Plastic is everywhere in our kitchens: cling wrap, disposable sponges, plastic produce bags… You might be thinking, where do I even start? It can seem like a time-consuming task, but we’ve put together some simple swaps and habits to implement into your routine to transition your kitchen into a zero waste or low waste zone.
Image: Green + Kind
Swap Your Plastic Produce Bags For Reusable Bags
This first swap technically happens outside the kitchen, but the plastic bags you bring home contribute to your overall waste in the kitchen.
Here at F&F, we recommend carrying 2 types of bags with you when you go grocery shopping: reusable mesh produce bags and larger tote bags to carry everything. The Green + Kind Reusable Produce Bags and the Ever Eco Reusable Organic Cotton Produce Bags are great alternatives to the thin plastic produce bags you find in supermarkets. These adorable Canvas Shopping Bags by REUSE ME are the perfect plastic-free option for your weekly shopping trip. Pop your reusable produce bags into the bottom of your canvas bag, and you're good to go!
Image: Green + Kind/ @thegreenlogic
Swap Cling Wrap For Reusable Wrap
This is another super easy zero waste kitchen swap. There are a few different sustainable options to keep your food fresh, all of which are much better than throwing away thin plastic cling wrap.
The Agreena 3 in 1 Eco Kitchen Wrap is a miracle product. It replaces cling wrap, aluminium foil, and baking paper, not to mention it's reusable. Wrappa creates wonderful reusable food wraps made out of cotton and vegetable waxes. They're perfect for covering bowls of food, sandwiches and different types of snacks. They come in different designs to brighten up the food in your fridge and pantry! We also recommend the Retro Kitchen Reusable Bowl Covers. They keep food fresh; great for leftovers and transporting food to parties and gatherings.
We also can't forget G+K Home Compostable Cling Wrap and Compostic's Cling Wrap - works the same as normal cling wrap, without the plastic.
Image: Retro Kitchen
Swap Plastic Sponges For Biodegradable Dishcloths & Scrub Pads
Did you know that a year’s worth of discarded sponges from one household could take up landfill space for upwards of 52,000 years? Luckily, there are many different eco-friendly options for cleaning dishes in your kitchen.
The Retro Kitchen Biodegradable Dish Cloths are machine washable, compostable, and come in heaps of fun designs. Another great option is the Safix Biodegradable Scrub Pad; an affordable and natural tool for scrubbing greasy dishes in the kitchen. The best part is that its biodegradable and compostable, meaning there's no unnecessary waste sent to landfill.
Buy Less Food & Put Scraps Into A Compost Bin
We have a pretty big food wastage problem here in Australia. According to Oz Harvest’s Food Waste Facts, Australians send five million tonnes of food into landfill every year! Our plastic waste isn’t the only problem, that’s why it’s important to purchase less food than you think you need and dispose of food scraps responsibly.
Composting your food scraps at home is one of the greatest ways to nourish your garden and help tackle your food wastage. The Urban Composter system is the quickest and easiest way to compost. Never used a composting system before? Here is a Complete Beginner’s Guide to composting.
Implementing even one of these changes into your kitchen is a win for the environment, and most likely for your wallet too. If you have any tips in transitioning your kitchen into a low waste or zero waste zone, let us know down in the comments!
Shop all F&F Reusable Kitchen items here.
For more tips, make sure to check out our Eco Home category and the blogs below:
