MonicaDoesn’t matter how busy your lives are right now! If you live in a world/society where you have the option to make a better choice… it’s time to make THE BETTER CHOICE. You have a luxury that many people in this world do not have.
Nobody is perfect! I am not perfect or completely plastic-free either, but I do try my absolute best.
Here are some simple things you can do & buy, to make your kitchen as sustainable as possible:
Dishwashing brush
It is so “normal” for us to buy and use plastic dish brushes. Stop that! Sustainable ones are much nicer-looking and you will be helping the planet too. Be honest with yourself for a second here, how hard is it for you to buy this rather than your usual supermarket plastic one?
Loofah sponge
We buy those “normal” (plastic) sponges for our kitchen as well as for other surfaces around the house. Well, it is time to stop that now! There are so many options out there. I started using these sponges made from loofah and they are so effective.
PS. They can also be used to scrub and exfoliate your body.
Dishwashing soap bar
In the last year, I started using soap bars, specifically those made for dish-washing. They are very good and last a lot longer than I thought too. Definitely worth switching from the usual plastic-bottled one. Sometimes you can even refill your dish soap from your local sustainable shop.
Homemade surface spray
It is so easy to make a surface spray at home! No chemicals and exactly the same result, if not better.
Give it the scent that you want and reuse the plastic spray bottle you had and when it is not good anymore, you can buy a glass one that can be reused.
Bamboo coffee press
Are you a coffee lover and use your press at home? Time to stop buying plastic ones or those glass ones with plastic ‘bits’ around it. This bamboo one is sustainable and much more eye-pleasing anyway, don’t you think?
HERE ARE A FEW THINGS YOU CAN START TO THINK ABOUT AND IMPLEMENT WHEN YOU GO DO YOUR FOOD SHOP:
Reusable linen bags
These bags can be used for so many things and decrease your plastic use so much! Every time I go to the bakery to buy my loaf of bread I now hand them this bag so they can put the bread in there rather than in a plastic bag! You can also use it to fill it up with vegetables and take them all home lose, without any plastic wrapping.
Shop in bulk & refill jars at home
Once you go shopping with your cotton bags, come home and empty all that goodness into glass jars! Easy to store, to see and fresher produce.
Some places allow you to go fill up with your own glass jars too!
BELOW ARE A FEW OTHER THINGS THAT CAN HELP YOU IN YOUR KITCHEN AND YOUR OUTDOOR PICNICS:
Beeswax wrap
Here is the substitute for all that aluminum wrap and cling film. You can use it to save your food at home as well as when bringing food with you to a picnic, work, a hike or to the beach!
Give them a rinse afterward and they are like new.
Bamboo cutlery
Don’t fall into the trap of buying street food and using that plastic cutlery…
You also don’t want to have to say no to the street food because you don’t have your own cutlery right?
Perfect solution right here, can’t say no to this!
Pretty, small, easy to carry and sustainable!
Metal or bamboo straws
How many times do we order that yummy cocktail that comes with a plastic straw? There are so many better options now! Just choose the one you prefer and take it with you!
Reusable bottle
Reusable bottles… if you still don’t have one, it’s really really time you do. There are so many out there but definitely make sure you buy from a sustainable business, like these that I have linked here by Sustainable Tomorrow & SandCloud.
Reusable cup
There are obviously so many options out there nowadays but this StojoCup is by far my favourite one. Get yourself a gift and carry a reusable cup with you and have a sustainable take-away drink.
I truly hope this has helped and I truly hope you take action and buy these items.
Change starts with us, as small or as big as those changes may be, they are important. It is up to us as consumers, to use our power to shift what is produced in this world.
Take action right now, as small as you think that action may be, it’s something!
And as I always say, “Doing something is always better than doing nothing”
