At conscious cleaning we firmly believe that small changes can lead to a big impact! Especially in the home, where our product choices and the packaging it comes in, has a direct impact on the amount of plastic that ends up in landfill or our oceans. So, we’ve pulled together a few simple ways to help shed single-use plastic that don't break the bank.
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For this blog we’ve decided to focus on the Kitchen, arguably because it is one of the most plastic ridden rooms in our households (compared to the bathrooms or bedrooms). Just thinking about all the unnecessary plastic food packaging, cleaning products and kitchenware that we encounter day in day out, gives us the shivers.
There is good news to be had though, according to a UK Government study, 82% of UK Adults are trying to reduce the amount of plastic they throw away….so keep up the good work people! On top of that, industry trends are changing and we’re starting to see a plethora of new, innovative and inexpensive products and ideas to help us reduce the amount of plastic we are consuming in this area of our house…win win!!
Here’s a few quick stats that both enlightened and terrified us into making some positive lifestyle changes…
7,145 - the number of plastic items found in all the kitchens on your average UK residential street
975,000 tonnes - the amount of plastic food packaging that is put onto the UK food market every year
14% - is the amount of plastic that actually gets collected for recycling!
So what can we do, I hear you ask. Well, here's a few simple tips to help you on your plastic free journey…
1 - Food Shopping
One sure fire way to reduce the plastic in your kitchen is to start with your food shop. Trying to go plastic free whilst shopping in a supermarket can be challenging at the best of times and down right impossible the rest of the time. But with so many new companies popping up that offer food delivery and a plastic free alternative, its a great place to start if you want to cut out those unnecessary layers of mostly non-recyclable plastic.
- Keepin it Fresh - check out companies like Oddbox, & Abel & Cole, they offer a great selection of fresh fruit and veg (amongst other things) with minimal packaging and affordable prices.
- For all things Dry - we love the GoodClub, who have everything you need to cut out unnecessary packaging.
- Groceries - Milk & More for plastic free milk and juices and many other grocery items.
Alternatively, why not check out your local refill shop, they’re like a treasure trove of plastic free goodies. Not sure where to find one, the good people at City to Sea have created a handy app to help with just that. Check it out here
2 - Kitchenware
- Forkin Great Idea - Another great way to minimise the plastic in your kitchen is to slowly phase out your plastic utensils. With so many alternatives out there why not look for wooden, metal or even bamboo kitchen tools. Check out Slice of Green for some inspo. Did you know that Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plant resources in the world, so it’s a super renewable resource.
- All about the second chances - why introduce new items into circulation, by opting for a secondhand, preloved or pre bought, you can not only grab yourself a bargain you can save one more hard plastic item from ending up on landfill.
- Scrap the wrap - Did you know in the UK we use about 745,000 miles of cling film every year. That’s enough of that sticky plastic to wrap round the earth 30 times…if that stat doesn’t scare you I don’t know what will. So why not scrap the wrap and opt for bee’s wax instead or why not try these guys for an innovative storage solution
3 - Plastic-free Kitchen Cleaning
- Ditch the Plastic Sponge - A plastic sponge never fully decomposes (a year’s supply of sponges will last approx. 52,000 years in landfill). So why not get rid of these little nasties and instead get your hands on some of our own compostable friends. Not only can they be washed so they can be reused many times, when you’re completely done, they go into the compost and turn into something new and nutritious...and so the cycle continues. Shop all our cleaning accessories here
- Upgrade your Cleaning Products - with an increased focus on cleanliness comes an increase in products and of course plastic, and not the nice recyclable kind. But it doesn’t have to be that way. At conscious.cleaning we’ve developed a number of cleaning kits that not only contain products in concentrated biodegradable eco-pods, you can also purchase reusable aluminium bottles so you never have to look at an ugly piece of plastic again! Check out all our kit today
So what are you waiting for? Get out there, experiment with a few of these ideas and start ditching your kitchen plastic like it’s going out of fashion (oh wait…it actually is)
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