Create an Efficient and Eco-Friendly Kitchen With These Sustainable Products

One of the easiest things to swap in the kitchen is paper towels, especially if you find yourself using rolls left and right. These reusable paper towels from Papaya are actually more absorbent than a traditional paper towel, you can throw them in the washing machine when they need a refresh, and one towel lasts longer than 17 rolls of traditional paper towels. Once they reach the end of their life (they’ll be falling apart and looking pretty grimy), you can toss them in your home compost to decompose. They’re made of cotton and cellulose, so they’ll easily break down.

You’ve seen the gorgeous Always Pan on Instagram and all over KCM, and it’s for a good reason. This powerhouse of a pan replaces nine kitchen tools, comes with a steamer and wooden spatula, and looks amazing on the counter or stove. It comes in 11 different colors, too. Not only is it sustainable because of its versatility (having one pan is much better than buying eight different ones), but it’s made with ethical labor and responsibly sourced materials.

Saving precious pantry or cabinet space is always a good idea. This 2-in-1 baking tray and cooling rack combo not only saves space but it’s made from recyclable materials. Even more exciting is that you could also use the duo as a cookie icing rack and drip tray. Simply bake the cookies on the baking sheet, let them cool on the rack, nest the rack in the tray, and add icing mess free — it leaves fewer dishes to wash, too. 

Stop spending money on a ton of different cleaning products and opt for a multipurpose cleaner instead. This one by Grove is made with natural ingredients, and it can be used on any non-porous surface. While you can buy full bottles of cleaner, this comes as an ultra-concentrated formula that you add to a spray bottle of water. To save even more cash, reuse an empty spray bottle you have at home to store your new formula.

Another way to be more sustainable in the kitchen is to use tools made from recycled materials. You could buy a new cutting board made from virgin plastic, but why not opt for one that’s just as sturdy and creates no new waste? Material Kitchen’s reBoard is made from upcycled plastic from pulverized kitchen utensils and renewable sugarcane, which create an eco-friendly match made in heaven. It’s also dishwasher safe.

Who knew that the coating on the inside of skillets and pans releases carbon dioxide when you heat them up? Nonstick coatings made from harmful chemicals release more carbon dioxide into the air than ceramic coatings. Ceramic coatings are mineral-based, making them non-toxic and less likely to stick than other chemical coatings. This sauté pan from Caraway not only works on all types of stovetops and is oven safe, but the nonstick coating makes for easy cleanup, too.

Storing liquids in a plastic baggie is nearly impossible, and if you choose to freeze it, you have to manage to get it back out of the bag somehow, too. Silicone bags, like this one from W&P, are leak-free and stand up on their own, so you can easily fill and empty them without a huge mess. If you choose to freeze the contents, like a soup or sauce, you can easily thaw it in the bag without worrying about it melting or having plastic leach into your food. Silicone bags can even be boiled and put in the microwave, so steaming and cooking small items is easy peasy.

Those who prefer wooden cutting boards know they can be a mess, especially if you’re cutting fruit or meat on them. Traditional wood boards don’t have any grooves to catch drippy messes, but this bamboo version does. A small groove around the edge of this board ensures you won’t have a sopping wet counter, but you can also flip the board over and easily follow a recipe on your phone by putting it in the built-in phone stand. The functionality of this board is one thing, but it’s also made of bamboo, which grows exponentially faster than hardwoods, making it a better option in terms of renewability.

You can never have too many mixing bowls, especially when they nest into each other for easy storage. This set comes with six different sizes that you can use for mixing, serving, marinating, or just about any other kitchen task you can think of. They’re made of stainless steel, which should last you a lifetime, but they’re also recyclable should you ever need to get rid of them.

Spending more than $10 on a sandwich bag sounds ridiculous, but when you realize you never have to buy another one again, it’s actually a bargain. Unlike flimsy plastic bags, you can toss this in a lunchbox or tote and not worry about it breaking, and you can use it to store things like fruit and veggies without the fear of any leaks. Katie relies on these and even gifted them to her friends over the holidays.

Every morning when you pop a coffee pod into your machine, do you cringe at the amount of plastic you end up throwing away after? Thankfully, there’s a reusable solution. You can fill these reusable coffee pods with your favorite roasts every morning without having to send them to the landfill after. Not only is it better for the planet, but you’ll probably find yourself spending less on pods, too. It’s definitely cheaper to buy a bag of coffee and fill these up yourself than it is to continuously buy new pods. When you’re done with the grounds, simply empty them into your home compost, rinse out the filter, and fill it up with coffee again whenever you’d like.