Jun 2022: Silicone is the Way to Go

Hi everyone! Welcome back to the Sustainable Millennial blog. For many of us, summer has just begun! Even though the winter is more often associated with baking, many of us use our ovens year-round to bake desserts like cookies and brownies or savory dishes like chicken and roasted vegetables. When baking foods like cookies, most people try to prevent them from burning by:

1. Heavily “greasing” the pan (coating with oil or butter)

2. Lining the pan with parchment paper

3. Lining the pan with aluminum foil

However, what you may not have heard is that there is a more sustainable, reusable alternative: silicone baking mats! These mats serve as a liner that you can use on your pans time and time again. They are made of flexible silicone and a woven-fiberglass core, meaning they are flexible, durable, and long-lasting. Good-quality silicone (not blended with any other materials) is food-safe because it is a naturally stable substance, and can withstand extreme temperatures without changing its form. Plus, it is naturally nonstick, reducing the need for dousing your food in heavy “grease”. The first version of a silicone baking mat, called “Silpat”, was developed by a French baker in the 1960’s, who sought a nonstick way to bake his baguettes. Today, there are many different varieties available on the market, designed for baking all sorts of items, as shown below. The original Silpat mat is shown on the left. A review of additional options can be found here.

These mats are extremely versatile, but also require proper care. To remove residual oil after use, it is recommended that you hand wash the mats with warm soapy water, as only certain types are safe to throw in the dishwasher. You should also not use an abrasive cleaning tool, as this can remove some of the outer layer of the silicone, and eventually could lead to the fiberglass being exposed, causing a physical hazard. (A soft sponge is a good option.) Alternatively, you can soak the mat in a mixture of lemon juice and hot water or lemon juice and baking soda. To dry, hang them or place in a drying rack. When baking, the mats are typically safe for use up to 480-500 degrees F, but it depends on the brand, so check the label.

These mats are clearly high-quality, and with high quality often comes a heightened cost. For example, the Food Network’s price comparison shows that their featured silicone mat is over $20, whereas an entire box of aluminum foil or parchment paper are each between $4 and $10. However, as with many long-lasting reusable items, the longer you own it and use it, the more the initial cost is offset. Therefore, even though there is a higher upfront cost, you can use this mat over many years (they have been shown to last thousands of uses!). And each and every time you bake something, you won’t be throwing away a sheet of aluminum or a sheet of waxed parchment paper. Although these contributions to your garbage can seem small, they build up over time (just like every other single-use product we use every day, week, month, and year)… By eliminating these sources of waste, you are contributing less to the landfill, reducing your overall resource consumption, and thereby living a more sustainable lifestyle.

Single-use options accumulate waste (& cost) over time

So what do you think? Are you going to give silicone mats a test run in your oven? There won’t be a need for those pesky parchment paper rolls anymore! Plus this provides another reason to enjoy a fresh batch of cookies. 😊

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