Eco Kitchen
The biggest contributor to plastic kitchen waste is undoubtedly food packaging. Given the food industry's love for plastic films and containers, be sure to dispose of household plastics responsibly. Meanwhile, there are lots of other ways to reduce plastic kitchen waste.
Plastic waste in the kitchen
Plastic is everywhere in most kitchens. The bags, wraps, containers and bottles that are used to store and serve food are mostly plastic, and food is sometimes then be consumed using single use plastic straws, cutlery, plates and cups. Despite the fact that over 70 percent of US households have a dishwasher, the average individual in America still throws away 150 disposable plates and cups every year. And Americans get through around 25 billion styrofoam cups every year. Social situations are the worst offenders - parties, picnics, camping trips - but there are plenty of households that just go for the convenience factor of being able to toss everything after every meal. UK households discard around 400 million plastic sponges per year. Worldwide consumption of single-use plastic bags is around 5 trillion - or 160,000 bags per second. In the US, consumption of single use plastic bags is around 100 billion annually.
Sustainable kitchen alternatives
Investing in products that can be used multiple times and which are made from sustainable materials is the key to an eco friendly kitchen.
- Swap plastic containers for glass or stainless steel options, both for storage and cooking.
- Opt for wooden utensils and bamboo cutting boards.
- Consider reusable silicone baking mats instead of parchment paper.
- Say goodbye to plastic wrap and ziplock bags - consider beeswax wraps, reusable silicon bags and glass containers. If you must use plastic bags, use them many more times than once by washing or rinsing them out.
- Be sure to use disposable and compostable dinnerware, cutlery and cups, there are many options now available.
Greening your kitchen
Many kitchen cleaning products are packaged in plastic and contain harmful chemicals. There are plenty of alternatives that use less chemicals and more eco friendly packaging.
- Choose reusable towels instead of disposable paper products, and washable sponges and dishcloths.
- Use concentrated cleaners in refillable glass or aluminium bottles to replace kitchen cleaners, hand soap and dish soap.
- Replace plastic dishwashing pods with eco friendly packaged dishwasher tablets.
Other eco friendly options
- Consider composting your organic kitchen waste for use on indoor and outdoor plants. There are also electronic composters available that will take all types of food waste, cooked and uncooked - preventing it being discarded or washed down a waste diposal - such as Reencle, Lomi and Beyond Green.
