Sustainable Kitchen Products For Your Everyday Life

Whether you compost kitchen scraps or reuse them for new meals, participate in meatless Monday or have a 100% plant-based diet, there are plenty of ways you can be more sustainable in your everyday life. But one way that doesn't involve changing your eating habits at all is working toward building an eco-friendly kitchen; these products will help you get started.

Having paper towels around the house feels like a necessity. You can clean up spills, whisk away crumbs and dry your dishes. But after a single use, the paper product immediately goes into the trash. Instead, opt for reusable dish cloths or reusable paper towels. Use them to clean up around the kitchen and then hand wash or toss them into the washing machine when you need a fresh set.

Instead of bagging your produce and veggies in the plastic bags offered at the store, opt for reusable produce bags. They provide a perfect way to cut down on plastic without letting your food run free in the cart.

Avocados are great in salads, sandwiches, eggs and, well, with anything. The only downside is that they turn brown quickly. A low waste alternative to plastic or tin foil that effectively keeps your avocados fresh is a silicone food hugger. You can even get one that's shaped like an avocado to guarantee all of those exposed cracks and crevices are covered.

If you're looking for something more universal than an avocado hugger to cut back on plastic in the kitchen, try beeswax food wraps or silicone food storage bags. Both are great options for storing sliced fruits and vegetables instead of using plastic wrap or resealable plastic bags.

Believe it or not, you can make your dish soap more sustainable. Instead of buying liquid soap that comes in plastic containers, opt for bar soap. If you have a dishwasher, try purchasing tabs that dissolve when you run the machine.

For scrubbing dirt and grime off your pots and pans, sponges are always there to help. But let's face it, they get dirty easily and end up in the trash within a month. For a low waste option, hemp sponges are biodegradable and machine washable.

We love seltzer water and soda as much as the next person, but the abundance of aluminum and plastic isn't exactly eco-friendly, even if you recycle. Making your own seltzer water is a great, low-waste way to enjoy your favorite drink from home. A Sodastream can add carbonation to your water in mere seconds without filling your fridge with single-use cans and bottles.

One of the easiest ways to make your kitchen more sustainable is to ditch plastic water bottles, which take about 1,000 years to biodegrade. A great alternative to plastic water bottles is a reusable water bottle. Fill it up at home and take it on the go with you.

For all of our coffee lovers out there, this one's for you. If you make coffee at home, purchasing a travel mug is a more sustainable, everyday alternative to pouring your coffee into single-use cups.

Here's another one for folks who make their coffee from home. Say goodbye to paper coffee filters (and those plastic filters that never seem to get clean) and say hello to cloth coffee filters. The zero-waste product will make your coffee routine more eco-friendly. Just toss it into the wash when it gets dirty!

If you have a little one at home, these reusable food pouches will make your life 10 times easier. Instead of buying single-use pouches, you can fill these reusable pouches up with purees, applesauce or smoothies over and over again. Wash them by hand or pop them into the dishwasher for a quick cleaning in between uses.

Enjoy buying loaves of focaccia and sourdough from the grocery store? Then a reusable bread bag might be a great option for you. Skip bagging your bread in plastic and opt for a washable cloth bag that has a drawstring so your bread stays fresh. 

To cut down on plastic and food waste, having a go-to way to store your leftovers is a must. Buy a set of glass storage containers to hold your leftovers (they're also perfect for those of you that meal prep). Or skip that step entirely and pick up a few silicone stretch lids that can easily fit over any size bowl or dish.

One of the most popular ways to be more sustainable is to bring a reusable grocery bag along with you when grocery shopping. Instead of using a bunch of plastic bags, reusable grocery bags are sturdier and have more storage. What's not to love?

If you enjoy making iced coffee or fun cocktails at home, straws are a great thing to have handy. Reusable straws, whether they're made from glass, silicone or metal, are a low-waste alternative to buying plastic straws. While we're on the topic of getting sustainable in the kitchen, check out our tips and tricks for ways to repurpose your kitchen scraps.

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