Skip to main content

With Earth Day coming up, we have sustainability on our minds. Sustainability starts with the small choices we make daily. There are so many little changes we can make in our kitchen to reduce the amount of waste we generate. All it takes is adopting a few new habits in the way we stock our kitchen, shop, and eat to create a more sustainable kitchen.

Here are 5 ways to make the first steps to reducing waste:

1. Swap plastic wrap for reusable wax paper wrap

Eliminating single-use items is a great way to start on your way to reducing waste. Instead of plastic wrap, we've started using wax paper wrap, like Bees Wrap. Made of cotton, resin, beeswax, and jojoba oil, it's waterproof, flexible, and plenty sticky. You can use it to wrap a sandwich, cover a bowl, save half a lemon or a piece of cheese, then wash and reuse!

2. Bring reusable produce bags to the grocery store

Many of us are already used to bringing our own shopping bags to the grocery store, but still relying on the plastic bags for produce and bulk items! Good news is that there are plenty of options for reusable drawstring bags made of fabric or nylon.

3. Provide your own reusable mug at the coffee shop

Some coffee shops will even give you a small discount in exchange for bringing your own mug! Again, it takes time to form the habit of carrying around your own travel mug, but we love drinking out of Chico-based Klean Kanteens.

4. Pack your sandwich in a reusable bag

While the upfront cost of reusable sandwich bags may feel like a lot, even having one, like these from Stasher, can make a packed lunch more Earth-friendly! Plus, they're endlessly reusable so you can just remove plastic storage bags from your list forever. Use them for packing snacks, freezing leftovers, and any other way you'd use a plastic bag.

5. Save your leftovers in glass storage containers instead of plastic ones

Glass food storage containers are more much durable than plastic ones! They last longer and won't need to be replaced nearly as often. Plus, they often keep leftovers fresher longer, meaning you throw out less spoiled food too.
A sustainable kitchen overhaul can feel overwhelming, so start with one swap and go from there. We find that once we adopt one habit, we become much more aware of all the plastic and single-use items we use on a day to day basis. And with awareness, we're more able to think of ways to reduce the waste we generate. Find more tips from some of our minimalism inspirations, Sasha Swerdloff and Melissa Coleman.

Featured Products