-12 Months- 12 Eco Changes- Making An Eco Swap Of Kitchen Items

Month 6 – June it’s Kitchen Items

Background…..

As when I decided to go Vegan back in 2013, I started with the food, gradually as I did the next shop I swapped over the milk and butter and cheese, we obviously stopped eating or buying any meat but finding substitutes didn’t happen over night.

My husband Peter then joined me a few months later as he felt better not eating meat every day, every meal as it was me shopping & cooking the food we all ate.

Our kids were young at the time 3, 5 & 6 so swapping the younger 2 over wasn’t a big deal as they were at the stage of trying different food out all the time anyway. We also found after eating dairy they would throw up later in the day, so it was easier to just look for the V vegan sign on food than to keep checking for non dairy products for them.

Clayton, being Autistic had (and still has) a self limiting diet of dry brown or beige finger foods only so he wasn’t included in our switch, getting him to just eat was a struggle in its self.

Anyway…..my point is, nothing happens over night, going Vegan we started with food, it then progressed onto products, clothing, shoes, coats, linen, furniture, now we chose items without a second thought.

This progressed onto what was happening on our land and led us to permaculture, principles & design. Permaculture principle No6 is: Produce No Waste. This is the overall aim.

Just making 1 swap starts to make a difference to our planet. What could you do today?

5 Straight Out Swaps in the Kitchen!

This month I have concentrated on what I could swap out in the kitchen that was ready to be replaced. I managed to swap out 5 items

First Kitchen Swap

Unbleached Baking Parchment Paper Roll

This roll of baking parchment is made from 100% unbleached paper, is biodegradable, compostable and landfill safe; meaning that you can bake and cook until your heart is content – safe in the knowledge that you are using a great green product! As well as this, the manufactured materials are all made from renewable resources and the packaging materials are made from recycled paper.

Size: 33cm x 19.8m roll

Product Features

• High-quality, environmentally friendly baking parchment roll
• Made from renewable resources
• Unbleached, chlorine-free and compostable
• Greaseproof
• Freezer and microwave safe.

Second Kitchen Swap

Tesco 20 compostable caddy liners tie-top.

Certified compostable bag. Made from renewable vegetable and biodegradable materials. Suitable for home composting when filled with compostable waste. I actually use these all around the home they are ideal for the small bins, reducing plastic bags & will decompose in the normal waste bins (not that we have much nowadays!)

Product Features

• Fits right in. For your compostable waste
• Certified compostable bag
• Made from renewable vegetable and biodegradable materials

Third Kitchen Swap

Zero Waste Club Biodegradable Sponges 2 Pack

Basic yellow sponges are made from polyester and nylon which are non recyclable. Every time you wash up using one, small pieces of sponge, a type of microplastic, are washed straight down the drain and into our water systems. These microplastics then stay in the ocean until they are consumed by marine life, or ingested by humans

Product Features

• Perfect for the Kitchen and Bathroom
• 100% Biodegradable Made from Wood Pulp
• Super Absorbent – Holds up to 10x its Weight
• Tree Planted for Each Pack Sold
• Check Inside for Full Transparency & Ethics
• Ergonomic Design
• Plastic-Free
• Suitable for Vegans

Fourth Kitchen Swap

Paper Bags used for Sandwich Bags

Cost-effective paper bags on a string, to allow hanging on hooks. Environmentally friendly alternative to polythene & biodegrade

Product Features

• Ideal for packed lunches
• Come in many different sizes & bulk buys in large quantities you don’t need to think about it all year
• Perfect for wrapping avocados or other fruit/veg in too

Fifth Kitchen Swap

TRADITIONAL JAPANESE WOK BRUSH

A traditional bamboo wok brush makes light work of wok-cleaning. Made of split bamboo stalks that are tied at the top, this brush can be used on a still-hot wok alongside soapy water. Bamboos have antibacterial effects and resistance to bacterial propagation. Using bamboo rather than a scourer will also prevent your wok from rusting. This is because it is gentler on the surface of the wok.

Like the sponge above, stops any plastic scouring pads or plastic brushes being used in the sink to avoid microplastics being washed away with the water.

Product Features

• Devised for washing pans and mainly used by Chinese chefs because of its strong detergency and simple maintenance.
• Can wash pans without putting your hands in water.
• It has strength and flexibility, and doesn’t harm the surface of pans. You can scrub hard without too much worrying.
• Burnt oil stains can be easily removed by boiling water in the pan and then scrubing it.
• Easy to clean, just rinse & leave to dry

5 Straight Out Swaps!

5 Straight Out Swaps! Removing plastic from our kitchen for cleaning, baking, storing food and removing waste from the home & reducing any microplastics being washed down the sink.

There is only 1 reason this month to make some swaps

1. The whole reason is to stop extra plastic waste coming out of the household. These changes produces ZERO PLASTIC or MICROPLASTIC waste each month, every item is biodegradable.

🌳Permaculture Principle No6 – Produce No Waste

🌱Vegan Living- To Do No Harm

👣🌎Small steps is better than none at all! What small change could you make this year? Could you look into your kitchen items too? What changes could you make to reduce your plastic waste?