This post has helpful ideas for Zero Waste kitchen swaps that you will actually stick with!
If you want to live more sustainably, tackling your waste is an important place to start. Did you know that half of global Greenhouse emissions and 90% of biodiversity loss and water stress can be traced back to how much we consume?1 Everything we buy, use, and throw away has taken valuable resources to make and will impact the environment when it is disposed of.
The Zero Waste movement is a great place to start when you want to make sustainable changes. I know, achieving literally zero waste sounds impossible, but Zero Waste is not about perfection. It’s about coming as close to the goal of eliminating waste as possible, and focusing on Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (in that order) with all your purchasing decisions and habits. Check out my post about the main principles of Zero Waste here!
But in this post, I want to share my favourite tips for Zero Waste swaps in the kitchen. Kitchens can generate a lot of waste every day, mainly related to food waste and packaging. But there are many clever swaps you can make to help create more mindful habits that not only reduce waste, but also make your life easier.
You may have seen that are many Zero Waste Swaps guides out there, but sometimes they include swaps that seem to be mainly about aesthetics, lead to overconsumption in a different form, or require extra effort that you don’t stick with. So, in my list below, I have only included ideas that I have personally found to be actually useful.
Remember that everyone is different, and that you should do what works for you. Mindful living means considering your purchasing decisions and habits carefully so you choose the most sustainable option, both for the environment and yourself.
15 Useful Zero Waste Kitchen Swaps
1. Glass food containers
Plastic food containers and food bags are known to shed microplastics in your food as they degrade over time, with significant health and environmental impacts. An easy swap to make is to get some glass food containers! Glass is one of the most food-safe materials, is easy to wash and reuse infinitely, and keeps your food fresh for longer. Other than leftovers, I also use them for half-eaten fruit or partly used onions.
To keep to Zero Waste principles, don’t throw out your plastic containers but find a different use for them so they don’t directly touch your food. I still use my old plastic food containers in the freezer but keep the food in it’s original packaging. You can also just use them for storage or DIY projects!
2. Glass containers for staples
Other than food containers for leftovers, getting glass jar containers for kitchen staples is a great way to save on waste and money overtime. By getting glass jar containers for non-perishables like rice, pasta’s, grains, as well as spices, you can buy these items in bulk size. This mean’s less packaging, lower cost, and the containers keep them fresh for ages.
Where possible, try to reuse old jars instead of buying all new matching sets. For example, I reuse the spice jars from my local supermarket which are made from glass, and then buy a larger bag of spices when they run out to refill it.
3. Beeswax wraps
Another good food storage swap is beeswax wrap, mainly to refill cling film and plastic food bags. They are easier to use than you might expect and prevent a lot of plastic waste.
If you are afraid you will find them too impractical, remember that, as with any Zero Waste swap, you don’t have to be perfect. Using them instead of single-use plastic in only in some cases is already better than not using them at all. And over time you might find that the habit of using beeswax wraps sticks anyway, it did for me!
4. Silicone freezer bags
A last food storage hack is silicone food bags, which I mainly use instead of freezer zip-locks. They are reusable, durable, and don’t shed microplastics.
5. Reusable shopping bag
A classic Zero Waste swap is to get a reusable tote bag for your shopping. Not only are reusable bags practical and durable, but you can also get creative with tons of cute options out there.
Just don’t go buy a dozen different versions because that defeats the purpose of fighting overconsumption – 1 or 2 bags is more than enough. I keep one always in my work bag and one at home.
6. Reusable vegetable and bread bags
Similar to the tote bag, try bringing reusable produce bags made from cotton every time you go grocery shopping, so you don’t have to take the single-use bags from the shop anymore. Combine this with avoiding pre-packaged produce and fruits for old-fashioned loose produce!
I always keep a cotton mesh bag for veggies and a full cotton bag for the bakery in my shopping tote and haven’t had to use a single-use bag in years.
7. Reusable paperless towels
One Zero Waste swap I put of for a long time because I was afraid it would be too impractical, is reusable paper towels. I had been buying bamboo paper towels so I thought I was already being sustainable, but the truth is that anything single-use will always have a higher impact than reusables.
