Without a doubt, plastic products from water bottles to sandwich bags have become very convenient. However, due to plastic being almost non-biodegradable, the ocean is becoming a giant whirlpool of waste. If the EU goes through with the ban on the majority of single-use plastic, this will drastically help the planet.
Believe it or not, reducing your plastic use is easy and will go a long way. There are many ways to reduce the amount of plastic in a kitchen, so here are a few of our favourite tips.
Ditch Sandwich Bags
Plastic zip-top sandwich bags are convenient, however, they fill up the bin very quickly. There are great alternatives which will work just as well, our recommended alternatives are:
- Glass Containers – You can use glass containers and jars to store cut up produce, meal preps, oats and much more. They are also dishwasher and microwave safe, and they’re easy to store away in your kitchen units.
- Reusable Silicone Bags – Perfect for storing snacks and leftovers in the fridge or freezer. You can also wash them in the dishwasher.
- Mason Jars – Mason Jars are fantastic for storing sauces and spices, and can be stored in the refrigerator. They can add character to any kitchen workspace.
- Beeswax Wraps – Cling film will become a thing of the past thanks to Beeswax wraps. They are just like plastic wraps, but minus the plastic also reusable. You can re-use these by putting them in the oven to re-melt the wax. Perfect for sandwiches and lunch bags.
Invest in ‘Bags for Life’
Why would you spend money on plastic bags each time you visit the supermarket when you can bring your own? A lot of supermarkets sell their own Bags for Life and they vastly help the environment.
At first, it can be quite easy to forget to bring them, but once you get in the habit of bringing them every time you want to do your shop, you’ll never go back to using single-use plastic bags again.
Use a Reusable Water Bottle
The average person from London buys 3 single-use plastic bottles per week, 175 per year. 7.7 billion bottles are bought across the UK each year.
If you purchase bottles of water, consider switching to a reusable water bottle. Not only will you save a lot of plastic, but you’ll also save money. If you’re going to buy a reusable bottle, make sure the material is either glass or stainless steel because these are perfect for washing machines.
Buy Loose Fruit & Vegetables
Fruit and vegetables are often wrapped and pre-packaged in plastic when they don’t need to be. This can be seen as convenient but this is far from a sustainable choice for all of us. Bring reusable bags to store your produce in if you don’t want them to get damaged when bagged with other groceries.
If you live nearby to one, visit your local farmer’s market and purchase your produce from there. By supporting your local farmers, you’re also reducing your plastic footprint.
Replace Plastic Utensils
The next time you need new utensils, we recommend opting for metal or wooden tools rather than plastic.
Not only will ditching plastic utensils help the environment, but plastic toxins can get into your food, so swapping to either wooden or metal utensils will prevent that. This applies to non-stick pans because the coating is a type of plastic, use stainless steel or cast irons instead.
Paper Straws
Plastic straws are the biggest culprit of waste in the ocean. Due to the shape of straws, the ocean can carry them far away and they can easily be swallowed by sea life.
There are a few alternatives to plastic straws and these are the ones we recommend:
- Reusable straws – If you use a straw every day, consider investing in a reusable straw. It’s recommended to get a stainless steel one and a lot of them come with cleaning brushes.
- If you have children, it would be better to get a silicone or bamboo straw because children can easily chip their teeth on steel straws.
- Paper straws – Perfect for parties and if you occasionally use a straw. Paper straws are easy to dispose of and can be very cheap.
For more information on ways to reduce your plastic footprint, get in touch or browse our other articles.