Tips for creating a plastic-free kitchen
April 16, 2009 by Jennifer
In a earlier post this week, Just say no – to plastic in the kitchen, we looked at why you should start ditching the plastics in your kitchen.Today I’ll offer some general tips that can help you make the change from a kitchen full of plastic to a plastic-free, or at least safer plastic-less kitchen.
- When ditching plastics, make sure to get rid of any plastics #3, 6, or 7 first. The other plastics are far less toxic.
- If you keep some plastics, don’t microwave in them. This makes it more likely that chemicals in said plastic will leech into your food or drink. Use glass or lead-free microwave safe ceramic dishes in the microwave.
- Use foil or a food container made of non-plastic vs. plastic wrap. If you can’t give up plastic wrap, at least never use it in the microwave.
- Look to packaging. A lot of plastics that end up in our kitchen are due to packaging on kitchen and food products. Try to buy food and other items in sustainable packaging. For example, you can buy ketchup in a glass bottle vs. plastic. To learn more, read how to green audit your kitchen pantry.
- If you bottle feed your baby, or give your toddler sippy cups make sure you use only BPA-free versions. Likewise, if you use baby and toddler feeding dishes, make sure those are BPA-free as well. One example are the Green To Grow – Welcome Home Sets – Baby bottles made with BPA-free resin and 100% recycled paper and soy ink packaging.
- Don’t use plastic cutting boards. Wooden or bamboo cutting boards are perfectly safe.
- Think in all-over terms. Plastic wrap and plastic food containers are obvious. However, it’s likely you’ve got plastic slotted spoons, plastic drainers, plastic drinking cups, plastic measuring cups, and more. When ditching plastics, do a full kitchen check. Many of these items come in safer silicone or aluminum versions.
Coming up, plastic-free food storage options plus some other plastic-free dishes (think spatulas, colanders, and so on.
Have you been trying to go plastic-free in the kitchen? What sort of changes have you made?
I just bought a bunch of large glass containers for the flour we use. That means I have some almost brand new Tupperware to sell! Another thing I’ve been working on weeding out is the kids’ bowls and plates, etc. I forgot about spoons and spatulas though! Always a work in progress…
I purged all of my plastic dishes and cups for my children a year and a half ago. I replaced them with wooden and metal spoons, sturdy pottery bowls and mugs, and glasses for tiny hands (yes…real glass). With a 2 and 4 year old, we have had only one broken glass and no broken dishes (I like Corelle brand. It’s almost unbreakable). The wooden spoon was good for my 2 year old who still likes to chew on her silverware. I found that you can go plastic free with tiny children.
Thank you for this informative encouragement. I Started to clean out my kitchen yesterday. thanks for the utensil heads up,one area i forgot. I understand going plastic free in my home entirely would be a feat, but the kitchen – i can handle.I work for a large empty house (taking care of it) but when the people that own it come for a visit… What would you recommend for water? I have put a large pitcher in the fridge and people can use a glass, but to take out on the land and go outside or for in the cooler when they go fishing/hunting? I was thinking canning jars or those glass lined metal container bottles for camping. we already went form ozarka to refillabel rubbermaid bottles, but i threw those out yesterday. the water in them tasted like plastic anyway! any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
thank you,
Darylin
@Darylin – The kitchen is a good place to start trying to go plastic free – much easier than the whole house. I love using those large glass canning jars for beverages. I also use glass juice containers. As for travel, I never carry huge amounts but for camping would likely go with stainless steel. They make some pretty big stainless steel thermoses.