Zero Waste Kitchen Swaps for a More Sustainable Home
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First let me just say, I am not aiming for a zero waste lifestyle. Although I admire people that can live it. For me I find making better choices to be a good starting point for all of us. We tend not to think of our wasteful ways and instead continue to buy for convenience. We are so wasteful in fact, that according to the Environmental Protection Agency it is estimated that a single American wastes an average of 4.4 lbs of trash per day. Crazy right?
This is something that should concern us all. I am convinced that many of us are very misled in thinking that to do without some of these modern items we would be lost without them. The truth is, much of them are just great ways to not only fill our landfills but also waste our money. We live in a culture where we are constantly being sold to and marketers are quite aggressive in their attempts. It is no wonder we have become so wasteful in our daily lives as constant consumers.
The good news is, is that many sustainable options are simple swaps that don’t take much getting used to. While others might, they are simple and can make a big impact.
In the last few years I have been working towards being less wasteful in our home and from that have adopted sort of a waste-less mindset. However, I am not anywhere near zero waste in any room of our home. I am, like many of you, a work in progress. But I have found several small things that have been very impactful in our home that anyone can do. I figure starting by rooms is probably best and the kitchen seems to be the hub of most of our homes.
Kitchen waste is also something that happens consistently throughout the day. The kitchen is a revolving door of replacing and discarding. So it is a great place to start and it is one of the easiest ways to get started on a zero waste journey or as someone just wanting to be more environmentally responsible.
These Zero Waste Swaps Are…
- A great way to reduce food waste and eliminate single-waste items.
- An easy way to be environmentally responsible.
- Mostly simple steps that anyone can do.
- A great way to work toward a positive environmental impact.
- Better choices for sustainable options.
Paper Products
The first thing and probably the easiest thing you can do is to stop using and buying paper towels. It is my number one tip in terms of kitchen swaps. Instead invest in a little towel basket like I have here or a drawer and just keep folded reusable towels ready to go for use. I have these blue striped towels that I replace every so often. They do look a little dingy now as they are not as white as when I bought them. But they still work great and I always have them handy for when I would need a paper towel.
We all know, there are so many single use paper and plastic products available these days. One thing I am happy to say is, is that we do not use any paper products and that was the next thing to go after the single-use paper towels. Gone are the paper plates or cutlery and certainly, napkins and in there place are second hand store finds that I have collected over the years.
I swapped our standard paper napkins for actual cloth napkins that I regularly hunt for when in my favorite thrift stores. This does take some time to adjust because you do have to wash them and make sure you have plenty on hand for each meal. I keep an extra set of napkins folded in the buffet that are ready to use and are rotated out weekly. This all goes in one large load with the reusable towels once a week. I promise, it is not nearly as complicated as one might think. Doing this is just a mindset and is part of the routine now.
I purchased extra plates from the thrift store along with silverware so that way we always have them handy. We also have extra in case we have company. Other things to consider are reusable straws, reusable grocery bags, a stainless steel coffee mug and a water bottle for to go drinks.
Cleaning Products
The most sustainable way to house cleaning products is in glass containers and if you could make your own cleaning products with natural ingredients, that is even better. Making your own cleaners is easy. We tend to think we need all sorts of different cleaning products when in fact one good all-purpose spray should do it. Right now I am making one that I use on my countertop, stove, sink, and butcher block. I will leave the link for the recipe for you below if you would like to check it out.
We have an orange tree on our property and so we get a ton of oranges. I like to make juice, marmalade is nice and just eating fresh of course. But with that comes a ton of orange peels and I do add them to the compost pile but another great use of any type of citrus peel are to make an all-purpose spray cleaner.
Just take the peels and pour white vinegar over them. Allow them to sit for a few days, up to one week. Then strain the peels, add the liquid to a spray bottle and use it for a natural all-purpose cleaner.
Coffee
Now let’s talk coffee because after all, this is the kitchen. I don’t use a Keurig in my house because of the plastic waste it creates. If you have one I totally get it, they look super convenient. But I am guessing that if you are watching or reading this you are wanting to create less waste and small changes like how you brew coffee can impact that. So I just use my standard coffee pot or my french press most days. Single-use coffee pods can add up to be quite a large amount of waste so consider switching.
Surprisingly, the actual brewed coffee itself is a great item in the kitchen that we can reuse instead of tossing it out.
The used coffee grounds and even leftover coffee work well to fertilize our plants. So I reuse my grounds by pouring them at the base of my rose bushes and the leftover coffee a lot of times I will save to pour into my house plants when I water them. You can also throw leftover coffee grounds into your compost if you have one. It is a great nitrogen addition.
Food Scraps
On the subject of food scraps we need to talk about compost. I believe compost is likely one of the most underutilized methods for lessening waste in our kitchens that results in a glorious rich matter that is amazing for growing plants. Even if you do not have a garden you can use the compost for houseplants and any containers plants you might have. If this is still not you, consider giving it to a friend. Believe me, anyone with plants would be more than happy to take it off your hands. It’s the gold standard of gardening goodness.
The crazy part is basically free aside from purchasing a container if you choose to do so. You can use a countertop compost container or just a bowl like we do to save your leftover scraps from the kitchen. If you want to go a step further you can even invest in a compost bin to place outside of your kitchen door. For my kitchen scraps they are either used for compost or to feed our chickens. If you don’t have either that is ok.
Make Stock
Another useful method for reducing waste is to reuse the veggie scraps. I like to save my veggie scraps in a freezer bag. Which I know is not zero waste but I, unfortunately, have not found any good alternatives to these plastic bags.
When you have enough scraps saved you can pull the scraps out of the freezer. Add them to a stock pot with water and salt then allow them to simmer on the stovetop for a day to make your own homemade veggie stock any time you need it. Not only does this create less waste its a great money saver as well.
Beeswax Food Wrap and Reusable Containers
Something that I have tried and use currently in place of plastic wrap is these beeswax wraps. To make them you need grated beeswax and either a 100% cotton fabric or linen that you cut into squares and melt beeswax over the fabric. Today I am reusing an old 100% cotton t-shirt to make a few just to show them to you.
Directions for Making Beeswax Wraps
To make them: Cut your fabric into 12 x12 pieces. Cut or grate down your beeswax by using a cheese grater or adding your beeswax pellets to a blender. It is easier to melt them when they are tiny pieces. Lay the fabric on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Sprinkle the beeswax evenly over the piece of fabric. Place in a 170℉ oven for 7-10 minutes or until the beeswax is entirely melted. Remove from oven and allow it to dry. Trim any edges that don’t have beeswax. Use to top bowls, wrap foods, or cover plates.
To be very honest they work ok for a few items but are not a total solution. So I utilize glass storage containers for leftover food in addition to these beeswax wraps. The wraps last for up to one year and I keep a few in my towel basket to have handy in place of plastic wrap.
I try to buy food in bulk when I can and refill these glass food storage containers instead of buying several smaller packages. The bulk bins at some grocery stores are great to utilize for this as well. I love buying grain sacks full of beans, rice, oats, or flour. It saves money and also reduces waste too.
Final Thoughts
Not everyone is looking to do a zero waste sort of lifestyle and I don’t think we need to be as extreme as all that in order to make a positive change within our homes. I believe it is about being conscience of the fact that we are wasting on a daily basis and then with this awareness we can begin to make better choices.
At first, this can seem like a major inconvenience to our lives but the honest truth is, there are a ton of small things we can do to lessen the waste coming from each our homes. This in return not only makes us feel more responsible within our lifestyles. But in many cases helps us save money and live a little healthier. And that is a win all around.
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