The Best Sustainable Kitchen Swaps
By Reuse Revolution Founder, Christy Walters
All Images: Lori Baskin Photography
So many things in my house just make sense now that we are a #lowwastefamily. When doing a deep dive into analyzing our impact on the planet, sustainability and zero waste can be overwhelming to think about for many. I love to recommend people start in one room of their house. This way, you can focus on your “most used” items in that room. << Remember, progress is always better than perfection! Don’t do nothing because you can’t do everything 😊 >> For my family, the most used room in our home is absolutely our kitchen. When I go drawer by drawer, these are the six recurring products we use on a daily basis.
1. CLOTH WIPES & UNPAPER TOWELS
Friends used to be so weirded out when they realized my kitchen didn’t house any paper towels. When we first had our two baby boys, I was stressed to the max with how many single use paper towels, and single use napkins, single use wet wipes, and single use hand sanitizer wipes we were throwing away daily and I thought, this doesn’t make sense to keep buying new wipes over and over and then throwing this stuff away after using it for five seconds. So, I started reusing random face wash cloths and kitchen rags. We had so many cute dish towels that we never used; one day it dawned on me – use the damn towels.
“One day it dawned on me – use the damn towels.”
—Christy Walters, Founder of Reuse Revolution
What are we saving them for? What are we waiting for? Isn’t life meant to be lived? Aren’t the towels meant to be used? No matter whether we were wiping up a pasta spill, or a water bottle on the floor, the kitchen towels and washcloths we had in our house worked great. Problem solved – no more paper towel waste! Once your current towels and clothes wear out, you can always replace them with sustainable fabrics made from recycled and compostable materials.
Most people don’t think about deforestation when they are using paper towels to wipe up their latest spill or random sticky counter spots. But that is exactly what I can’t get out of my head now that I know how many trees are cut down daily in order to make new paper towels, (and toilet paper!). If you’d like to explore this further, I would highly encourage you to download Ecosia app as your search engine instead of Google on your phone and computer! Ecosia is an awesome B Corp that invests their profits in combating deforestation around the world.
Our Picks:
Reusable Cloth Wipes ($18.50)
Unpaper Towels ($16)
2. BEESWAX WRAP
Wax wraps are awesome for people who use saran wrap frequently. I love that beeswax wraps are a natural option to allow food to breathe because their surface is more porous as compared to plastic. Yet, your food is still encapsulated and remains fresh for longer periods of time. We joke that this is mother nature hugging our leftovers, haha! After each use, you simply rinse with cold water and gentle dish soap if necessary, then allow to air dry before using again. Wax wraps can be used dozens of times, as compared to saran wrap which is usually used once or twice before living in our landfills forever, (or worse – harming innocent wildlife as litter).
Another bonus: you can rewax wraps that begin to deteriorate after a lot of use. When you are finally done with your reusable wax wrap, you can compost them in your backyard, or even use them as a campfire starter, which my hubby and kids love to do!
Our Pick:
Beeswax Food Wrap Set ($18)
3. PLANT BASED DISH BRUSHES
I love how our untreated beechwood dish brushes are made with firm plant fiber bristle options instead of plastic. Not only does this mean we are avoiding sending bits of microplastic into our water streams via our kitchen sink, but it also means that we can compost these bad boys after a few months of use. When we compost dish brushes, I get the biggest smile on my face. How amazing that the brush is going back into mama earth, and turning into nutrients for new life to grow and flourish?
Our Picks:
Dish Brush ($12)
4. SOAP BARS OR REFILL SOAPS
Vegan and organic are also buzzwords that can overwhelm people. To me, “organic” should be the norm. How cool that a soap bar or a refill liquid soap bottle can actually help our planet instead of harm it? That is exactly what we are doing when we opt for refill liquid soaps. Instead of contributing more bottles to our waste streams, we are reusing the bottles we already have, and simply refilling the contents. We love sustainable soap options, especially when they come from small shops instead of big chain stores.
Our Picks:
5. REUSABLE STORAGE BAGGIES
I think this goes without saying, but – the most sustainable product to use is the one you already own. This rings true for ziplock baggies, too. If you have thin plastic baggies, use them up, rinse and reuse them until you feel you’ve gotten your use out of them. It is only #singleuse if we don’t reuse the item. For me, silicone reusable food storage baggies just make more sense because of their quality. I prefer a baggie that won’t rip easily. Also, their diversity is amazing! You can legit sous vide in them!! My kiddos know they can microwave their leftover mac n cheese in the baggie, and simply eat their lunch out of the silicone baggie. We toss cut up veggies in the fridge for grab n go snacks, or cut up fruit can be stored in the freezer for smoothie prep. Silicone reusable snack baggies have seriously lessened our trash output in the best, most heart-warming way 😊
Our Picks:
6. BAMBOO ALTERNATIVES
SUCH AS EATING & COOKING UTENSILS, SERVING TRAYS, CUTTING BOARDS
Lastly, bamboo. We joke that bamboo is mama Earth’s miracle weed. Another way we avoid contaminating our food with plastic, is by opting for bamboo alternatives. Bamboo is the definition of a renewable resource, especially as it grows faster than most trees and can be harvested without harming the planet. Like many of the reusable products in this article, bamboo is compostable and will not harm the planet when it eventually breaks down at the end of its life and returns to our soils.
Our Picks:
Sustainable living is a lifestyle for sure, a goal to pursue daily. Don’t beat yourself up because we live in a wasteful society. Instead, recognize what is in your control, and make small attainable changes in your life. Trash audits are an awesome way to simply glance inside your waste basket and see what products you’re frequently tossing into our landfill. Remember, the recycling bin is better than the trash can, but reducing our waste is the more important goal.
In order for sustainability to be accessible, it must also be practical and functional. People say we aren’t inheriting this planet from our ancestors, we are borrowing it from our children – and I wholeheartedly agree! All energy is fluid to me, and I want to give as much good back into the world as possible.
Progress not perfection. Deep breaths. We got this!
Xo
Christy
