Sustainability Resources

While our kitchens are places of joy and happiness and delicious, delicious, food, they can also be a cause of a lot of unnecessary waste. From plastic wrap to disposable straws and napkins to plastic bags to single-use silverware, a lot of made-for-the-kitchen products end up going straight to the landfill.

Thankfully, there are some AMAZING products on the market to help us combat that trend in our own kitchen – and these are some of my very favorite alternatives to disposable kitchen staples. I personally use and love all of these items, and I know you’ll love them, too!

This post contains affiliate links: if you buy something I’ll earn a small commission at no cost to you. 

Stasher Bag  //  This is one of my new favorite kitchen finds! Stasher bags are a dishwasher-safe, microwave-safe, sous-vide-safe alternative to Ziploc plastic bags. They’re airtight and easy to seal – by far my favorite plastic bag alternative.

 

 

Linen Napkins  //  Replace paper napkins or paper towels in your kitchen with washable, reusable napkins. I love linen napkins, because if they get wrinkly, it still looks very natural. When you’ve used them, just toss them in the laundry. The linen napkins pictured are great, although my other personal favorites are these linen napkins from Crate & Barrel.

 

 

 

Silpat Nonstick Baking Mat  //  Use this nonstick baking mat in place of tinfoil or parchment paper to line your baking sheets. Food lifts right off it and it’s super easy to clean!

 

 

Reusable Straws  //  It’s easy to throw a plastic straw in your morning smoothie and not think much of it, but straws are actually a huge source of waste (and they can end up in the ocean or polluting animal habitats!) These metal reusable straws are a great alternative and are surprisingly easy to clean.

 

 

 

Misto Olive Oil Sprayer  //  A DIY cooking spray canister! Fill it with olive oil, pump the pressure pump, and mist away. A wonderful, environmentally-friendly alternative to canned cooking spray.

 

 

Bee’s Wrap  //  My favorite kitchen discovery of the year! Use Bee’s Wrap as a natural alternative to plastic wrap/saran wrap in your kitchen – let the natural heat from your hands heat up the beeswax on these sheets and they’ll stick to just about anything! They’re SO easy to clean and to use, and the beeswax in the sheets makes them smell amaaaaazing.

 

 

Reusable Tote Bags  //  Ok, these are kind of a given, but who doesn’t need more reusable grocery bags?? I keep these basic bags in my apartment, in our cars, in random purses and camera bags, you name it. Most grocery stores sell their own reusable bags, and you can also find fun illustrated bags online like these from Emily McDowell.

 

 

Reusable Produce Bags  //  Plastic produce bags are a HUGE source of waste, and they don’t need to be! Take these reusable, washer/dryer safe mesh produce bags to the store or the farmer’s market and use them in place of the plastic ones to, y’know, save the planet.