Did you know, it’s plastic free July?
Have you given it a go?
We’ve made some radical changes in our house; eliminating all plastic wrap, aluminum foil, ziplock baggies, no plastic bags for produce at the grocery store, and even eliminated paper towels + napkins.
Our kitchen is 100% plastic, paper & single-use free!
We started this journey while still living in California, where the state seems to have been ahead of the game in removing plastic grocery bags at check out and (for the most part) has removed plastic straws (although I do miss them when the paper straw disintegrates in my margarita), I was excited to challenge myself (+ family) to lessen our waste footprint.
Every little bit helps!
There were definitely growing pains, like when my husband’s looking at me after a big spill… “Really? don’t we have a paper towel roll hiding somewhere we can use for this?” but a few weeks later, and now two years in, we don’t even think about it anymore.
Life’s so much simpler, less cluttered & everything gets reused.
I was hesitant to go paper-free in the kitchen, (especially with a then two year old) but I was inspired to give it a go when tallying all of the *ish we buy that goes right into the garbage after just one use. While the money savings is always welcome, it was more about the wastefulness of it all.
Using Huck Towels or worn t’s do the trick for cleaning up the kitchen or any other room in the house.
So, whatever gets you motivated to challenge yourself to stop buying single use items, try it. See how it goes and make modifications for whatever is doable for you.
What products do I lean on to make single-use products a thing of the past?
These are the SIX sexiest ways to go eco-friendly in the kitchen.
Stasher Bags - in every size + color :)
Huck Towels (tip: buy a few dozen of these so you’re not doing laundry specifically for towels)
Denim Napkins (or use Huck towels in a other colors)
Glass Tupperware & Jars - for all the things (smoothie ingredients, leftovers, fresh fruit, etc.)
Metal Straws - buy a few in different sizes (small for margaritas & taller for the smoothies).
Yeti + Straw Lid - this should be in a goodie-bag for every new parent upon leaving the hospital with your newborn. It’s saved so many cups of tea from going cold, and smoothies from going hot.
Pro Tip: Bring your stasher bag with you (especially the large quart size) out to dinner with you. If you have a little one who doesn’t love to eat at the actual dinner, but rather as soon as you leave, it’s a life saver and also a ‘to-go container saver’. The trick is remembering to have it handy, so stash a couple stasher bags between your purse or car.
Bonus easy-to-swap laundry room solution:
Although this isn’t about plastic, it’s a wasteful and toxic single-use item.
Remove the dryer sheets (for toxic reasons and single-use waste too) and add in wool dryer balls! They’re amazing and you can step it up by sprinkling a few drops of lavender or whatever essential oil you love to give your clothes a clean smell. (I tend to use 3 balls for a larger load and 1-2 for smaller loads.)
If you’re ready to try a plastic-free kitchen and may even be ready to dabble in the land of detoxing your home, personal care products and/or your pantry…
you know where to find me. :)
With love + gratitude,
Laura