Removing plastic from your kitchen is a great way of becoming more sustainable. There are quick switches that can make a big difference and get you on the right path to becoming an eco champion.

Switch your dishcloth for a natural fibre option

Coconut bristles and bamboo all do a great job and as super fast growing sustainable materials they are a much better option than a plastic sponge that will sit in landfill for years. You also find that with natural breathable products they smell fresher for longer. We love a compostable option to add to our garden waste.

If natural fibre isn’t for you look out for washable options, pop them in with your normal wash and they come out good as new. We find they last about ten times longer than a normal sponge before they are relegated to another room. 

We love coconut and cotton, they have a wide range of scrubbing brushes and sponges to suit everyones washing up needs. 

Swap to biodegradable bin bags

The average household uses two bin bags a week, that’s at least 104 a year. The chances are all the rubbish inside the bag isn’t biodegradable so doing our bit and making sure the bag is made from recycled plastic or even better totally biodegradable is a great step. 

The cost and quality is great and you won’t notice the difference, this has been one of our favourite swaps. Easy, simple and good for the planet.

We found a good range of sizes and options online, but also found a lot of supermarkets are starting to stock good options too. Check out the Ethical Superstore

Time to ditch the washing up bottle

Depending on your brand and your household you can use a bottle of washing up liquid every week. That’s 52 bottles a year. Wouldn’t it be great to remove that many bottles from the planet with one simple switch. Try a dish washing soap bar, palm oil and plastic free wrapped in recyclable card. Zero plastic and zero waste, they last about three times as long as our regular bottle of liquid and smell fantastic as well as achieving the basics and getting our dishes clean and shiny with no residue.

We are big fans of these, they left our hands soft and our dishes clean. We love Peace With The Wild. 

Never buy cling film again>

It doesn’t really ever disappear, it sort of rots a little bit and as it does it releases toxic fumes. So this is a great product to eliminate on your eco journey. Firstly think about your needs, do you use it to cover food in the fridge or do you use it to wrap your sandwiches for the lunch box. You can try beeswax wraps, flexible, eco friendly and washable so you can use them time and time again. They are perfect to wrap your daily sandwiches. Or if you just need a bowl cover in the fridge for leftovers, try a fabric option that stretches to the size of your bowl, pop them in the wash and they come out clean and fresh. They are available in sizes and patterns to suit all needs and styles, these are a great product to introduce to your daily routine to eliminate one of the kitchen staples we think we all need, but can quickly learn to live without.

On sale at highstreet independents or online, give them a try and find one that suits you. Some of our favourites are Beeswaxwraps.co.uk or these fabric bowl covers on Etsy.

Plastic free produce

Reusable produce bags can help eliminate plastic waste and food waste from your kitchen. If you can get them into your routine and take them with you when you shop in the same way you grab your reusable shopping bags, they’ll make a big difference. Grab the loose fruit and veg and pop them in your reusable bag instead of a non biodegradable plastic option. As an added bonus they help keep produce fresher for longer with their mesh casing they avoid food sweating and rotting in the fridge. Made from recycled plastic bottles and washable, these are a great product to help eliminate single use plastic from your kitchen and reduce food waste.

Here’s some that we’ve tried and love at Onyalife.co.uk.