How to go plastic free in the kitchen

When it comes to creating a plastic free kitchen, you are facing a higher hurdle than in any other room in the house. Each week your kitchen can be filled with new plastic packaging, as well as plastic bottles of detergents and cleaning products. If you make one change which will really make an impact, it’s going plastic free in the kitchen.

However, that’s easier said than done. With so much of everyday kitchen-living relying on plastic, it can be difficult to know where to start. 

Why does it matter?

40% of plastic created is used just once. 8 million tonnes of our plastic rubbish ends up in our oceans each year and it can take up to 1000 years to decompose. By 2050, there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. We can't say it will be years in the future anymore, this is happening in our lifetime. 

So where to start? 

Cleaning

Your skin can and does sadly absorb most chemicals found in things like Bleech. You don't want your kitchen, the foundation and centre of your home, to be full of cleaning bottles that are made up of warning signs and chemicals that deserve to be in a science lab rather than your home. So why not try an eco altnerative that still works? 

Our tried and tested favourite is the brilliant Iron and Velvet anti-bacterial kitchen cleaner. It smells amazing and does an incredible job of cleaning important surfaces like the kitchen tops. We love them because they come as a concentrate pod, meaning all you have to do is add water, but you can control the strenght of your kitchen cleaner. 

Otherwise, Fill cleaning provide a brilliant circular economy replacement. They come in beautiful glass bottles with clear and minimalist ingrediants to reduce nasty chemicals while still cleaning. We use the brilliant Laundry Liquid and Fabric conditioners in our boxes and they haven't disappointed. 

Shopping

Plastic comes into the kitchen far too easily. It is such a durable product that most food companies use; because it keeps the food fresh and is cost efficient. To avoid Plastic in the kitchen, try a few simple swaps for individual products - the small wins are key!

The simplest and best replacement to single use plastic bags for individual fruit and veg are cotton mesh or grocery bags. It is one of the best like for like eco swaps and hopefully will help transition your shopping to a more plastic free lifestyle. We would also recommend you have a look at some of the more sustainable food boxes. Two that come to mind are the brilliant Riverford foods and fellow B Corp Mindful Chef. Both are making key steps towards a plastic free shopping experience with biodegrable plastic and zero waste boxes. 

Food storage

The first product we started with when we tried to start the eco journey, was a Bee's Wrap cling film replacement. It was very expensive and did a relatively poor job compared to that of cling film. But we've found a brilliant alternative which means you don't miss out on the fun patterns but don't have to pay a premium. 

Food storage is a big area where plastics make their mark in the kitche. Try not to try out your old plastic containers until they hvae reached the endof their life. Buy as you need replacements and then opt for plastic free, gradually collecting and using glass jars, such as over-sized jam jars which can also provide excellent foot storage.  

Making a start

All you can ever do, is give it a go. So why not try and make a few simple swaps using those three areas above as a guide for making the best swaps. We have build a special box around the kitchen, but that is just our idea for making a simple change to the heart of the home.