Frequently Asked Questions
Usage and Recycling
Great question! Our Ziploc® brand bags can be used in the microwave, but only to defrost or reheat food – just use caution when reheating foods with a lot of sugar or fat, because they heat up very quickly. Additionally, it’s important to leave the zipper of the bag open at least one inch to vent any steam or heat.
Who doesn’t love a perfectly cooked dinner, amiright? The only Ziploc® brand bags that should be used for sous vide cooking are Ziploc Endurables®. These bags are made with durable and reusable platinum silicone which can withstand extreme temperatures, up to 425°F.
Ziploc® brand bags made with polyethylene are a great choice for food storage, but should not be used for sous vide cooking (boiling in water) as the softening point is 230°F and boiling point for water is 212°F.
Ziploc® bags are recyclable in some areas. Please check locally for plastic film recycling options near you.
Ziploc Endurables® are recyclable through TerraCycle®. Visit the Terracycle website for more details.
Ziploc® Paper Bags are recyclable. Simply look for the How2Recycle® label on your Ziploc® packaging for more details
We love this question and are happy to share our quart & gallon sized storage and freezer bags now feature our patented stand-up bottom technology. This new feature makes cleaning up after dinner or food prep a breeze.
Here’s a helpful listing of our stand-and-fill products:
Ziploc® Freezer Gallon/Large bags
Oh, good one. Ziploc® brand bags with a pinch-n-seal zipper should always be opened from the middle of the bag. Opening close to either edge of the bag may require a significant amount of force to open, resulting in a potential tear down the side of the bag.
Absolutely! If you’ve used the bags for food storage, we recommend handwashing. We don’t recommend reusing the bag if it was used to store raw meat, fish or any allergy-triggering foods – safety first! When it comes to non-food storage, the sky is the limit! In fact, we would love to hear how you reimagine life!
Safety and Plastics
SC Johnson’s Ziploc® brand bags and Containers are BPA free. Our products are extensively evaluated for toxicity and safety and comply with applicable quality and safety regulations. A recent study conducted and published by the University of Cincinnati found that the estrogen-like chemical bisphenol A (BPA) has been shown to encourage the growth of a specific category of prostate cancer cells. BPA is commonly used in the manufacture of certain plastic products such as food-can coatings, milk-container liners, food containers, and water-supply pipes. Many reports of this study note that this chemical is commonly found in plastic food storage containers.
A few years back, concerns were raised about the alleged dangers of using plastics in microwaves. The presumption argued that a combination of fat, high heat and plastic releases dioxin into food and ultimately into the cells of the body, which would then increase the risk of producing cancerous cells. After we researched these claims, it became clear that the information was misleading and unnecessarily alarming. Dioxins only form when chlorine is combined with extremely high temperatures (such as 1,500 degrees F). The most powerful kitchen microwave oven will never reach this temperature. Even if you reached 1500F (theoretically), all Ziploc® brand products are 100% dioxin-free.
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