Earth day may have past, but that doesn't mean we can stop consciously caring for our earth until next April. Don't get me wrong, remembering to pick up some litter one day each year is a great way to care for and celebrate our earth, but there is more that can be done. About 300 million tons of plastic are produced globally each year, and food and packaging/containers account for almost 45% of the materials landfilled in the United States. Reducing our waste may seem like a huge task, but simple switches in your daily life can make a real impact, and the kitchen can be a great place to start. Here are 5 eco-friendly kitchen supplies to switch to in order to give our earth some extra lovin' every day of the year.
1. Food Containers
Every year around 45,000 tons of plastic waste are dumped into the world’s oceans. Saying no to plastic tupperware can make a big difference. A great alternative to the harmful plastic is to choose to eat from glass food containers. Wean Green is a glass food container company dedicated to making durable, chemical free, and eco-friendly kitchen supplies. With a goal to have “litter-less lunches,” they make everything from snack cubes to meal bowls, all for affordable prices. Do you want to help make a difference by eating from cute glass food containers? Hey, you don’t have to ask me twice.
2. Dish Towels
I don’t know about you, but every time I spill in the kitchen, which is way more than I would like to admit, I reach for a paper towel. Well, guess what? Paper towels are not recyclable. If every American reduced the number of paper towels they use by just one per day, we would divert 571,230,000 pounds of paper waste each year. An easy way to reach this goal is by purchasing some eco-friendly kitchen supplies such as new dish towels. The honest co. has tons of cute dishtowels, all made from 100% organic cotton - so an extra bonus for the environment.
3. Dish Soap
Many dish soap detergents can have serious poisonous and toxic effects in all types of aquatic life. Often, phosphates or bleach are found in kitchen cleaning supplies and they can be really harmful. Well, Method uses only ingredients that have been tested and proven to be safe for our environment. Check out one of their many different biodegradable dish soaps, all which come in fun bright colors and scents to make dishwashing an all-around better experience for everyone.
4. Lunch Bags
I’ll be the first to admit it, packing a lunch can seem boring and tedious. Not packing a lunch, though, can result in so much extra waste in the environment. Make your lunch with a lot less litter by using an eco lunch box. Eco lunch box has a mission to make healthier people and a healthier planet through reducing plastic use. Eco lunch box makes a wide variety of reusable lunch bags, including a "snack sack tote" so you don’t use any plastic baggies at all. In addition, the hand-printed patterned fabrics used to make the bags are sourced directly from artisans - promoting the sustainability of the textile arts and the environment at the same time.
5. Travel Mugs
Be honest. How many disposable coffee cups have you thrown away this week alone? If you are like most Americans, probably more than you'd like to admit. Buying just one coffee or tea each week can lead to 23 pounds of waste each year.
Simple solution: carry a reusable coffee cup with you, people. Check out Aladdin's new Earthscapes collection for some reusable cups with designs inspired by nature. Not only will it keep your drink warmer longer and reduce waste, I promise this eco-friendly cup will look better on your desk than that boring paper one anyway.
So why wait, people? Start making these simple, eco-friendly switches in your kitchen and let's celebrate our earth every day of the year. Eco-friendly kitchen supplies can go a long way.