Sustainable Kitchen Products for the Kitchen in 2021

On the hunt for sustainable kitchen solutions? If like many people this year, your new year’s resolution is to make your environment more eco-friendly – the kitchen is the perfect place to start!

We’ve listed below the essential kitchen products and changes you can make that will immediately green up your space.

Combat Food Waste and Wave Goodbye to Plastic Shrink Wrap

Did you know food waste in the UK has fallen 7% per household in the last 3 years? The stats are heading in the right direction, but there is still so much more we can do to combat the amount of food that ends up in our bins.

Try batch cooking and freezing to ensure all ingredients can be used up – and swap out shrink wrap for reusable lids. They’re easy to pick up on Amazon or your local eco-focused independent. Most can be microwaved and keep your food secure in its pot, allowing you to chuck it in your work bag without worrying about leaks. Now you don’t get that from flimsy shrink wrap, do you?

For dry ingredients and snacks, try reusable sandwich bags or fabric wax wraps – they keep your food just as fresh as their disposable alternative – and your snacks taste that little bit better knowing you’re not contributing to plastic pollution.

Ditch the Kitchen Roll!

Kitchen roll, paper towels, whatever you call it! You’d be surprised at how much of this ends up in landfill every year. Unfortunately, although most kitchen rolls are labelled as recyclable, more often than not, this uber absorbent household staple ends up in landfill due to being labelled as contaminated waste.

Ditch the disposable and pick up an extra pack of tea towels to reach for next time there’s a spillage. When you’re done just throw them in your next wash load and reuse, reuse, reuse!

Reach for Refills

Take a look around your kitchen, we can almost guarantee that your hand wash and detergents are in a plastic bottle. Many brands are now offering refills for their products that are provided in reduced packaging or even better, from a dispenser for you to directly refill from the supermarket. Refilling your products instead of buying new time and time again is a great starting point in your mission to become more eco-friendly – it also means you can explore the world of fancy glass jars and soap dispensers! We see you heading straight to Pinterest!

Metal Straws

Talk of how damaging plastic straws are to our oceans and ecosystems isn’t going to go away unless we all commit to making small changes. Plastic straws are now banned in the UK, so don’t be surprised when your next cocktail is served with an eco-friendly alternative. We know paper straws are less than ideal, nobody wants a soggy straw when they’re halfway through their drink. Metal and glass straws are the perfect, non-soggy reusable option. A pack of reusable straws should cost you less than £10, and often come in a handy case for you to pop in your bag when you go out.

Compostable Coffee Pods and Zero Plastic Teabags

Research from McGill University revealed Britain’s favourite hot beverage could be contaminated with millions of microscopic particles caused by teabags! These microscopic particles are making their way into our ecosystem and bodies and having a damaging effect on our wildlife and potentially our health. Opt for plastic-free tea bags for extra peace of mind whilst you drink your cuppa.

Did you know, it’s estimated that up to a billion pods end up in landfill every year, and with sales consistently increasing for coffee pod capsules, this stat is bound to increase unless we change our buying habits. Fear not, as compostable coffee pods, rather than aluminium pods, which are difficult to recycle, provide the perfect solution to your morning coffee fix, simply use, and then throw into your garden waste or compost heap and they’ll break down naturally into the earth.