I finally made the switch to Unpaper towels I found on Peace With The Wild, and I wish I had done it sooner. It’s an easy habit to get into if you put them on a paper towel holder and keep a small laundry bag in the kitchen. Then you just use the towels as you would a paper towel and pop them in the bag when done. It’s saved me a lot of money and waste!
8. Solid dish soap bar
Solid dish soap bars are another one of my favourite Zero Waste kitchen swaps I have made. They eliminate the plastic bottle that liquid dish soap comes in and work just as well with a brush or sponge for everyday washing up. Find a 100% natural version like organic Marseille bar soap for an even more environmentally friendly option.
9. Refillable dish soap
Another great option for dish soap is refillable liquid soap that you put in a glass dispenser. I actually use both a dish bar and liquid refillable dish soap, because I do find that liquid soap can help with things like soaking dishes better than bar soap can. Finding ways to make you stick with good habits instead of limiting yourself is the best way to practice Zero Waste!
10. Refillable hand soap
When it comes to hand soap, I have never found a bar soap practical, but feel free to try it out. I personally just use a refillable hand soap in a glass dispenser.
This lets you keep the same dispenser for years instead of buying new plastic bottles. I have a cute glass soap dispenser which I refill with a bulk refill from Miniml.
11. Wooden dish brush with replaceable head
Most common dish brushes are from plastic and you have to replace the whole brush when the bristles are worn out, creating lots of waste and microplastics. Plastic is predominant in cleaning because it is perceived as more hygienic and sterile. But this is untrue, bacteria still build up in plastic brushes and sheds microplastics which pollute the waterways.
Fortunately there are plenty of places that sell plastic-free brushes made from wood or bamboo with bristles made from plant-based fibres. And many of them come with removable and replaceable heads, so you only have to replace the part that is actually worn out. I’ve had one for years and I’ve only had to replace the head twice so far.
12. Natural sponge and scrubbers
Another easy swap is replacing worn-out plastic sponges with natural versions. These are often made from the loofah plant for the scrubby side and plant cellulose for the spongy side. They achieve the same cleaning results with a much lower impact.
13. Refillable cleaning products
Like refillable dish and hand soap, swapping to refillable cleaning products is another great opportunity to reduce waste. But rather than buying bulk sizes for all of them, there are a number great cleaning products on the market that are tablets or sachets that dissolve in water.
Most standard cleaning products are mostly water anyway so the sachet versions prevent water and packaging being shipped unnecessarily and saves you storage space and money as well. You only have to buy 1 bottle that you can refill over and over again. I personally use Smol and I love them, but there are many other options like Neat and Ocean Saver.
Additionally, try out some completely natural cleaning ingredients like bicarbonate of soda, oxygen bleach, and white vinegar, which you can also get in bulk, plastic-free packaging. I find bicarbonate of soda with white vinegar great for scrubbing tough stains, and oxygen bleach for keeping my toilet clean!
14. Reusable baking mat
A really simple switch is to get a reusable baking mat, to prevent using single-use aluminium foil or baking paper every time you use the oven. Usually these are made from silicone, and they are very easy to wash and reuse. You can still keep some aluminium foil and baking paper on hand for specific uses (like I do), but a reusable baking mat can cut your single-use waste a lot!
15. Loose leaf tea
I’m a tea person, so I don’t have much advice on Zero Waste coffee. But tea I can drink all day long.
Did you know many common tea brands make their teabags with synthetics (aka plastics?). So, a simple first step is to just go for brands with 100% plastic-free and biodegradable teabags.
But the superior option is switching to loose leaf tea. Get a tea strainer cup or a small metal strainer, anything that is reusable, and get a bag of loose leaf tea. Not only does it eliminate waste almost completely but the quality is so much nicer. Plus, it feels fancy!
16. Find local zero-waste shops
A final swap is choosing more carefully where you shop. There are many types of Zero Waste shops and small businesses that avoid packaging.
For example, I get my sourdough bread delivered plastic-free by a local bakery. And I get most of my kitchen cleaning products and some non-perishable staples from Peace with the Wild, so they are always natural, plastic-free, and refillable or reusable.
I hope this post gave you some new Zero Waste kitchen swaps to try. If I missed any that you swear by, let me know in the comments!
