Plastic ISN”T Fantastic, So Make Your Kitchen Plastic Free

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As par of our Climate Super Hero series we looked at how to “climate proof” your kitchen. One area we highlighted was how we should all be doing our best to use less packaging and to think carefully about what type of packaging we do use ie. is it plastic and if so how can we reduce our use of it! Our friends at Eco Market have helped us expand on these ideas. In this wonderful guest post by Jo Corrall, you will find 5 great tips for a plastic free kitchen. Have you already put some of these ideas to work in your kitchen or have other ideas of your own? Let us know!

PLASTIC ISN’T FANTASTIC, SO MAKE YOUR KITCHEN PLASTIC FREE

Contrary to popular belief, plastic isn’t fantastic. In fact it’s rubbish. Rubbish that never goes away. And not only is it a problem that sticks around in our environment, it’s not all that healthy for us. Especially when it comes to food packaging and kitchenware. Chemicals, even from BPA-free plastics, can leach out of the plastic and into your food. And that isn’t an ingredient you want in your dinner. So how can you avoid this happening? We have 5 simple tips to help you turn your kitchen into a plastic-free zone.

1. First up, make sure all your utensils, mixing bowls and measuring jugs are made from wood or metal. My personal favorite is bamboo, they look and feel gorgeous. Don’t chuck your old plastic bits and pieces away (as they’ll be even more of a problem just hanging out in a landfill for thousands of years), you can make use of them elsewhere where they will cause less harm e.g. crafting and gardening. Or you can see if your local recycling depot accepts them.

2. Tupperware parties might be fun and they might be useful for leftovers, but a glass or metal container is a much healthier option. Old sauce and jam jars are perfect (and free) or we have a few great metal containers you can buy. This goes for water bottles – use glass or metal to keep your water tasting pure and delicious.

3. Leave the packaged food at the supermarket. Try and buy your food loose or packed in cardboard. Buying from markets and farms makes this much easier – and is great for you local economy too. A little bit of extra time is all it takes to make make your own chips, burgers, cookies and lots of other family summer favorites without any polluting packaging that comes when you buy these products pre-made from the store.

4. Taking an eco friendly tote bag shopping is a great start to plastic-free food. But don’t forget to take smaller bags to replace those thin bags for loose fruit and veg. Little string bags, thin organic cotton ones or these hemp ones are perfect. Make sure you throw them in the wash regularly to keep them fresh.

5. The non-stick part of non-stick pans is actually a plastic. Instead, use cast iron or stainless steel for stick-free, plastic-free cooking.

For more help and ideas on how to go plastic-free in your kitchen, check out my Love List Plastic Isn’t Fantastic.

Guest post by Jo Corrall. According to our friends at Eco Market, Jo is a curly haired, loud-laughing greenie and Community Manager by day and a blogger for Eco Market by night!

We love Eco Market and are excited to share more of their posts and product ideas with you! Eco Market, launched in 2010, is an online marketplace where you can buy natural products directly from the sellers that make them and get to know each seller and learn about the story behind each product we sell.

Eco Market helps simplifies the often complicated process of shopping ethically by explaining what each products ethical credentials and certificates mean. Shoppers can also learn more about each seller by interact with sellers reading interviews and interacting with them via the sites own social network, where they can learn more about the story and people behind the products they buy.