How To Reduce Plastic Waste From Your Kitchen

At Bower Collective, we recognise the need for working towards a sustainable future, and we’re committed to creating plastic-free homes that are beautiful and functional. And one room where you can really make a big difference is in the kitchen.

From cling film and food containers to straws and plastic nozzles, our kitchens can be a hotbed for plastic waste. Given the damage plastic waste causes to the environment, we thought we’d take a moment to share some easy ways to create a plastic-free kitchen that can be enjoyed by all.

The Need To Reduce Plastic Waste
The thing that makes plastic so practical is its durability. It can be beaten and neglected for years and still come through and do a great job keeping our food protected and our water contained. 

The problem is plastic is so tough that it refuses to disappear even after we’ve thrown it away. Today, plastic poses a huge threat to marine life – and the natural environment in general – because of its inability to break down.

Because it’s not biodegradable, plastic is significantly difficult to decompose. It can take up to 800 years for a plastic bag to decompose on a landfill, and items such as plastic bottles can take more than 1,000 years. 

As plastic is continually being mass-produced (while refusing to go away), we’re being left with a waste crisis. Kitchens are prime culprits when it comes to using plastic, and from bin bags to plastic cups (including coffee cups), the need for sustainable alternatives is essential. Other items that sneak into the kitchen include plastic straws, plastic wrap, plastic cutlery and plastic water bottles. Another type of plastic we often forget about is chewing gum…

In order to reduce the amount of plastic items, making small swaps, such as using glass bottles and reusable cloths, is a great start. Visits to the grocery store can also result in more plastic entering our kitchen, so as well as being aware of plastic packaging, always remember to take your eco-friendly shopping bags with you!

Here are three more easy ways you can eliminate plastic waste from the kitchen.

Reusable Bottles And Cups

The sad truth about water is that it has a habit of coming with more than its fair share of baggage. Bottled water found on supermarket shelves can be extremely harmful to the environment – not to mention very costly for the buyer. Buying plastic cups to drink from can be damaging too. You may get plenty of use out of plastics when it comes to holding drinks, but given that plastic cups can take thousands of years to decompose, it’s not an eco-friendly choice. 

Be sure to look for plastic-free cups for use in the kitchen. Glass is a great alternative and if you’re looking for something a little bit more durable, Bower Collective has a great range of reusable bottles that are both attractive and portable.

Eco-Friendly Storage
While kitchens of the past were taken over by tupperware, this doesn't need to be the case anymore. The same goes for the plastic air-tight containers that were always present at lunchtime in schools and workplaces across the world. But what happens once we’re finished with our containers?

Plastic food containers are designed to keep our sandwiches safe from the most rigorous of commutes, but after they’ve protected their last lunch, plastic containers set about causing havoc on the environment. Luckily, there’s a great solution to this with Beeswax Food Wraps – a stylish food-storage option that can be reused with a single wash. 

Believe In Better Bin Bags
When it comes to carrying non-recyclable or decomposable waste, it’s essential that we have something durable and flexible enough to contain it. However, that doesn't mean you have to use traditional black plastic bags, as there are now some great plastic-limiting solutions available when it comes to kitchen waste. 

At Bower Collective, we sell cost-effective Suma Recycled Bin Bags that contain rolls of 50% post-consumer recycled plastic bags for waste. Your rubbish will have never felt so healthy…

Often, our kitchens can be full to the brim with needless and harmful plastics that are used only a handful of times before throwing away. At Bower Collective, we challenge ourselves to find new and inventive ways to move towards clean living and pushing towards plastic-free homes – and we hope to achieve our goal one plastic-free cupboard at a time.

If you have any tips or suggestions for a plastic-free kitchen, just let us know in the comments below!

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