Sustainable living starts at home—and what’s the heart of the home?
The kitchen, of course!
We’re turning up the heat with sustainable kitchen products that help us cook healthy, nutritious meals without polluting the planet in the process.
By that, we mean ditching disposables in favor of reusable kitchen items, cooking up sustainable feasts using non-toxic cookware, serving suppers with ethical dinnerware, and composting the leftovers!
Fortunately, there are a plethora of eco-friendly kitchen products that can help with all of the above.
So, what’s on the menu?
From eco-friendly kitchen cleaning products to sustainable kitchenware, we’ve rounded up eleven of the best sustainable kitchen products for pro-planet foodies.
Why Choose Sustainable Kitchen Products?
There’s a lot going on in the kitchen. Whether we’re cooking, eating, washing up, or wiping up messes, we use a LOT of different products each day.
And all those products have an impact—of varying degrees. From toxic cookware to disposable paper towels and single-use plastic, there’s a lot to consider when we look beyond the (kitchen) surface.
The good news?
There are plenty of ways to be more sustainable in the kitchen.
What does “sustainable kitchen” mean?
Sustainable kitchen design, as with any form of sustainable interior design, goes beyond aesthetics to consider the impact that our daily habits, routines, and purchases have on the environment.
That’s why minimalism is the best approach you can take. We know, kitchen gadgets can be so enticing, but even sustainable kitchenware becomes less sustainable if it’s completely unnecessary and only serves a niche otherwise handled by something you already own.
How can you make a kitchen more sustainable?
The kitchen is an ideal place to start a zero waste journey. With a few simple swaps, you can help curb plastic pollution by cutting down on the amount of single-use products and plastic packaging.
Have a look around your kitchen, keeping in mind the 5 Rs of zero waste: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot.
For example, you can refuse single-use plastic, reduce the number of new products you buy, opt for reusable kitchen items over disposable ones, recycle your waste, and compost your food scraps.
A zero waste kitchen won’t happen overnight, but choosing simple eco-friendly kitchen products like plastic-free dish soap and glass storage containers will make a big difference.
It’s worth remembering that going waste-free is not the only way to achieve sustainability. Especially in a heavy-use area like the kitchen, low waste living goals are more realistic and encouraging.
How We Found The Best Eco-Friendly Kitchen Products
What criteria did we consider when choosing our top products for a sustainable kitchen?
Here are our key ingredients that put these products in the non-toxic food storage container.
Materials:
Compostable materials are king (or queen), so for items like eco-friendly sponges, beeswax wraps, reusable covers, and other cloths, we look for products that are home compostable at end-of-life.
Some compostable materials are better than others, too, like organic cotton, which is better than conventional cotton.
For appliances and eco-friendly kitchen gadgets, we look for recycled and easy-to-recycle materials (think: stainless steel, glass, brass, and aluminum) with minimal (and ideally zero) use of plastic.
For food storage, cookware, and non-toxic bakeware, only safe, healthy materials make the grade—no toxic coatings or materials that could leach chemicals and metals into our food.
- Certifications: Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), ENERGY STAR
Supply chain and labor practices:
We look for sustainable kitchen brands that are transparent about their supply chains and the factories they work with.
The best ethical kitchenware comes from brands that use third-party manufacturing certifications to ensure that workers are paid fair wages, have safe working conditions, and that there is no forced/child labor involved.
- Certifications: B Corp, Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI), Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA), Social Accountability International (SA8000)
Green business practices:
There are a bushel of ways brands can ensure their eco kitchenware has as minimal an impact on the planet as possible.
From using renewable energy and carbon offset programs to zero waste packaging, waste recycling, and circular take-back/refill programs, these extra eco-efforts help us all move towards a more sustainable future.
Charitable giving:
Big-hearted brands that donate money or products to charities put the icing on the cake.
Final Thoughts On Eco-friendly Kitchen Products
A sustainable kitchen isn’t going to happen overnight. As with many eco-endeavors, it’s a step-by-step process. Progress not perfection, right?
Start by making simple switches to plastic-free and reusable kitchen items like a reusable paper towel, silicone baking mat, or a compostable sponge. Each sustainable swap adds up, so give yourself a pat on the back for each one you make.
There’s also no one-size-fits-all here, so try out a few different zero waste kitchen products and see which ones you enjoy using.
For other items, like cookware and appliances, check your local thrift stores, community pages, and Facebook marketplace for second-hand items before buying new ones.
Or see if you can make any DIY sustainable reusable products for the kitchen from things you have.
As well as choosing the right products, we can reduce our carbon footprint at home by curbing our energy consumption. Have a read of our article on ways to conserve energy for tips on being energy savvy in the kitchen.
Then share this recipe for a sustainable kitchen with your foodie friends and help spread the word about the best eco-friendly kitchen products for a pro-planet dinner party.
