The kitchen is the main place in my house where a lot of the single-use items that i bought over and over again are based.  For example, freezer bags, paper towels, and cling film.  Thankfully, a lot of these products are quite easy to replace. From silicone bags to compostable dish brushes, there are tons of products that can be reused, composted, or responsibly recycled.  Heres some of the products in my kitchen that I have swapped or want to in the future. 

Plastic storage bags with a zip lock or tie handles, are used once and then usually go straight into the bin.  Silicone bags are built to last, they can be microwave and dishwasher safe, and come in a variety of sizes.

Even though some produce bags are compostable, taking your own is still a better move. Loose produce goes straight into these bags. They’re breathable, which is a plus for your produce.

Invest in some plastic-free storage.  I use glass jars with lids.  Reusable food storage comes in many shapes and sizes.  Sandwich wraps made with beeswax, jojoba oil, and tree resin can be used to help it cling to surfaces like cling film does.

Once your plastic washing up brush gets gross, you can purchase compostable dish brushes made from natural fibers and wood, both of which can biodegradable.

By now you likely have a reusable water bottle to cut down on plastic bottle waste. But a good investment is a bottle brush to get into all those nooks and crannies.  Buying responsibly the bristles and the handle can be completely compostable, and the metal wiring can be placed in your home recycling bin.

A reusable coffee cup is very desirable at the moment and more eco-friendly. 

A compostable sponge instead of your old synthetic version are great, you’ll never know a difference. Once they need to be replaced, just toss them in the compost and grab a new one. 

It’s not common knowledge, but most teabags are reinforced with small amounts of plastic, which means they can’t be properly recycled or composted. Take the guesswork out of your tea waste and grab a stainless steel, fine mesh tea infuser and use loose tea.

Usually washing up liquid is packaged in plastic bottles, but you can buy it in soap form that comes in paper-based recyclable wrapping.  Or you can purchase liquid form from refill shops.  

Making your own cleaning products looks simple when you watch YouTube, but scary and overwhelming.  I’ve found the best option for myself to be dissolvable tabs from ocean saver. 

I know I used to throw away lots of paper towels.  I just stopped buying them and find something else to use instead now. But, there are unpaper towels that work in the same way but can be washed and reused over and over again.  Dishcloths can also now be bought to be biodegradable or even compostable. 

I am the first to admit that I’m still not fully zero waste, I probably never will be fully.  Which means I still have a need for bin bags.  I’ve found some plant-based bags that are biodegradable and plastic-free. 

A single good silicone baking mat will replace tons of aluminium foil and parchment paper. You just have to wash it and then can be used again and again.

Silicone or steel ice trays are an easy alternative to bagged ice and plastic ice cube trays, and they come in fun shapes, too.

Reusable straws are now a must and are one of the easiest zero-waste swaps to make.

Save food waste and use in a composter.  You’ll need a bin to keep those food scraps in until you take them outside though. Some come with a built-in charcoal filter, which keeps the odours inside the bucket.

I hope this gives you some food for thought to make some changes at your own home.

Much love 

Rebecca