a wad to sharpen your cutter. Have done this and it works. Need to remember it for scissors as well.

I reuse aluminum foil (AF) if its big enough, clean enough and not too crumpled. I actually do not use AF that much anymore. But I have discovered that if you wrap your celery and lettuce in AF it last longer. I have fresh celery from Thanksgiving in my fridge!! I am amazed. We use our lettuce too quickly for me to see if it works as well.

I will reuse it or put in recycle bin. I understand not all recycle places take it, but our county does.

YES!!! Celery in foil stays fresh and crisp! I'll have to try lettuce and spinach next. Maybe what I'll do is line those plastic boxes the spinach comes in with foil and see if that works. I love raw spinach.

It is what I use mine for, in cooking I use it very rarely but do use it for my cutters n scissors, so I buy these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sealapack-...6053%26ps%3D54 it may sound expensive, although I get mine a lot cheaper from a local discount store, but saves so much waste by wrong cutting, it is also a heavier gauge than most foil.

I will reuse plastic freezer bags or storage bags after washing carefully and drying. I will save clean foil to reuse. I, too, remember when we saved the string from the chicken feed sacks and reused for stuff. I am, unfortunately, still pretty stingy with what I throw away. Old habits die hard. Out trash can is always the one with the lid that fits on garbage day while everyone else's on the street is bulging.

I have never used reused foil with food product where it will directly touch it. I reuse it fairly quickly so that is not a lot of it laying around in a drawer. I don't wrap meat in it to freeze. I learned to freeze chicken and other meats on a cookie sheet. I cover the bottom of the sheet with wax paper and then cover the top of the meat with wax paper. After it has frozen, I put the meat (without the wax paper) into a plastic bag. Then I put that plastic bag into another plastic bag. If I need to label what is in the bag, I write it on a piece of paper to be put between the two bags. Never gotten sick either. I am going to try the foil with the celery and spinach.

This is me too -- if I can get to it before DH tosses it. I also wash plastic zip bags if they held bread.

I re use my foil I save it and store it someplce near the outside grill. It cleans the grates so nice and it really cleans them good, so now I don't feel guilty about not getting its use,

I'll reuse if it's clean. Have also reused large zip lock bags - only if they just had some veggies or rolls in them. Certainly not if they were used to marinate some meat!

'When I was growing up, my dad insisted we use only 4 sheets of toilet paper per bathroom visit. I absolutely ignored this, especially after I started menstruating.'

Peckish we must share a father. I have no idea how a man and decide how much toilet paper another person needs to do the job. I flat out refused to follow his edict.

Mum used to reuse foil. She does not any more, I think she stopped when she got rid of dad.

Reusing or using reusable grocery bags is a big deal here. I was at the grocery store one day and the woman ahead of me in line had brought in used plastic grocery bags to pack her groceries. One has obviously had meat that leaked in it, the stench was putrid.

I only reused plastic bags for poop patrol and cleaning the litter box.

I generally have cloth reusable bags to use when shopping and wash them regularly.

Food safety is worth more to me than saving a few pennies.

When used we would wash and roll into a ball and then take to the metal recycler and put the money away for something else. ie: junk dealer in those days.

If people realized how dangerous/unhealthy plastic products are to their health they would never use it and revert back to using glass for food storage!!!

That is what I mostly use, couldn't agree with you more about the hygiene factor, When I make soup I even portion if out into my glass soup bowls and freeze them, they are ones that have plastic lids but they are dishwasher proof perfect IMO.

I reuse whenever I can!

It takes water and power to heat the water to wash and save stuff. I'd rather save water then have a smaller trash bag.

I reuse whatever I can...money doesn't grow on trees you have to save where you can if it can be reused again then that's what we do. My kids don't understand things like that cause kids nowadays are so wasteful....growing up in the 30/40's you couldn't afford tin foil anyway....it's a treat now. I wash off freezer bags also. Waste not....want not.

Disposables are part of my grocery budget so I don't reuse them. I save leftover food and fabric scraps. That's about all I save for reuse.

Interesting topic. I have saved mine but then end up throwing it away because it would get ripped in the drawer. I use it seldom.

