One of my goals for 2021 is to be more sustainable. I’ve already made some changes last year but this year, I’m going to ramp things up! For example, I’ve decided to cut paper towels out of my life. They’ve served me well over the years but it’s time to move onto better things. If you’re wondering why I decided to do that, it’s all about reducing paper waste. Did you know that it makes up 25 percent of what’s in landfills? That’s way too much in my opinion.
Tons of other stuff can be swapped for more eco-friendly options as well, especially in the kitchen. If anything, that’s where most of our household waste comes from. Given that, it only makes sense to change the way that we do things there! Fortunately, my hubby is on board with me on this one so we’ve been spending the past few months replacing our kitchen items with more eco-friendly alternativesand I’m here to share with you some of my favorites!
Don’t worry, most of these things are affordable and won’t break the bank. They might just be a little hard to find if you’re opposed to shopping online. (I highly recommend getting these from amazon- they have many choices for most, if nor all of these items).
Without further adieu, here are the 5 best eco-friendly kitchen products for 2021:
1. Reusable Produce Bags
Plastic bags are terrible. Not only do they take forever to degrade but they can also hurt the animals. For example, they might eat it thinking that it’s food. The bottomline is, you want to avoid them whenever possible. But waityou’re supposed to use them to bag up your fruits and veggies at the grocery store.
The truth is, you don’t. You can just as easily use your own bags and that’s what this blurb of text is all about. Turns out, there are many reusable options when it comes to these produce bags. I bought a pack from Amazon that are made from a mesh material, which allows the cashier to scan the scan codes. They’re also durable enough so that they won’t break even if you put a bunch of things in them. I have a few of them in a car that I take with me whenever I go to the grocery store and I usually use them for things like apples, oranges, broccoli, tomatoes, and carrots.
Even when I get home, I keep the food in the bags. If it has to go in the fridge, I’ll put it in the fridge with the bag. It doesn’t seem to affect their freshness at all. Actually I would argue that it keeps them even better.
2. Swedish Dishcloths
Remember what I said earlier about cutting out paper towels? This is what I replaced them withSwedish Dishcloths. For those of you who’ve never heard of them before, they’re basically a type of dishcloth that’s made from plant fibers aka cellulose. I only got into them recently but I can see why they’re getting so popular. They dry amazingly fast and they’re resistant to smells. Top that off with the fact that they’re super absorbent and you’ve got yourself a great cleaning tool for the kitchen.
The best part is that the product itself is also eco-friendly so you’re not just eliminating paper waste. Since it’s made from plant material, the cloth is 100% biodegradable, which means that you could put it in the compost bin. It’ll decompose naturally and eventually turn into fertilizer. That’s definitely not something that you can do with regular dishcloths.
They’re not very expensive either…I bought a pack for under $20 and it’s probably going to last me a while. Especially since you can sanitize them in the microwave so you don’t have to toss them out as soon as they get dirty.
3. Bee’s Wax Wrap
Beeswax wrap has been getting a lot of attention lately. I tried it and I love it. Basically, it’s an eco-friendly version of saran wrap. It’s made from various natural ingredients including bee’s wax, tree resin, organic cotton, and jojoba oil. As you can probably guess, it’s reusable. Once you’re done with it, just wash it with some soap and water and you can use it again as soon as it’s dry. Don’t use hot water, though, it can actually melt the bee’s wax and you don’t want that.
Allegedly, it can be used for up to a year. When it comes time to throw it away, you can cut it down and compost it. Or you know, you can use it as a firestarterwhatever floats your boat.
The only thing is that it’s kind of pricey. I bought two sheets, one small, one large and it cost me over $20 in total. The good news is that there are various brands to choose from so you can get whatever’s on sale. I couldn’t wait, though, so I just forked over the money. I’ll probably get a few more sheets if I come across a sale or something. I use them almost everyday to cover various things in the fridge.
4. All Natural Dish Soap
Most dish soaps contain chemicals that can have a negative impact on the environment. For example, many contain phosphate, which can result in harmful algae blooms. Not only can it kill fish, but it can also affect our water supply. Luckily for us, there are products out there that are all-naturalyou just need to pick them from the shelf.
So the next time you’re at the store, look for a dish soap that’s made from all-natural ingredients. Generally speaking, it should say so in big letters on the label. When in doubt, flip the bottle around and look at the ingredients label. You don’t want it to have any big words…the simpler the better.
Alternatively, you can make your own dish soaplike me! Then you know exactly what’s in it. Here’s one of my favorite recipes that you can make with just three ingredients:
Pour 1 cup of water into a pot and bring it to a boil. Combine 1 tablespoon of borax with 1 tablespoon of grated castile bar soap in a separate bowl. Pour the hot water over the mixture and whisk until the two ingredients are completely melted. Set it aside and let it cool for 6-8 hours. From there, it’ll turn into a gel so that you can pour it into a bottle. If necessary, you can add ~20 drops of essential oils. Personally, I prefer adding a bit of lavender scent.
5. Silicone Baking Mats
For those of you who like to bake, consider investing in some silicone baking mats. They’re an eco-friendly alternative to parchment paper. I probably went through several rolls before I found out about these. You can find them at Bed Bath and Beyond (where I bought mine) or on Amazon. They come in various sizes of course so you can use them with different-sized trays. Personally, I bought a three pack that included one small, one medium, one large, and I found that to be very practical.
Like most silicone bakeware, it’s completely oven safe up to 480F, which is enough for most things. They’re very easy to use, you literally just slap them on the tray and put your cookies or whatever it is you’re baking on the top. Once everything is done, you can wash them in the sink with some hot water and soap. Depending on which one you get, you might also be able to put them in the dishwasher. The bottom line is you can reuse them again and again!
I’d highly recommend them even if you’re just an occasional baker. After all, the amount of parchment paper that you use can quickly add up over the year.
Note: There are also silicone baking cups and molds that you can use for muffins, cakes, etc. They all pretty much work the same in that they eliminate paper waste.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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