5. Say goodbye to disposable kitchen wraps
I will reduce single-use plastics, paper and foil in the kitchen.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
A lot of unnecessary and damaging single-use plastic, paper and foil waste is produced in the kitchen.
Every year, our nation uses 13 billion pounds of paper towels; and the average American throws away about 185 pounds of plastic. Paper plates can take 20 years to break down in a landfill and Styrofoam plates can take more than a million years.
There are many excellent ways to reduce this waste.
TAKING ACTION!
Here are some great options for reducing single-use plastic, foil and paper waste in your kitchen. It’s easy and satisfying to adopt all of these waste reduction opportunities:
Store food and leftovers in reusable containers, instead of reaching for single use plastic bags or plastic wrap. There are many container options. Glass containers let you see what is inside easily, and have fewer health concerns than plastic containers; here are some good options. There are also great reusable storage bag options.
Japanese-style Bento boxes can be found in a variety of finishes, from stainless steel to traditional lacquer. A wide variety of sizes are available, plus lunch bags and futomaki wrapping cloths.
Cover bowls with a silicone or beeswax wrap instead of single-use plastic wrap. You can make Beeswax food wraps yourself or purchase them.
But what about keeping sandwiches fresh? Try Reusable sandwich bags. There are some excellent reusable sandwich bag alternatives and reusable sandwich wraps from which to choose. Beeswax wrap is also a good option.
Minimize paper towel use and use reusable cleaning cloths instead, which you can make or buy. Restaurant-style cloth bar towels are inexpensive and easy to find.
Use cloth napkins, not paper towels or paper napkins – they are much nicer from so many perspectives.
Ditch single-use plastic fruit and vegetable bags and either go without a bag (you will be washing the fruits or vegetables anyway) or use reusable produce bags. Getting ones you can see through help once they are in the fridge; and there are lots of options.
Avoid aluminum foil and parchment paper and use silicone baking mats instead.
Buy food staples in bulk, and bring your own containers to the store. Mason jars are a classic staple, and jars from foods you purchased at the store are a great opportunity for reuse.
No Styrofoam, paper plates or plastic utensils – period.
To avoid large plastic containers for products like dishwashing detergents, use non-liquid alternatives.
ADDITIONAL MOTIVATIONAL THOUGHTS
There are concerns about the safety of plastic wrap. For example, Saran Wrap has vinyl chloride, often 13%. Stretch-Tite’s plastic wrap contains PVC.
According to the Paperless Project, “If every household in the U.S. used just one less 70-sheet roll of paper towels, that would save 544,000 trees each year. If every household in the U.S. used three less rolls per year, it would save 120,000 tons of waste and $4.1 million in landfill dumping fees.”
