alternative for disposable food bags?

Are you talking storage? Try Gladware or similar tupperware. You still need to use an OP sak if you're concerend about smell, but you can reuse those.

If you're talking about rehydrating boil-in the bag meals, use a pot and make a pot cozy.

I was thinking along the same lines yet for something a bit longer lasting than a freezer bag. If I can find something I would pack my dinners in paper bags like the type you find at the super market if possible.

Maybe Sarbar can chime in =)

As noted, the OP sacks do work..but, they can fall apart as well.
Don't forget, in some areas, freezer bags are recyclable as well!

You might try wrapping the meals in waxed paper, which could then be recycled for fire starter. I remember wax paper sandwich bags from a long time ago, but I don't know that they are available any more.

Pamela, they still sell them at Walmart, next to the Ziploc stuff :-) By Waxtex, I think!

This might be a stupid risk but, could one use a warm-ish iron and heat seal the wax bags shut long enough for a hiking trip?

In Beyond Backpacking, Jardine recommends cut-up paper grocery bags. They double as a fire starter–they would be much sturdier than waxed paper. You could go whole hog and buy a roll of butcher's waxed paper (make sure you get the kind w/o plastic coating), which is made of the same kraft base as grocery bags.

On the other hand, any "waste" associated with plastic bags is moot. Unless you travel to the trailhead on bicycle (or hitchhike), you will burn enough gas in one trip to make a lifetime supply of plastic bags.

Muskrat the waxed paper evangelist

Mylar chips bags can be used (and heat sealed) for this purpose. Is Rosaleen Sullivan on this board?

Maybe try adapting traditional techniques with modern materials? Look to older northwoods canoe / winter travel materials (ala Calvin Rustrum). I reckon it depends on your cooking style and approach to food packing, but how about fabric packaging for bulk foods (as used by NOLS)? Then rather than waterproofing at a "granular" level, using a liner to WP an entire food bag. For example, flour bag, oats bag, cereal bag, pasta bag, etc. Bags could be sewn from silnylon.

Obviously this is a divergent approach to most of what you see here, but if the (worthy) goal is minimizing waste perhaps is worth considering.