Sustainable Swaps for Your Kitchen
As millions of Americans join the effort to purchase sustainable products, you can make small changes to your purchasing habits that lead to large environmental impacts. One of the best places to start your sustainable journey is in the kitchen. Whether you use your kitchen every day or hardly at all, many simple swaps, such as using eco-friendly pots and pans, can help you create a more sustainable kitchen space.
How to Be More Sustainable in the Kitchen
Before you jump right in and start replacing everything in your kitchen, you'll want to understand what kinds of waste you create there. To determine what household waste you make in your kitchen, perform a week-long trash audit of anything you throw away that isn't food. This audit involves keeping everything you buy for a week and making one pile for garbage and one for recycling. After the week ends, you can look at the two piles to determine which swaps work best in your household.
For example, if you have a lot of plastic bags, consider using reusable bags to reduce your plastic waste. Or, if you have a lot of plastic jars and bottles, you could look for reusable glass options.
10 Sustainable Options for Your Kitchen
Creating a more sustainable kitchen can be fun and easy, especially now that you know what items you use most. These items can guide your swapping process. Explore some of the best sustainable kitchen products below.
1. Silicone Storage Bags
Most people have a stash of plastic bags for everything from packed lunches to holding random items. A great alternative is a set of silicone storage bags, as you can wash them after each use, and they will last for years. Depending on the specific storage bags you purchase, you can use them for cooking tasks like popping popcorn in the microwave.
2. Swedish Dishcloths
Paper towels are another everyday kitchen staple that creates a lot of waste. The towels themselves get thrown out, and the manufacturing process can use a lot of water and natural resources. A simple swap is to use Swedish dishcloths instead. One Swedish dishcloth can replace over a dozen rolls of paper towels, and you can wash it in the dishwasher. Plus, Swedish dishcloths may also be biodegradable.
3. Silicone Baking Mats
Although it's made of an infinitely recyclable material, aluminum foil can be hard to recycle due to food contamination. A good alternative is a silicone baking sheet, as you can use it multiple times. Silicone baking mats are simple to clean, making them an easy swap with a positive environmental impact.
4. Bamboo Dish Brush
Many dishwashing tools are plastic, which means you throw them out once they reach the end of their life. Instead, try bamboo dish brushes, as they will break down after you dispose of them. Some options also allow you to replace the brush head so you can continue to use the brush handle and create less waste over time.
5. Cloth Napkins
While cloth napkins may seem fancy for a Wednesday night dinner, they're more sustainable than traditional paper napkins. Once you finish dinner, throw the napkin in the wash and reuse it without needing to buy new napkins every few months.
6. Refillable Cleaning Supplies
Keeping your kitchen clean doesn't mean you need to buy cleaners that come in plastic bottles. Many brands now offer refillable cleaning products, like all-purpose cleaners and disinfectants, that allow you to buy refills in more sustainable containers. For example, some use compressed tablets that dissolve in water, while other refills come in fully recyclable aluminum containers.
7. Cloth Produce Bags
Instead of using single-use plastic produce bags at the grocery store, purchase and store your produce with cloth produce bags. Using cloth produce bags also allows your fruit and vegetables to breathe and safely release ethylene gas, which helps your produce stay fresh longer.
8. Reusable Beeswax Wrap
While plastic wrap is convenient, you can get the same effect with reusable beeswax wrap. Beeswax wrap usually contains cotton and beeswax, and you can wash and reuse it as often as you need to for a great alternative to tinfoil or cling wrap. Make sure you buy a brand that sustainably harvests its beeswax.
9. Compost Bin
Instead of throwing out your food scraps, turn them into fresh dirt through composting. The type of compost bin you need will depend on your plans with the dirt. If you have the space to create a compost pile outside, you can buy a bucket to hold your food scraps until you can bring it outside. If you don't have the space, consider purchasing a composter that automatically turns the scraps into fresh dirt for your household plants or garden.
10. Biodegradable Cleaning Sponges
Most sponges last about a month before you need to replace them, creating a lot of waste over time. By investing in a biodegradable option, you can get some great scrubbing action while making an excellent choice that benefits the environment.
Find Sustainable Cookware at Xtrema
While most people think of plastic bags and food waste when looking to make their kitchen more eco-friendly, the cookware you choose can play a major role in your overall sustainability. Cooking at home is a great first step toward sustainability, as it cuts down on food waste and single-use plastics. However, some pots and pans use coatings with harmful chemicals, like those used in Teflon products, that could leach into your food or the air.
The best nontoxic cookware brands offer great performance without these coatings. At Xtrema, our sustainable cookware is 100% ceramic for durable, eco-friendly kitchen products that will not cause toxic chemicals to leach into food. We offer many earth-friendly cookware options, such as:
- Ceramic cookware sets: From skillets to stockpots, our ceramic cookware sets feature some of our best eco-friendly kitchen accessories for a convenient and healthy way to get dinner on the table.
- Skillets: Our versatile and stylish ceramic skillets offer a functional option with benefits like even heat distribution and a nonreactive surface you can use with acidic foods.
- Saute pans: Use our ceramic saute pans to create flavorful dishes without the risk of toxic chemicals.
- Saucepans: Like all items in our collection of environmentally friendly kitchen products, our saucepans offer a slick surface without harmful chemicals or health risks.
- Dutch ovens: Go from stovetop to oven while enjoying even heating with our collection of Dutch ovens.
Make the Right Choice for You and the Planet With Xtrema
Taking the first step toward a more sustainable kitchen is easy with environmentally safe cookware from Xtrema. Whether you want to replace your kitchen supplies one pot and pan at a time or invest in one of our ceramic cookware sets, you're making an excellent choice for you, your family and the planet. Explore our nontoxic, versatile and long-lasting pure ceramic cookware items today!