Over the past couple of years I have been making more and more changes around the home. As a family we are making our way to becoming more environmentally aware. However with a limited income it isn’t something that is happening quickly. When thinking ahead to the swaps we want to make I ask my self if it something that we could use long term. If there is a way of trying it out before committing to buy then I will always look for that alternative. I want to share these changes with you so I am planning a series of posts to help you make the right changes. First up is the kitchen, so here are our kitchen swaps.
Our Easy Eco swaps you can make in the kitchen
Reducing plastic – Number one on our priority list is to try and reduce single use plastic. We have made a few swaps which we have loved. Such as;
-Ditching the Green and yellow sponge! – Last year we made the swap over to EcoCoconut and said goodbye to the little green and yellow sponge. EcoCoconut have a range of products which are made using the outside of dried coconuts. They are 100% plastic free, including tape and packaging too!
– Ecoliving Dish Brush – Ecoliving are great when it comes to items to buy for the kitchen! We bought the Ecoliving replacement brush head and used it on its own. It’s not only great for helping to clean but also for washing vegetables too! The dish brush is made using plant-based bristles and is made using locally grown beech wood in Germany. The Tampico fibre bristles are really durable and compostable too!
– Ecoliving Dish Washing Soap Bar – One of the biggest changes for us so far has been swapping from liquid washing up liquid to a solid block. One of my biggest concerns would be that it wouldn’t feel clean however I was really suprised! We live in a notoriously hard water area (thanks to being close to the fens) and so far it has surpassed our expectations. Teamed with the Ecoliving Dish Brush it makes a great pair! The bar doesn’t contain palm oil and is completely vegan too!
“pop them in the wash and repeat!”
-Cheeky Wipes – When the boys were younger they were wearing Cloth nappies and we used reusable cloth wipes. So 4 years later the wipes are still in use as a replacement for paper kitchen towels. Its so easy to just pick one up for spillages or to wipe down the sides. Once we are finished with them we simply pop them in the wash and repeat. Our wipes have been in constant use for around 8 years and they are still going strong. So it is a great investment!
-Wax Wraps – Ditching ClingFilm has been a huge save for us. There are plenty of wax wraps available to buy however it is just as easy to make them your self! I wrote a post explaining how to make them here. Wax wraps are great for lunchbox sandwiches and rolls as well as covering left over food, bread and pretty much everything else you would use cling film for.
– Straws – We bought a stainless steel straws from ASDA a few years back, I think it was £2.50 for 4 or 6. There are so many different types now from glass straws to silicone to paper. We went with stainless steel purely for longevity. They are used daily and cleaned with the straw brush they will last ages too.
Keep the lid on to keep bugs away in the summer
-Glass Jars – We have been re purposing any glass jars we find to use for food storage or to drink from. They make great drinking glasses in the summer especially if you keep the lids as it keeps all the bugs away from your drink.
-Paper food bags – We have recently switched to paper bags to line our food waste bin with. They are £2.50 for 10 from Tesco and so far been great at storing our food waste. I was a little concerned that any juices from left over fruit would make the bags weaker, however we empty the bin weekly and it’s withstood the walk from kitchen to driveway.
-Sodastream – One of my biggest flaws has been my love of carbonated drinks and although it will never be environmentally friendly introducing the Sodastream has helped. It has reduced the amount of bottles and cans being brought into the home and using a lot less waste. We are signed up to the recycling scheme Sodastream offer so our gas bottles get replaced every 4 months.
These are some of the changes we have made in the kitchen. They have all really helped to reduce the amount of waste that leaves our home.
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