If you’re like us, we are always looking for more environmentally friendly products to use in our home. These eco-friendly kitchen swaps are easy ways to begin moving toward a more sustainable and earth-friendly kitchen and cooking experience.
We like to start small and make simple swaps so that we’re not overwhelmed. As we need to buy more storage containers, for example, we are replacing the old plastic ones with glass. By taking it one step at a time, it is much easier to make the move to having a home that is more environmentally friendly.
Easy Eco-Friendly Kitchen Swaps
Use glass, rather than plastic
Instead of using plastic bottles, switch to glass instead. Some plastics contain harmful chemicals that can leech into your food and beverages and many aren’t reusable. Glass is.
This goes for storage containers as well. Storing leftovers in plastic has long been an economical way to go but consider switching to glass containers. And if you’re reheating your food in a microwave, some plastic containers can release toxins into your food. Not only are glass containers safer, but they will last longer making them an economical choice in the long run.
We even use basic mason jars as storage containers for all kinds of dry goods and leftovers in the fridge. I like the rectangular glass storage containers because they stack well, but the mason jars do work nicely if you have the space for them.
You can also save old jars and other containers and reuse them for leftovers, food storage, and crafts. In my community, there is a church that collects clean containers and uses them to portion out food to hand out to those in need so if you can’t use your old containers, someone else probably can!
Natural cleaning products
Some commercial cleaning products can be a source of harmful chemicals. However, did you know you can now purchase natural cleaning solutions?
There are more natural cleaning solutions out there than ever before. When you consider that traditional chemical cleaners may contain bleach and ammonia, it’s worth looking into natural alternatives. The fumes released from cleaning products can lead to respiratory issues and can be dangerous, especially for children.
And, using these toxic cleaning solutions in the kitchen where you prepare food should also be a concern. Opt for natural solutions including making your own as a safer alternative for your kitchen and cooking areas.
You can find a recipe for Multi-Surface DIY Castile Soap Cleaner (with free printable recipe) over on one of our other websites, Gagen Girls.
And we have a whole list of other homemade cleaning products on our site Creative Cynchronicity.
Ditch the plastic wrap and zippered storage bags.
When my daughter was younger, there weren’t nearly as many options for products to use in place of plastic zippered storage bags or plastic wrap that kept things nearly as fresh and didn’t take up as much room as containers.
Now, there are so many to choose from. You can go the route of buying reusable snack bags and beeswax wrap or you can use recyclable paper bags for lunches and snacks.
Choose more environmentally friendly cleaning tools.
The sponges and scrubbers that many of us use in our kitchens are, quite frankly, not great for the environment. They’re generally made of plastic and once sent to the dump, they are estimated to take 500 years or more to break down (according to the WWF Australia’s estimates for plastic toothbrushes)
You can buy eco-friendly sponges and scrub brushes made from things such as coconut and walnut fiber. Remember that you can also take old towels and pieces of clothing and cut them up to make cleaning rags out of the good parts.
Replace disposable bakeware with reusable.
There are quite a few reusable options when it comes to bakeware, instead of using paper (that in many places is not then recyclable). Look for silicone cupcake liners and baking sheets.
Swap out plastic kitchen tools for more sustainable materials
Kitchen tools made of plastic are inexpensive and common, but once again, they don’t decompose quickly and add to our landfills. Bamboo is a solid substitution that is economical and much better for the environment. Personally, I think it looks nicer in the kitchen too!
When it comes to measuring cups and spoons, instead of plastic, I like to buy ceramic. They are longer lasting, more eco-friendly, and prettier too!
These are some simple kitchen swaps you can make to start converting your home into a more eco-friendly space. It takes all of us to save the world and every little bit helps.
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