A little over a month ago, I moved into my new apartment (still so excited about that!).
Starting fresh also means that I’m finally able have a plastic-free kitchen! In my opinion, wood, porcellain and stainless-steel look way nicer. And of course, plastic may mean certain risks for your health as well.
+ Find alternatives to Tupperware: Everybody I know has an enormous supply of plastic boxes. It sometimes takes over whole kitchen cabinets. I don’t own any yet and I don’t even want to start buying them. For now, I take my lunch to work in maison jars (a little self-consciously) and I bought a great aluminium box for sandwiches. I’ll admit that it’s slightly less convenient than plastic containers, but not having plastic so close to my food definitely makes up for the inconvenience.
+ Go for stainless steel kitchen appliances: You only have to do a little (online) research and accept that you might not be able to buy everything at one store. With a time you’ll find items that look much nicer and last a lot longer. I found a stainless steel electric kettle that looks really stylish and I’m buying smaller tools like spatulas either made from wood or steel. Easy-peasy!
+ Drink tab water: And cut plastic water bottles. This way you can save a little money too!
+ Take your own vegetable bags to the supermarket: I think it’s crazy how many vegetables are packed in plastic. A couple of months ago I bought two different sized vegetable bags to take to the supermarket for smaller items like mushrooms, strawberries etc. Bell peppers, apples and other larger fruit/vegetables go in my shopping basket without any packaging. Of course it’s impossible to go home without any packaged items, but wherever I can go without, I’ll try to.
+ Go for big packages: Instead of individually wrapped items. This goes for sweets, bread, yoghurt, puddings and so much more! Take out the portion you want at home and stay away from all those plastic wrappers.
Do you have any other strategies or tips to stay away from plastic in your kitchen?
Hanna’s Places is a green lifestyle magazine written by Hanna Ulatowski. It’s all about slowing down in a fast-paced society and finding ways to live a more sustainable, simple lifestyle.
May 9, 2016
I’m really trying hard to eliminate plastic but also excess/unnecessary packaging from my home but it’s tough. We shop at a local market, which makes avoiding plastic bags easier (although the stall holders often dump everything into a plastic bag regardless of how loud you shout to tell them not to!) and some items, like tofu, comes pre-packaged making it impossible to avoid.
I donated a ton of tupperware we purchased when we moved in and now I’m looking for alternatives; having pots (not tall jars) is useful but tupperware is just so gross looking.