The impact of our plastic use has led to serious harm to our environment. But you and I can use less plastic in our homes and kitchens to live better, sustainable lives and do it on a budget. Everything in moderation! That’s the important lesson I’ve learned when it comes to healthy eating and drinking. But what about plastic use? We use plastic in and around the home and the kitchen far too often. Plastic has a place in our world, but we have overused it in so many unnecessary ways.
We have the power to change the future! It’s more than just taking personal responsibility to recycle or reuse plastics. It’s putting pressure on businesses to make products that are sustainable and plastic-free! You can start by purchasing products from businesses that are already making this a priority. But it’s so expensive, you say? Actually, it’s not, exactly…
Often we look at the initial purchase price and compare. The plastic option is initially cheaper, you’re right. But, the long-term cost is often greater because these products are typically made to be disposed of and repurchased, so you end up spending more over time. Another cost many people don’t consider is the environmental cost. There’s a cost that goes into recycling, cleaning up the oceans, cleaning up beaches, rehabilitating sea life, etc. We as taxpayers foot the bills for these services. So you are paying less on the front end, but spending more on the back end by using plastic.
I’ve put together a list of products from businesses that are working hard to reduce plastic in your home and kitchen and help you live a better, green lifestyle every day while sticking to your budget.
Forget plastic baggies, and upgrade to the Silicone Stasher Snack Bag.
This silicone bag does it all, so you won’t even miss those little plastic baggies. You can bake, microwave, sous vide, boil, and freeze it! The durable and flexible pure silicone can withstand high temperatures up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, or 230 degrees Celcius. My biggest pet peeve is cleaning, so I love being able to toss these in the dishwasher. They come in 6 different colors so you can color match your veggies, and store them in The Home Edit style. And you can feel good knowing that Free The Ocean funds the removal of 10 pieces of plastic from the ocean, coastlines, and rivers for every product purchased.
There’s a lot of buzz about the natural Bee’s Wrap.
The Bee’s Wrap is a natural, sustainable alternative to plastic wrap. It’s made from ethically sourced GOTS-certified organic cotton, sustainably harvested beeswax, organic jojoba oil, and tree resin. I use it to cover my leftover salad bowl, to pack a sandwich for the beach, or keep cut avocado or lemon fresh.
Use less plastic in your home with this Dish Soap & Bamboo Brush.
This product eliminates two sources of plastic, the dish soap bottle and the sponge. Valley Soaps’ dish soap recipe is natural, Vegan, and palm-free, but effectively cuts through grease. The palm pot bamboo brush offers a comfortable grip as you do the heavy-duty cleaning of your pots, pans, cast irons, and even veggies!
Reusable Swedish Dishcloths replace plastic packaging waste.
Nowadays, manufacturers individually plastic wrap every paper towel roll before wrapping bundles into more plastic. Just one Swedish Dishcloth replaces 17 paper towel rolls! Holy cow! Imagine how many rolls we could save if all the paper towel hoarders of the world made the switch! It’s made of FSC certified cellulose and cotton water-based ink. It is super absorbant and is safe to use on countertops, granite, stainless steel and glass. And you can boil or microwave it for cleaning if you tend to forget your laundry in the wash like me.
Say #goodbyeplastic and hello Greenup Subscription Box!
If you’re ready to dive into the world of living plastic free, then the Greenup subscription box is for you. Every other month, a box filled with goodies shows up to help you redesign your life without plastic. Each box is curated to meet your needs in each part of your life like The Kitchen Box, The Work Day Box, and just in time for spring cleaning, The Clean Home Box. In an effort to make our oceans cleaner, a portion of each box goes to cleaning up the plastic in our environment.
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