I stopped buying microwave popcorn years ago when I began reading a bit more about the health risks linked to the perflourooctanoic acid that lines the bags. I know the Internet has scores of information that we all must sift through to find the truth, but when I repeatedly read about links to diseases, infertility, and cancers, it was quite easy to stop with the microwave popcorn. No matter how healthy the packaging looks, no matter any “organic” labels, I decided it just wasn’t for me.
The great news is it’s SUPER easy to make your own homemade popcorn. AND, not only is it healthier and way cheaper, it’s also so much better for the environment. Instead of purchasing a box of individually-wrapped bags, you’re either buying a single plastic bag FULL of kernels and the bag can then be recycled with plastic grocery bag recycling, or better yet, you can get in a bulk section using or reusing your own bag. You’ve also got way more control over your popcorn when you make it yourself. You can control the amount and the ingredients. You can spend the little bit extra and get organic kernels, which I highly recommend. And you can often choose if you’d like yellow or white corn kernels. It’s so many pluses that it really is hard to justify continuing with the packaged kind.
Remember, if you are going to be using pre-packaged microwave popcorn, reuse and recycle the cardboard box. You also should be able to add the individual clear plastic wraps to a grocery bag recycling station. If you’re popping your own bulk corn, it’s very likely you can recycle that clear plastic bag as well with the grocery bag recycling.