I use ziplock bag over again as long as raw meat was not in them, Don't really use the foil over. But I dont see anything wrong as long as not exposed to insects outside or the raw meat issue again

I was born in 1936 too - and yes old habits are hard to break. I don't know when they started making aluminum foil but I don't remember it from when I was young. Only thing I remember was waxed paper for sandwiches, etc. Can't remember plastic bowls until later - maybe in late 40s or 50s then all I remember is Tupperware.

i throw it away as well as plastic bags. i figure its worth it to ensure cleanliness. just like plastic forks and plastic plates and cups; why reuse them if you bought them to save time and then wash them you are saving nothing in the end and it gives me less time in the kitchen!

I am like most, will wash and re-use if not too dirty. Foil and plastic bags. I rarely buy either one.
I do it mostly for ecological reasons, although economical as well - I can't see putting some wrapped candy in a small ziploc bag, throwing it out when it is empty, and then buying more bags.

I also reuse my tinfoil if it is clean and I also wash my ziplock bags. Have never gotten sick as so many people tell me I will. Been 50 years will it happen soon?

To me this is the path to hoarderville. I come from neat hoarders but hoarders none the less. My Grandmother saved every butter bowl, cottage cheese container, cool whip container, styrofoam meat tray, pot pie tin, etc, etc. And we're not even going to talk about my Grandfather's epic junk piles.

It has taken several years of concerted effort, "they'll make more, I can buy it" to stave off the hoarder tendencies.

Be careful with alu foil, I rarely use it since I read an article once that it was linked to "alzheimer" and I had several people telling me that family who had alzheimer already at an early age used to use lots of alufoil, pots and pans in alu, etc....

Yes. I definitely reuse. But, I learned it from my Mom, grandmothers and great grandmothers. I wash and reuse ziplock bags, butter tubs (you can crochet tops on these for little drawstring purses for the little ones), I cut cereal boxes down and reuse for patterns, I cut boxes down and cover with reuses foil for coke boards (instead of waiting for my plates to be returned) aluminum pie pans, bread bags, plastic cutlery (I paid for it, might as well reuse it). I keep the extra napkins from restaurants (they throw them away), Milk jugs (great for beach buckets and we freeze water in them during the summer for the coolers), old dish towels go in the garage for wasking the cars, old towels get repurposed as rags and I have used them as "batting" in coasters and placemats. Waste Not Want Not!

i recycle it along with my coke cans it is aluminum

I don't reuse it. I guess I'm just a one-shot wonder!

I've enjoyed this discussion and have learned some good tips for reusing AF. I don't use it often either, but I do save it to sharpen scissors. But now I'll also wrap my celery in it and use it in the dryer. I also save see-thru small containers for holding thread, buttons, and other little sewing tools and keep ties and rubber bands. I don't craft very much, but I have friends who do, so I'll sometimes save stuff for them. I do like to reuse when I can. But I don't have enough storage space to save like our parents did.

I reuse mine if it is not soiled. I do not like to waste a nice clean piece of foil. Why not use it again?

Couldn't agree with you more, my departed husband a successful self made business man's favourite saying was "Pennies make Pounds". Something I remember all the time, as a Pensioner I have to but I always have done.

The younger generation always seem to be short of money, owe credit cards etc. I don't even have one I live within my means and don't go without much, not even my fabric for my addiction :)

[QUOTE=QultingaddictUK;5774446]I reuse it in a great way, well I think so anyway, I wipe it clean, fold it up and when my Rotary blade starts losing it's edge I cut the foil up with the cutter and hey presto a longer lasting blade.

I also sharpen my scissors this way. Just a few snips throught the foil and it really helps to keep them sharp.
Viv

I don't reuse foil, or any paper products. I will reuse plastic containers if they are a nice size and see through - but not for food - for fabric for a project. Anything that had meat or dairy products get thrown out! I especially like those plastic salad bowls - the family size. I wash them and they make nice project containers.

As for something never happening to a person does not mean it does not happen. I had an uncle that used to say the same thing about his meat. He liked it rare, until he wound up in a hospital at deaths door! He ate it rare for over 50 years before this happened. Now, everyone who was alive then still has the habit of eating their meat well done even if it does not have as much flavor. (He did survive but never ate meat rare again.)

About the toilet paper - LOL - guys just don't get it! If I had their plumbing I probably wouldn't either!

No one mentioned using the foil wadded up with water only to polish chrome that has a pitted rusted look. The foil removes the rust and deposits some of its foil in the rusted spots. At least that's what I think is happening. In any event it works.

What a super useful topic this turned out to be, these tips are amazing, who would have thought the lowly AF could have so many uses!

Same here - lightly used with no food remaining. I have been using the stretchy covers and re-use them.