Zero Waste Kitchen Essentials

A few months ago, we talked all about our favorite essentials for a zero-waste bathroom, and now we're tackling the kitchen! These are the two areas of the home where waste can accumulate pretty quickly if you aren't mindful of it, but luckily there are so many waste-free alternatives out there! This post is just a start to giving your kitchen the zero-waste makeover it deserves, so have fun with it! A lot of products linked in this post are from Package Free or The Zero Waste Store, which are the perfect websites to explore further if you're just getting started with the transition to a zero-waste lifestyle.

Each photo in the gallery below contains a clickable link to purchase the item!

unpaper towels

silicone bakeware

pour-over coffee maker

reusable coffee pod

tea steeping stick

reusable trash can liner

beeswax food wrap

dish detergent pods

reusable stasher bags

stainless steel straws

eco-friendly sponge

wooden dish brush

1. Un-paper towels are a great alternative to the ordinary paper towel! Sadly, most paper towels today are made with chemicals that prevent the paper from biodegrading. Many cities aren't allowing paper towels and napkins in compost bins anymore because of this issue, so they end up being dumped in the trash! Unpaper towels are made of 100% organic cotton and can be washed in warm water to be used an unlimited amount of times! They are also sold in napkin size.

2. Silicone bakeware can replace many different wasteful kitchen items such as parchment paper, wax paper, and aluminum foil. Silpat is a company that makes various baking mats from flat sheet pan liners to muffin tin molds. They're infinitely reusable and super easy to wash with their no-stick surface!

3. A pour-over coffee maker is just one way to reduce your waste when it comes to the morning coffee routine. It doesn't require a paper filter, and its structure makes it easy to toss the grinds in the compost bin after use. Other alternatives listed below:

• french press

• if you have a Keurig, substitute reusable coffee pods for the disposable ones

• if you're more of a tea kinda person, try using a tea stick or steeper instead of tea bags

4. Reusable trash can liner - trash bags generate a huuuge amount of plastic waste. The liners that we use are made from a tough, leak-proof material that is relatively non-absorbant and easy to rinse off or throw in the washing machine. We recommend purchasing 2 of them so you have a back up when you're washing the dirty one. And really, they shouldn't get extremely dirty or smelly if your food waste is going in the compost instead of the trash!

5. Beeswax food wrap in place of plastic cling wrap. They come in various sizes for all of your food storage needs and simply have to be rinsed with cold water to remove any food particles. For the most part, we use these for things like half-eaten produce, bread, or to cover bowls, so they don't get dirty very often.

6. Dropps dish detergent pods eliminate the entry of harsh chemicals into our water streams, and the packaging is plastic free! Dropps also sells laundry detergent pods, which we featured in our low waste laundry post.

7. Reusable stasher bags are freezer safe, resealable, and come in all sizes for snacks, sandwiches, half-gallon, you name it. These are perfect for on the go lunches, or for freezer storage. For more eco-friendly food storage ideas, check out our post on sustainable grocery shopping tips.

8. Stainless steel straws - everyone has probably heard about how plastic straws are filling our oceans. You can also bring a couple of these in your car with you if you order drinks on the go often. The Zero Waste store also sells straw cleaning brushes for these.

9. Eco-friendly sponges - our personal favorite at the moment. The sponges are made from recycled fair trade burlap coffee sacks and are machine washable for multiple uses! Our favorite thing about these sponges is that once they reach the end of their useful life, they can be cut up and composted!

10. Wooden dish brushes work just as well if not better than plastic ones. Plastic dish brushes can be swapped out for wooden ones with compostable heads. When the brush head has been used up, it can be composted and replaced with a new one!

Reusable > disposable!