‘If You Care’ Unbleached Baking Cups Are Greener And Cleaner

I was strolling down the paper products aisle at the grocery store tonight, pondering the cost of toilet paper, when I noticed a section (up high, of course!) of “If You Care” brand products.

The 100% Unbleached Coffee Filters caught my eye because I have unbleached coffee filters at home.  I was wondering just this morning if they were healthier, or better for the environment somehow, and why.

Then I saw the 100% Unbleached Baking Cups, All Natural Wax Paper, 100% Recycled Aluminum Foil, 100% Unbleached Parchment Paper, and more.  There must be a reason for a company to make all of these products different from the other products like these that are already available.

Why Unbleached Baking Cups?

I had to read the package, of course, to see if there was any info about why “unbleached” baking cups were better for baking muffins and cupcakes than the pretty-colored, decorative, and tin foil ones I’d usually bought before.

I don’t often bake with the paper liners because it seems wasteful as most of my muffin-and-cupcake eaters toss the used liners in the trash, rather than the recycle bin (gasp!). Besides, the lined muffin tins still came out with baked-on spills.

So, I figured that using non-stick muffin tins with some baking spray is the least expensive and least wasteful technique (I do have to run the water a bit to get the muffin tins clean, though ~ another wasteful habit, I know!) to get healthy muffins and cupcakes from batter to baked.

I was wrong!

The Answer: No Chlorine

The package (a cardboard box made from recycled paper, BTW) states that because

… no chlorine is used for bleaching, no chlorine is dumped into our lakes, rivers and streams.”

This must be a good thing for the workers who help to manufacture these products, too – can you imagine how lungs and eyes would burn in a place that uses chlorine to bleach stuff?  Just like at the indoor swimming pool only much stronger, I would think!

Why is chlorine so bad, you ask?  See Chlorine 101 to learn more.

So white baking cups and pan liners are bleached, presumably with chlorine, which harms our natural water resources and potentially the workers who make them.

But wait…There’s More To Love About These Baking Cups!

The box (remember it’s made from recycled paper!) also reads:

No greasing is necessary so additional fat and calories are spared and time is saved.”

Who doesn’t love that??!! – no adding fat and calories and saving time – no spraying prep and then easy clean-up!

And…

The cups are microwave safe …”

Can’t do that with the tin foil ones, for sure!

And…

…can be used without baking pan”

I love my non-stick muffin pan, but cleaning all of those cups I could happily do without!

And (not printed on the recycled paperboard box is that)…
These are reasonably priced.  No breaking the budget to buy “green” and thus save green, here!

Where Can You Get These Unbleached Baking Cups?

At your local grocery store or online.

Conclusion

I love that there is such a company as “If You Care” out there doing a bang-up job of finding a responsible way to make a product that will satisfy our hunger for convenience without sacrificing human health and the health of our planet.

Thanks to “If You Care” from 101 Green and Clean!

Need A Healthy Muffin Recipe To Try These Out With?

Check out my Banana-Blueberry Muffin recipe. Yummm!